I almost missed it. Last week the Hula Hoop celebrated its 50th birthday.
I had one as a kid. So did my sister. She was something of an expert, winning contest galore while I could kinda make it work. My favorite thing was to throw it with a backspin and catch it on the return. I’m easily amused.

The exact origins of the hula hoop are unknown, but kids have played with hoops of some kind throughout history.

A real Hula Hoop measures 28 inches in diameter and have exact weights. The Wham-O Toy Company makes them from plastic tubing and places a ball bearing inside to provide that classic "shoop - shoop" sound.

Introduced in 1958, Wham-O sold 25 million in the first four months and over 100 million in its first year. There are now World Hula Hoop Championships in over 2,000 cities world wide. Competitors were judged on their performance of compulsory maneuvers. Me? I just like throwing them watching them return. Like I said. I am easy to amuse. Mine is 25 plus years old and a bright lime green. Tell me about yours.