Hula Hoop
Age Range: 5 - 12
Price: $5.99
Phone: 888-942-6650
Year Released: 1960
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Hula Hoops are another great way to develop competitive spirit and high energy and exercise. When you are using the Hula Hoop you try to spin the hoop on your hips before it slips to the ground. It helps children to release a lot of physical energy and it enables them to develop coordination skills. It was first introduced in 1959. The Hula Hoop was originally made out of wood but became plastic. There are little plastic pellets added by Wham-O to give the hoops a sound. In 1987 Roxanne Rose spun a Hula Hoop for 90 hours at Washington State University. The world class record for the most people simultaneously Hula Hooping was set in 1990 in New Brunswick, Canada by 2000 people. In 1999 a 50-day coast-to-coast charity drive for the Boys and Girls Club of America celebrated the 50 years of Wham-O. The San Francisco International Toy Museum in 1987 created the first ever Hula Hoop event to commemorate the death of a child who was accidentally shot by a policeman. Over 100 children participated from schools all over the Bay Area as they turned in their toy guns in exchange for a Hula Hoop. The event was memorialized by radio and television coverage. A Hula Hoop is a much more positive activity for children, helping them to develop coordination and positive play experiences.
Wham-O has created many innovative products. In the 50’s Wham-O created slingshots when it was founded in 1948, it made the sound “wham-O”. The founders, Arthur “Spud” Melin and Richard Knerr were known as the gurus of fads. When Fred Morrison brought the disc to them in 1955 it was introduced to the consumer market in 1957 as Pluto Platter because the country was interested in unidentified flying objects. It was modified in 1958 and renamed Frisbee.
In the early 1960’s Norman Stingley, a chemical engineer, accidentally created a plastic project that bounced uncontrollably. He offered the product to Melin and Knerr and the Super Ball was created. During the 1960’s Wham-O sold some 20 million Super Balls before it was copied by competitors. But Wham-o has brought back the original Super Ball. In 1958 they went to Australia because they heard of a bamboo ring for exercise which became the Hula Hoop. They promoted it in Southern California playgrounds and gave demonstrations, gave kids the hoops to play and learn. It became one of the greatest fads ever as 25 million were sold in four months. There were many other brilliant ideas that came to this company and they tried different ideas. Some of them worked very well and some of them did not.
In 1983 the Hacky Sack footbag was added to Wham-O and became a fad. In 1982 it was purchased by Kransco Group Companies. In 1994 Mattel bought Wham-O from Kransco. In 1997 Wham-O became independent again and is located in Emeryville, California.
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