Hacky Sack: Don’t Call it a Comeback

To hacky or not to hacky — not really one of Shakespeare’s ponderings but still a legitimate question nonetheless, at least around college campuses.

Invented in 1972, hacky sack’s popularity did not surge again until this decade. Its presence had been dominant in the preceding years until the new millennium. But now it is time to dig up that old bag of beans out of your closet under your neon baseball cap and Backstreet Boys CD. Don’t call it a comeback; call it a revolution.

A refined version of hacky sack has regained popularity internationally and online with blogs and Facebook groups dedicated to get the sport back in action. At Binghamton University, a Facebook group was created to promote the club hacky sack team. The team coordinates times for members of the club to get together and play at their leisure.

Club hacky sack coordinator Brian Barrett simply states, “So, I love playing hacky sack in my free time and was hoping to find some other people also interested in kicking it around.” There are now 11 members to his group at Binghamton.

Kicking the bean bag is also popular with college kids who just have free time between class or enjoy hanging on the quad. “It something to do when we get out of class early or have time before class,” says University of Connecticut junior Corey Potoniec. “My roommate brought one with him to school by accident, but we play all the time now that we have one.”

Nowadays, like everything else, hacky sacking has gone viral. Footbag.org, the official website of the sport, explains the different variations of the sport, while freestyle footbag videos are all over YouTube. It popularity is only growing with the more complex ways one can hit a hacky sack.

So the question is, would you play if you had one? The only equipment necessary is small bean bag, and the rest is up to those playing. It travels well, so its appeal should be high – a stimulating activity where all you need is a bag of beans.