October 4th was National Hoop Day. What better
month to write about one of America’s favorite amusements? But is it an
American invention?
Let’s circle backward in time. The hoop was
introduced in America in the mid-20th Century. Different theories have emerged
as to how the name Hula Hoop came to be. Some say sailors stationed in Hawaii
came up with the name. Others say the founders of the toy company Wham-O,
Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melin, named it after they acquired the right
to produce it.
However, spunky Australian Joan Anderson, who recently
celebrated her 100th birthday in January 2024, claims that she not only brought
the hoop to America in 1956 but also named it.
She had married an American pilot whom she met in
Brisbane, Australia. They moved to Los Angeles, California and started a
family. A few years later, Joan returned to Australia to visit and heard about
this craze of the Hoop, (not yet named the Hula Hoop.) After coming home to the
states, she had her mother ship a bamboo hoop. Five months later, her husband
introduced it to his friend Spud. Though they shook hands, neither Joan nor her
husband ever saw a dime. Wham-O made over 100 million dollars the first year of
production. The craze has since gone worldwide. She finally sued the Wham-O
company and only received $8,000 in compensation. A short documentary about the
“Hula Girl” was made six years ago. Here’s her story:
In the 1950s, Australian school
children used it in their gym classes as a fun workout. It sure beat
calisthenics! The Hoop was produced by businessman Alex Tolmer president of
Toltoys. His company made them using a new product—plastic. Over 400K units
were sold in Australia after Tolmer took the reins. It’s surprising that Joan
hadn’t heard of it while growing up there.
The hoop wasn’t a new fad, however. In the 1400’s,
hoops were used in Native American culture as a form of story-telling. It’s
still used today. A couple of years ago, I visited the Crazy Horse Memorial in
South Dakota. A Lakota woman put on an exhibition, educating groups about this
creative part of her heritage. Her hoop dance mesmerized the audience.
Heading back over the pond, we reach further into the
past to 14th Century England where author Charles Panati writes about a craze
using the hoop made of wood or metal. Apparently he stated, doctors complained
that participants were injuring themselves, dislocating their backs and
suffering heart failure.
Continuing our journey in time reveals that the
ancient Greeks and Egyptians also used a hoop-like device, either for exercise
or entertainment. It might have even been an Olympic sport. These hoops were
made of dried grapevines, willow, or rattan.
Not everyone is a fan, however. The Japanese
government banned the practice, stating the gyration of the hips was too
promiscuous. Indonesia followed suit. Russia denounced it as an example of “the
emptiness of American culture.”
Yeah, whatever. It’s fun!
The following video is of my grandson killing it with the Hula Hoop.
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Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother and a great-grandmother—though much too young for either. Kathleen has been a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.
Thank you for this fun post. I never was a master of the hoop, but it was one of the first toys I bought my grandchildren to try. They did much better than me!
Thank you for this fun post. I never was a master of the hoop, but it was one of the first toys I bought my grandchildren to try. They did much better than me!
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