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Hank Hot Rod and Della Deluxe are so cool, they’re totally retro! Classic 1950s is written all over their whitewall tires, fancy paint jobs and shiny chrome and their radio stations are set to rock and roll. While Hank cruises the Main on Saturday afternoons, Della like to plays it cool at the soda shop. Saturday nights you’ll find them both at the drive-in movies.

Like Hanks says, “Hey, ya’ gotta be cool, and if you’re gonna be cool, ya’ gotta know where the fun is.” The 1950’s were full of all kinds of cool fun, so cool it’s all coming back!

Just about everyone had fun with the Hula Hoop in the 1950s. Have you ever seen one? A Hula Hoop is a big plastic hoop made of brightly colored plastic tubing that you twirl around your waist and keep it going by moving your hips. This simple toy won the hearts of a whole generation and is the most popular American toy every made. It wasn’t just a fad; it was a phenomenon!

Hoops had been around for centuries. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans played with large hoops made of dried grapevines and a “hooping” craze hit England in the 14th century. But that was nothing like the frenzy that hit the world in the 1950s!

In 1957 Arthur Melin and Richard Knerr saw Australian school children exercising with bamboo rings, twirling them around their waists with constant hip gyrations. They were inspired to create a new plastic version and they named it the Hula Hoop because the movements needed to keep the hoop moving reminded them of the hula dance. Arthur and Richard got a lot of publicity by going to playgrounds in Southern California and giving out free Hula Hoops. They taught the kids how to twirl the hoops and a craze was born! It wasn’t just for kids either. Adults wanted them too!

Contests to see how many hoops you can twirl (the record in the Guinness Book of World Records is 82 Hula Hoops at one time!) and how long you can keep them spinning , became the rage. At the height of the fad, Wham-O sold 25 million Hula Hoops in just four months!

Even though things simmered down, Hula Hoops have remained a popular toy and are making another comeback. Totally cool, totally retro!

Hula Hoop Facts:

• In 1958, Hula Hoops cost $1.98
• In 1958, 100 million were sold worldwide
• At the peak of their popularity, Wham-O manufactured 20,000 hoops a day.
• The plastic tube used for all the Hula Hoops ever made would stretch around the earth more than 5 times.
• The plastic needed for Hula Hoops was so great that toy manufacturers couldn’t keep up. In addition to their efforts it took the entire capacity of a plastic plant for six months just to catch up with the demand.
• Wham-O also brought us the Frisbee and the Super Ball
• Another 1950s fun invention is Silly Putty