Hopper ( space hopper , skippyball , kangaroo ball , bouncer , hoppity hop , hop ball ) - a rubber ball with handles that allow you to sit on it and not fall. Thanks to the elastic properties of the hopper, you can jump on it.
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Invention
Aquilino Cosani, an employee of the Italian company Ledragomma , which produced rubber balls, is considered the inventor of the hopper. Akilino decided that ordinary rubber balls have a big drawback - they are inconvenient to hold onto. In order to solve this problem, he attached horns (handles) to the ball. This allowed the "riders" to feel steady on a saddled "head". The invention was patented (in 1968 in Italy and in 1971 in the USA) and was named PON-PON .
Hopper is a fashionable trend of the last century
Already in 1969, the hopper becomes fashionable. It would seem that there is no practical benefit from this invention: the hopper does not allow people to move faster, jump higher or travel long distances. But ... it was a lot of fun. Crowds of young people - children and students - organized raids on hoppers on the streets of London and jumped, fell, had fun, causing smiles on the faces of the citizens of gloomy London.
In the US, the hopper appeared under the name Hoppity Hop . It was in the United States for greater effect was thought to put on the hopper image of faces. Balls made of rubber had the faces of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck.
Hopper in the 1990s
Until the 90s, hoppers were very popular in England and the UK. On hoppers, parties were held (hoppers with surrealistic physiognomies made from fluorescent materials were key objects of the Birmingham Psychedelic trance parties ). However, later about hoppers for some time forgotten.
But it did not last long.
Hopper and 2000s
Closer to 2000, with increasing interest in retro, the hopper was remembered again and with a new force. Competitions and hopping competitions were organized (both local, in home-fun format, and global ones - the Netherlands Mega Skippyballs competition-competition, a kind of Olympic hopper games) was organized. Hopper also became a frequent guest of the Glastonbury festival .
Hopper - Media Character
Hopper turns into a media character.
Hopper starred in movies and cartoons:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjqvzOIA0Yc&feature=related
- Mr. Hoppy from Monkey Dust
Hoppers in the advertising campaign of the brand Sony Ericsson - Hopper Invasion
Hopper in games
In Nintendo WII in the game Guiness World records - players compete in hopper-zapryg.