The Hula Hoop is officially 50 years old Thursday June 19th!
Did you know it cost $1.98 the first year. when 100 million of them were sold? Or, that it was banned in the Soviet Union as a symbol of the "emptiness" of western culture?
I cropped this shot from an earlier posted photo of mine and treated it a bit for the birthday.....
Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin invented it. Both are dead now, with Knerr passing earlier this year. Wham-O still manufactures it and sells it, although, as you might guess, sales are down for this "Great American Fad"!
Check out www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25252266/
And also: news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/hula_hoop_marks_50th_b...
Poa!, johpf, Cognizance, Oliver Ryan, and 6 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 19 more comments
betty hoops1 50 months ago | reply
THE TRUE INVENTOR OF THE HOOP
I would also like to add that Bill Hess Sr. was actually the true inventor of the hoop in the US. His friend, a PE teacher in Australia was using a hoop for kids in gym class. Bill Sr. who owned the first plastic injection molding co. in the US made hoops for his kids after he saw native americans hoop dance. And to get real correct with history, the native americans were really the first makers of the hula hoop. Richard Knerr was the first to capitalize on the idea. Anyhoo, though you folks might like to know that information given online might be a bit incorrect.
eBohemimom 33 months ago | reply
Love this and used it! Thanks!
ecclesiasticbohemian.blogspot.com/2010/08/hula-hoop-i-can...
leonw1020 26 months ago | reply
Great photo! I have used it here:
englishpuddle.com/2011/04/english-journal-topic-fads/
Thanks!
bossofme 14 months ago | reply
Fab shot! I'm reserving a space for this here: Lose Weight Now - with proper attribution of course :)