ABSTRACT
In mid-1978, Hacky Sack seemed poised to rival Frisbee and the Hula-Hoop as an outdoor recreational activity. Hacky Sack-which employed a soft, golf-ball-sized leather bag-was invented by John Stalberger while in his 20s as a means of strengthening his knees after a football injury. The object of Hacky Sack was to keep the bag in the air, using the knees and the feet, without letting the bag touch the ground or the player's upper body. As the activity caught on, Stalberger established a National Hacky Sack Association to govern its growth and referee rules disputes. By 1978, it was being taught in grade schools all over Oregon, Washington, and Southern California, and at least three Oregon colleges were fielding Hacky Sack teams. Hacky Sack's popularity has continued unabated up to the present day, albeit minus the hype surrounding its sell-them-while-they're-hot early days.
