A small, beaded sack arcs through the air, bouncing from sneaker to sneaker as a circle of students cheers after each save. To some, it seems like a new trend, but for past generations, it’s an old trend coming back.

According to History.com, the origin of hacky sack, also known as footbag, dates back to the summer of 1972, when John Stalberger and Mike Marshall met at a music festival in Oregon City, Oregon. Marshall introduced Stalberger, whose college football career had just been cut short by a knee injury, to a foot-juggling game that involved keeping a small beanbag in the air using anything but hands. What began as a casual activity soon became a form of rehab for Stalberger’s knee and eventually a sport of its own.

Before hacky sack became a recognizable game, Stalberger and Marshall experimented with different footbag designs. Early versions were handmade and filled with materials such as rice and small glass buttons. According to American toy and lifestyle company Wham-O, the pair filed for a patent in 1974 and continued to refine the product as the game continued to grow. Hacky Sack had become official.

After Marshall died unexpectedly at age 28, Stalberger continued promoting Hacky Sack, bringing it to schools and communities across Oregon. By the early 1980s, Hacky Sack had spread to playgrounds, college campuses and communities across the country. In 1983, Stalberger officially sold the rights to Wham-O, a company famous for making toys like the Frisbee and the Hula-Hoop.

Social studies teacher Jonathan Hirsch played hacky sack when he was younger and it has been nostalgic to see students bring it back. “I remember seeing a few guys doing it a few months ago and going, ‘Oh my god, hacky sack’s back. That’s awesome,’” Hirsch said.

Hirsch first played in high school or early college, when hacky sack existed more as a subculture than a mainstream sport. He said the main appeal came from how simple and portable it was.

“It was social and good for coordination,” Hirsch said. “It was easy because you could just carry one

 with you and play whenever you want.”

During the 1990s, Hirsch said hacky sack had a noticeable presence, even if it was never fully mainstream.

“It was a subculture, kind of like it’s become today,” Hirsch said. “There were points [in the 1990s], like ’92, ’93, ’94, where you might see a group of guys doing it here or there, kind of like you do today.”

For Hirsch, the culture around hacky sack was tied to more than the game itself. It was casual, social and connected to the music and hangout scene of the time. While, according to Hirsch, there were certain stereotypes associated with the peo

ple who played, the activity spread beyond those groups.

Still, by the late 1990s, hacky sack had started to fade from the scene. 

“I don’t remember it becoming less popular,” Hirsch said. “I just remember when I graduated college, it was definitely not a thing anymore. It was fading out by the late ’90s.”

Although the game began to fade, it never entirely disappeared. Instead, it quietly lingered in the background until it was found again by the new generation.

More than 50 years later, students are once again forming circles around the same challenge: Don’t let it drop.

Senior lacrosse player Rudy Vasquez said he started playing about a month ago after seeing others pick it up around campus.

 “I started hacky sacking because it’s super fun,” Vasquez said. “Lots of people were doing it. It’s a super social activity. It brings people together.”

Hacky sack has recently surged in popularity among students, with social media helping fuel its return. Vasquez said he believes part of the trend came from social media, where East Coast high school lacrosse teams and preparatory school students began posting videos of themselves playing.

“I noticed lacrosse teams [and] high schoolers on the East Coast started posting Instagram reels and TikToks about their hacky sack tricks,” Vasquez said. “We started realizing how fun it is. It’s active, but it’s great because you can really play anywhere.”

The mix of activity and convenience is part of what allowed hacky sack to make its return. Unlike most sports, you don’t need a field or lengthy equipment. To play hacky sack, a group only needs a sack and people willing to play. 

Hirsch said he’s not surprised younger generations are bringing it back. 

“Why not?” Hirsch said. “It’s so easy and chill [that] you can do it kind of anywhere. You don’t need much. You don’t need a ton of practice or a skill set.”

That accessibility is part of what separates hacky sack from more competitive activities. The goal is not to beat another person, but to keep the sack in the air together. When someone messes up, the circle simply resets.

“What I like about it is no one’s judgmental,” Hirsch said. “If someone is really not getting it, no one’s like, ‘Oh, come on, bro.’”

Vasquez also described hacky sack as more than just a sport. To him, it’s a way for people to hang out without needing much structure.

“My friends [and I] go out and we [play] hacky sack. We just have such a good time,” Vasquez said.

Still, there are differences between hacky sack culture in the ‘90s versus now. Hirsch joked that students today are not quite at the skill level he remembers from the 1990s.

“No offense, but people were way better back then,” Hirsch said. “But [students] have only been doing it for a few months now.”

The level of difficulty may be part of why hacky sack continues to attract students. It is simple enough for people to try, but difficult enough to keep people interested. Each save, stall or pass around the circle can feel like progress in the sport.

While social media may have helped revive the trend, its appeal goes beyond the screen. At a time when many trends begin and end online, hacky sack provides students with something physical and social to do in-person.

“It gets people off their phones too, which is a double bonus,” Hirsch said.

Whether the comeback lasts or fades again, hacky sack’s return shows how old trends can find a new life. What started with two friends and a handmade beanbag in Oregon has become a way for students to gather, laugh and keep something moving. 

As Hirsch put it, hacky sack culture is “just a chill way to connect with people doing something fun and challenging.”