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It’s been close to 50 years since the hacky sack took high school hallways, college quads, and concert parking lots by storm. You might think those miniature bean bags would have a tough time competing with the technology that younger generations currently have at their disposal, but they’re leading the way when it comes to resurrecting that particular pastime.
In 1972, a Texas native and military veteran named Mike Marshall befriended John Stalberger after heading up to Oregon for a music festival. The latter was recovering from a knee injury, and the former introduced him to an elementary game he’d learned after landing in the brig for going A.W.O.L that involved kicking a tiny denim bag filled with rice back and forth.
Stalberger discovered the activity helped him make progress on his ailing joint, and the two of them realized there might be a larger market for the “footbag” they played around with when Marshall announced it was time to “hack the sack.” That inspired the “Hacky Sack” name that was given to the product they started peddling, and while Marshall (who died of a heart attack at the age of 28 in 1975) never got to see it turn into a sensation, it exploded in popularity at the start of the 1980s.
The hacky sack is inextricably linked with stoners who spent countless hours honing their skills while wearing the “drug rugs” that tended to resemble the exterior of the bags they kicked around.
There is still a fairly thriving competitive footbag community, but a hobby that took off at a time when there was often literally nothing better to do undoubtedly took a hit due to the rise of easily accessible distractions provided by the internet and smartphones.
However, it would appear a resurgence is in full force.
Retailers are having trouble keeping hacky sacks in stock as Gen Zers have gravitated toward the game
You might not think members of Gen Z would be the top candidates to usher in a hacky sack revival due to their reputation for being obsessed with technology, but all signs point to that being the case.
Earlier this month, The Boston Globe covered what it described as a hacky sack “mania” at high schools in Massachusetts, which has been fueled by an Instagram account that has begun to issue weekly rankings for the learning institutions that have gotten in on the action.
Technology can actually be credited for the hacky sack rebirth, as those rankings are largely based on TikTok and Instagram videos where students are challenged to showcase their skills and creativity.
@needham.sack Good sack on a good Saturday #hackysack #sack #miaa @MIAA Hacky
One online retailer said he’s seen a nearly 2000% increase in visits to his website, and a number of stores in the state have seen their supply exhausted. It appears the trend has begun to take hold in other areas of the country, as The New York Times also got in on the action by speaking to a shop owner in North Carolina who says he sold 30 hacky sacks in a week after previously offloading two or three in the same span.
You love to see it.