On October 30, 2000, artist Emily Duffy saw an interesting ad tucked in Leah Garchik's Personals, a daily column in the San Francisco Chronicle that dishes dirt and information about local personalities.

According to the ad, "Nicolino, the artist who collected used brassieres from all across the country in the hope of stringing them across the Grand Canyon — whoa! said Park Department feds — is offering 20,000 used bras free to an arts organization or teaching institution."

After reading that ad, Duffy called Nicolino to inquire about taking the bras off his hands.

That is where Duffy and Nicolino's stories and their bra balls diverge.

Extra: Read the long-form article about the bra ball batte.