Posts Tagged ‘holidays’
Hippity Hoppity
Sunday, June 5th, 2011
History Of The Space Hopper Hoppity Hop
The first space hopper went by the name of PON-PON, and was the creation of an Italian who was named Aquilino Cosani, who came from the north of Italy, and worked at Ledragomma, also base in northern Italy.
The PON-PON was patented by Aquilino in 1968 in Italy, and in 1969 it was introduced into the UK thru an advert placed in the Cambridge Evening News periodical. In 1971 Cosani patented the PON-PON in the north America. North America already had a toy similar to the space hopper that people bounced on, and this ball was built by the Sun company, and went by the name of Hoppity Hop. All space hopper type toys are known as Hippity Hop or Hoppity Hop these days, due to the prevalence of the original bouncy ball that could be ridden by people created by the Sun company.
In Great Britain the Space Hopper (name in the UK) was created by Mettoy, which later became Mettoy-Corgi. Another company built a different version of the hopper, but this bouncing ball had smooth handles for the rider to to take hold of, whereas the very firsthad ribbed handles in order to have better grip. The other company had the monica of Wembley.
To begin with the hoppers comprised of a handle shaped like a ring on the top of the toy which was gripped by the rider, and were built out of rubber. These ridable bouncy toys were provided in a choice of two colours, either blue colour or red colour. Sun built themed versions of the hopper during the 1970s, which featured a hard plastic bust attached to the toyin the shape of some favourite character of fiction. Two of the characters of fiction represented were Donald Duck and Micky Mouse.
The space hopper was popular during the 1960s and 1970s, with a resurgence of interest in the United Kingdom during the 1990s and on till the present time, thanks to the rave culture of the time, where the space hoppers were recognised as being a part of the scene. In the USA due to an arrival of competition from foreign creators and distributors of the hopper the Hoppity Hop’s popularity waned and finally the production of the USA version of
the hopper ended.
To begin with the north American version of the bouncy ball that could be ridden by people, the Hoppity Hop, was targeted at both children and grown ups, but due to the small size of the largest version, it was usable by by people beyond a certain height unless the adult was similar to a youngster
in build.
In the 1990s Europe had a version of the hopper was called the Hop, and was built by the Italian company Ledragomma / Ledraplastic. These were fashioned from a common ball used in exercising at the time named Gymnic exercise balls. These space hoppers had a maximum size of 26 inches.
The space hopper today – Sizes for adults are more available these days and can be found in sizes of 80cm, 100cm and 120cm. They are generally made more robust than the original sized balls, having very much thicker skins and typically made from vinyl.
About the Author
Charles Edwards academic, sportsman, and entrepreneur. Visit his site for more information on the retro space hopper and other types of hoppers: www.retrospacehopper.com
Hippity Hoppity Brigade
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Handpainted Glass Easter Egg Platter, Hippity Hoppity $14.99 With his long ears perked to hear the birdsongs of springtime, this white bunny paints his egg with the patience and skill of a master artist. Polka dots, stripes, and zigzags decorate its surface in colors as vibrant as if they were just plucked from the springtime garden. This is a platter made to celebrate the warm season and its whimsical delights…. |
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Hippity Hoppity Coffee Mug Hippity Hoppity Coffee Mug Our Ceramic Coffee Mug is Dishwasher safe and hold 10 oz. Includes FREE Personalization! Personalize with any title and up to 30 names…. |
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Hippity Hoppity Platter $13.87 With his long ears perked to hear the birdsongs of springtime, this white bunny paints his egg with the patience and skill of a master artist. Polka dots, stripes, and zigzags decorate its surface in colors as vibrant as if they were just plucked from the springtime garden. This is a platter made to celebrate the warm season and its whimsical delights…. |
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Kodály: Choral Music Vol.7 $13.08 … |
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Hippity Hop $8.50 In producing a record of hip-hop music for kids–that would also be agreeable to parents–singer Linda Tillery started with songs that appeal to families, and then filled in the grooves. The result, with such songs as “Juba Dis and Juba Dat,” from the time of slavery, and funk and pop classics “Everyday People” and “Brand New Key,” mostly hits its mark. If “High Hopes” falls flat, the reggae song … |
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Easter Tales- Hippity, Hoppity Peter Cottontail & Friends $15.99 1. Peter Has Another Great Laugh 2.The Plot Of Two Scamps 3. Peter In A Tight Place 4.Johnny Chuck Helps Peter 5. Reddy Almost Gets Peter 6. Peter Gets Another Surprise… |
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Angora Rabbits : Hippity Hoppity Fiber Pets $13.64 No Synopsis Available |
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KIMBO EDUCATIONAL: HOPPITY HOPPIN’ FOR F $13.73 KIMBO EDUCATIONAL: HOPPITY HOPPIN’ FOR F |
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Hippity Dippity Volume $15 Download the Hippity Dippity Volume font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
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Hippity Dippity Regular $13 Download the Hippity Dippity Regular font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
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Hippity Dippity Bold $13 Download the Hippity Dippity Bold font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
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Hippity Dippity Inline $13 Download the Hippity Dippity Inline font for Mac or Windows in OpenType, TrueType or PostScript format. |
