Hula Hoops!
Posted by T.J on June 11, 2008
In 1957, two Americans called Richard Knerr and Arthur K. Melin invented a plastic round hula hoop based on an Australian manufactured wooden ring. It was made in a number of colours from the rainbow to just plain colours and was a huge success.
It all started in 1000 BC when Egyptian children played with large hoops made of dried grape vines. They hit it on the ground with a stick or put it on a waist and spun it.
Throughout history, wooden hoops were played with. In the fourteenth century, they were as popular with adults as with children.
The word hula was added when British sailors went to Hawaii in the 1800s and noticed how similar it was when people did hula dancing and then saw people doing hooping.
Interesting facts about hooping
• Truckloads of hoops were hijacked on their way to stores by crazed consumers.
• In Wham-O sold more than 100 million Hula Hoop’s in the first twelve months on the market, and even that wasn’t enough to meet the demand.
• In Japan, nervous officials banned the toy’s use in public for fear of mass impropriety meaning it was rude and disrespectful
• Wham-O founders Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr spotted a bamboo exercise toy on a trip to Australia.
• The longest time of hula hooping is 72 hours by Kym Coberly in 1984
• The most hoops spun was 105 by Jin Linlin in 2007
http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/hulahoop.html
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/hulahoop.htm
Click on the link below to hear Tom spin us some stories about hula hoops!
June 16th, 2008 at 5:12 am
Hi Tom,
great Goss with lots of facts!! I learned so much. I could not keep the hula hoop going for 72 hours or stay up that long. And I could not keep it spinning for 105 times. Again great Goss! Lots of facts.
Becca.