Hat manipulation is a form of juggling in which the manipulator performs feats of skill and dexterity using a brimmed hat such as a bowler hat or a top hat as a prop.[1] Tricks can range from rolling a hat up and down the various parts of the body to throwing and catching the hat in amusing ways.[2] Hat manipulation is often comedic in nature. Part of the appeal of the art is in the necessary equipment; all that is needed is a good, heavy, brimmed hat, which can be found at many juggling stores. Famous manufacturers of manipulation specific hats are Nils Poll and Dubé. Hat manipulation is also frequently combined with traditional forms of juggling in order to create more varied acts.
Technically, hat manipulation is a form of object manipulation where the hat is the skill toy.
The types of tricks performed during hat manipulation fall into seven major categories. These are: