A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck. Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history. Hula hoops for children generally measure approximately 28
The hoop gained international popularity in the late 1950s when a plastic version was successfully marketed by California's Wham-O toy company. In 1957, Richard Knerr and Arthur Spud Melin, starting with the idea of Australian bamboo exercise hoops , manufactured 42-inch hoops with Marlex plastic. With give-aways and national marketing and retailing, a fad was started in July, 1958;[2][3] twenty-five million plastic hoops were sold in less than four months, and in two years sales reached more than 100 million units.[1] Carlon Products Corporation was one of the first manufacturers of the hula hoop. During the 1950's when the hula hoop craze swept the country, Carlon was producing more than 50,000 hula hoops per day.
The past few years have seen the re-emergence of hula hooping, generally referred to as either hoopdance or simply hooping to distinguish it from the children's playform. An International Holiday World Hoop Day has become the hula hoop holiday celebrating the circle around the world. Every year, in numerical sequence starting from 2007-07-07 and continuing through 2012-12-12 hoopers dance in every city and country to raise money and donate hoops to others who can't afford them. Modern hula hoopers can be found among fans of jambands like The String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Phish and participants of Burning Man and more recently at other music festivals like Camp Bisco, The Gathering of the Vibes, All Good, Coachella, etc.
During the recent revitalization of the hula hoop, its uses have been extended to serve as an implement for fitness. A multitude of websites have been created as a result of this revival, many of which provide links to hooping clubs, online retailers from which to buy specialized hula hoops, and information on workout routines. Hula hooping, in recent years has become a more social activity than it may have been in the fifties. Hoopcity.ca is a social networking site similar to Facebook. It is for hula hoopers all over the world to share their talent, skills, pictures and videos. The site allows people to organize and meet up to hula hoop. Hoopers can hook up with other hoopers while visiting other states for festivals and shows. The site offers information about local hoop classes and local meetings for hoopers in the same area.
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