A Brief History of the Hoop

Children, Egyptians, and the Greeks have all loved hula hooping for centuries.  It was quite the popular pass time in the ancient world.  The original hoops were made from dried vines, stiff grasses, and bamboo.  They were either circled around the waist or rolled with a stick along the ground. 

The toy became associated with Hawaii for the first time in the 1800’s when British sailors noticed its similarity to the hula dance they saw there.

In 1957, an Australian toy maker began offering large wooden rings for sale.  This caught the attention of Richard Knerr and Arthur “Spud” Melier, the owners of the California based toy company, Wham-O.  Originally working on a sling shot used to train pet falcons, the two men founded their company in 1948.  After seeing the wooden rings, they began production of a plastic model offered in a variety of colors in 1958.  They called it the Hula Hoop®.  The Hula Hoop® went on to sell 20 million hoops in the first six months making it one of the most popular fads ever.

Hula Hoops® are still being sold today, but in the mid-nineties the band, the String Cheese Incident, put a new twist on the old classic.  They began throwing over-sized hoops out into the crowds at their shows all over the country.  These hoops were much easier to use than those in the store because of their size and weight.  When put to music, hooping became more than a fad.  It became a subculture. 

The FOCs (Friends of Cheese) took to these larger hoops and began using them outside of shows.  They are credited with causing the underground hooping scene to grow to what it has become today.