Popular in the 1980s and 1990s, hacky sack is making a comeback around the country—including on campus.

In its May 12 article, “Everyone’s Gone Hacky Sack Crazy,” The New York Times reported that “young customers at Play It Again Sports in Concord, Calif., have been clearing the shelves of suede-paneled SandMasters ($10) and multicolored Boota bags ($6) for at least a month,” according to Billy Ball, a 46-year-old sales associate.

Here, the trend has taken hold in its own way, with students gathering during free moments in the school day to kick around the small footbag and keep it in the air as long as possible. What was once a staple of parking lots, college quads and after-school circles has become one of the latest campus crazes.

“You ever chilling with your homies, and you don’t even know what you’re doing, but you’re just having a great time with them?,” Caleb Bess ’27 said. “It could be sitting on the couch, it could be watching TV, it could be just going on a nice walk outside, or cooking some barbecue. That’s what hacky-sacking is. Beyond the sport, hacky-sacking is having fun with your [friends].” 

Students around the country have reignited the trend, which was prominent in the late 20th century. 

“Hacky sack is just great. It just took a little while for people to rediscover it and find out its true potential. It’s a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it,” Bess said.

Hacky sack is traced back to 1972 when Mike Marshall was kicking around a handmade bean bag in Oregon. His friend, John Stalberger was recovering from knee rehabilitation, and needed a way to exercise. Soon after it grew into an organized sport with real competitions.

One of the appealing factors to Gen Z is the connection that it brings. Around the School, you can see people from different grades interacting with each other. Students play on the field or in the courtyard. It builds camaraderie with people that haven’t had a chance to be together.

It has blown up online, with Instagram and TikTok accounts satirizing the game, portraying it as a varsity sport. Accounts post interscholastic rankings with players and schools.

Thomas White ‘29 thinks that the challenge of the game makes it attractive.

“I think people like it because there’s a bunch of tricks you could do, the tricks are hard and so people like being able to do hard tricks,” White said.

From circles on the field to clips on Instagram, hacky sack is back—and on campus, it has become more than a trend. It is a way for students to compete, connect and have fun.