You’ve all seen it before: a group of college guys and girls laughing it up as they acrobatically kick a suede sack of sand in a circle. It’s all spontaneously accidental.
The story goes that in 1975, the inventors of hacky sack accidently met; Mike Marshall began playing with a homemade bean bag that was meant to help rehabilitate John Stalberger’s knee. Marshall died 28 years later from a fatal heart attack, but the hacky sack spirit still lives on.
Students of all genders and even ages get curious. They see the motion of the feet juggling the sack back and forth and happily join up to give it a shot. You aren’t any good? Keep it up and you’d be amazed at how fast you gain your skills.
Hacky sack regulars Steven Williams and Michael Brink commented in between a hacky sack session to share their thoughts on how hacky sack is unique as opposed to other recreational sports. “It definitely builds a community they get the urge to join in and people definitely welcome you to play hacky sack with them.”
Williams turned to then witness not one but two back flips from a fellow hacky sack member Dominic Morris. It is not your typical move with hacky sack, but then there is nothing typical with hacky sack. From the moment the group meets up from the moment they break, its all a mutual yet spontaneous flow of side kicking, knee bouncing, head stalling action. “I think the biggest difference between hacky sack and other recreational sports is it isn’t competitive in any way, you’re just in a circle kicking a sack of sand around,” Brink said with a grin. “You just see a group of people playing and want join in on the game. I remember I was with a group of friends back packing in Death Valley, California and began to hacky sack in the sand, it was a group of first timers having a bunch of fun.”
You can get any variety of hacky sack you want made of suede, leather or knitted materials. They can be filled with anything from sand, dry beans, plastic or more.
That’s a fact here at Bellevue College. You’ll usually see the group just before noon laughing before another game begins. You can’t help but notice passing students getting a smile on their face and a classic urge to join in.
So if life is feeling drab or things are looking grey, go join in on a hacky sack game and have a good time. It could be here on campus or elsewhere, either way you’re always welcome to have a piece of hacky sack happiness. Mike Marshall would approve.