Hacky Sacks

Hacky Sacks are small, hand made bean bags used in various sports and games that are controlled primarily by the feet. Also known as the footbag, the hacky sack was the brainchild of John Stalberger and Mike Marshall, two American athletes from Oregon City, Oregon.

While recovering from knee surgery in 1972, Mike Marshall created the hacky sack as a means of increasing the flexibility in his knee. Along with John Stalberger, the two conceptualized a game, which they called Hackin the Sack. Although Mike Marshall died of a heart attack in 1975 before their dreams were realized, John Stalberger continued his devotion to the Hacky Sack venture, and went on to form the National Hacky Sack Association. Then in 1983, he sold the Hacky Sack rights to the Wham-O toy company.

The game of Hacky Sack has ancient origins that stretch back as far as the 5th century BC in China. There, the game is called Jianzi or Shuttlecock, and many believe it originated as an ancient military exercise. In Japan the game is called Kemari and is first referenced over 1400 years ago in Japanese literature. Even the Native Americans played a game similar to the Hacky Sack that was made with pellets inside animal hide with feathers attached.

Every year there are numerous footbag competitions held in the United States and around the world. These tournaments revolve around two competitions; Footbag Net and Footbag Freestyle. Footbag Net is similar to Volleyball, and involves kicking the footbag over a net. Footbag Freestyle follows a preset routine, usually to music, that links a series of tricks together. The International Footbag Committee (IFC) oversees these competitions, while the International Footbag Players' Association (IFPA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the game worldwide.

1. Freestyle Footbags
2. Net Footbags
3. Sand Footbags
4. Crocheted Footbags

1. Footbag Net
2. Footbag Freestyle
3. Footbag Four-Square
4. Footbag Cricket
5. Footbag Consecutive
6. Footbag Golf