It's easy to see why skateboards, rollerboots and BMX's were so popular among kids in the 70s, but Space Hoppers? For one, it seems a little odd to be bouncing up and down on a big orange rubber ball at the best of times, and considering it didn't help - but rather hinder - getting from A to B, it could be labelled a bit pointless, really... They didn't enable you to jump higher, go faster or run further than you could on foot. But you had to have one.
The space hopper (Hippity Hop in America) was invented by Italian, Aquilino Cosani in 1968, though he referred to it then as the Pon-Pon, and it was launched in Britain just as trance/rave culture was picking up speed in the summer of '71. This may help provide some explanation behind the trend, and space hoppers went on to make appearances at Glastonbury and Birmingham psychedelic trance parties well into the 90s.
Despite being marketed as 'the amazing inflatable riding ball', its design was pretty simple. The earliest space hoppers were made of red or blue rubber, inflated via an internal valve system, reaching up to around 20 inches. These days though, adult versions are available too, enabling the children of the 70s to relive their bouncing glory days - this time with fewer grazes on their knees.
Each hopper featured two handles on the top so you could keep your balance - but still many kids ended up flying right over these very handles after things got out of control! It really wasn't the safest toy around - its saving grace was its apparent inability to burst, although we had a good try at it. But it was great fun, especially when your mates lines up on theirs and you raced each other to the end of the playing field.
The majority of space hoppers had a smiley, kangaroo's face painted on the front, but kids were also treated to themed hoppers in the late 70s, which featured plastic moulds of Disney characters, including Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, on the front. Despite such efforts, though, the US Hoppity hop went out of production and the Space Hopper's popularity is sporadic. So, let's hope the people of Folkestone might spark a revival after they broke the world record for the most people hopping simultaneously, taking it to 1000 people on 4th July 2006.
Other space hopper world records of note include the fastest time for 100m on a space hopper, which was set by Ashrita Furman in 2004 when she did it in just 30.2 seconds. And Ashrita also set the fastest mile on a space hopper in January 2005. Fancy setting your own record?
Do You Remember Space Hoppers?
Do You Remember Space Hoppers?
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Anonymous
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I loved my Spacey, all the kids on the estate had them. We used to make jumps out of flowerpots and garden canes and have Spacey gymhkanas. I was really good at bouncing, but one time I fell off and cursed, and my friend's mum heard me, and washed my mouth out. I was less fond of Spacey after that. I can still remember the grubby rubbery smell my hands would have after a day's bouncing. You really had to hold on tight to the horns. One time, the Dads decided to bounce down the street, I think it might have been the jubilee holiday. Mostly they were rubbish at bouncing, or maybe they were a bit drunk.
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Anonymous
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yup, i bounced around like a looney too in the 70s on a hopper. i found a blue one in a charity shop recently, cost me 20p!!!!!! anyone else seen or know anything about the blue ones. ive also got one boxed but it has sooth handles. possibly younger?
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Anonymous
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i remember these as being "Hippity Hops" in my neighborhood
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Anonymous
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Umm i neva had a Space hopper, but at a party i saw one, sat on it, bounced once and fell off. TAKE NOTE THAT I WAS ON CONCRETE. I hurt my spine, but im all betta now. and it hasn't changed my view of space hoppers: AWSOME! but wot on earth is that face? A kangaroo with 4 leaves above its eyes?......
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Anonymous
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I remember bouncing on the exact same orange space hopper when I was a kid. I can't really remember having more fun than I had bouncing around the garden on it! It was about as cool as you could get!
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Anonymous
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My cousins and I had hoppity hops, Lori and I had a red one and her brother Steve had a blue one, we loved them. We could cover a lot of ground on these. we would race on them. I remember some of the neighbor kids trying them out and falling off backwards, the trick to them was leaning a little forward with your legs in front. We had fun with pogo sticks and stilts too.
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Anonymous
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Ohmigosh!! I had this exact model with the exception of the handles, which would join up. I called it a Hopper Bopper, and thought the face was some type of cat. Anyway, I was always be attached to this toy whenever I'd be in the basement. I would sometimes pretend it was a pet, and sometimes would roll on it or just use it as a chair. But then one sad day, when I was 20, my parents had a garage sale, and my Dad put it out without even asking me, and it was sold. >(
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Anonymous
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I was very disappointed not to get one for my birthday. Then I was taken into the kitchen and there it was - with a teatowel over it - some disguise huh? The skin was a bit like orange peel and the handles were ribbed! Kinky!!
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Anonymous
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I thought it would be fun to try and "bounce" down the stairs!!! Needless to say, i ended up having 3 stitches in my head!!! I still loved it though!
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Anonymous
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I adored my space hopper, i had it permanantly attached to my behind (so my family said)for about three years. I used to pretend it was a horse, i cannot remember what happened to it, i suppose it got chucked once i was too old for it, although i now have another one so YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD.
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