SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
In the 1990s, hacky sack was cardio for the flower children and Deadheads. Hacky sack, also known as footbag, is a small bag filled with beads that you or a group of people try to keep from touching the ground by using every part of your body except your hands. There are no goals, except to keep the sack from dropping. Now, Oregon, home of Nike, is more famous for track and field, but Joshua Zurbrick wants to make this former pothead pastime into the state sport of Oregon. He's a middle school teacher who made his case on TikTok.
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JOSHUA ZURBRICK: We didn't invent the javelin throw or the marathon or the 100-meter dash. The ancient Greeks did most of those. But we did invent hacky sack.
SIMON: Joshua Zurbrick joins us. Thanks so much for being with us.
ZURBRICK: Thank you so much for having me.
SIMON: You like hacky sack?
ZURBRICK: Ironically, I'm terrible at it. I can't even remember the last time that I played.
SIMON: But it means a lot to you.
ZURBRICK: It does. I think that it represents a really interesting and unique part of Oregon's history and heritage. So, I think, you know, why not honor it?
SIMON: It was invented there?
ZURBRICK: Yeah. In 1972, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall from Oregon City kind of developed it apparently as a way to help John rehab an injured knee.
SIMON: And what took off about this?
ZURBRICK: You know, I think just the ability for anybody to pick it up and get in a circle with their friends and just kind of have some fun with it makes it super accessible. Traditional sports, you need a team or equipment, but with hacky sack, you just need a hacky sack and a friend.
SIMON: And there are not a lot of injuries in hacky sack, as a rule, right?
ZURBRICK: No, I would hope not.
SIMON: What's been the response to your call to make it the Oregon state sport?
ZURBRICK: Overall, fairly positive. Although, whenever you talked about sports, I think it brings people's emotions out. So there have been some pretty strong counters. I think primarily that track and field is kind of a big deal here, but we didn't invent anything in track and field. This is kind of a unique Oregon creation.
SIMON: What's your path to making this a state sport?
ZURBRICK: Well, I've reached out to my local representatives, and I have not quite heard back yet. So I'm hoping maybe this interview will get some attention from other Oregon legislators.
SIMON: Oh, I mean, I - it helps. We know from experience to say, I've been on NPR. Then they pay attention. Forgive me, because I admire the fact that you're becoming involved as a citizen, but why take this on?
ZURBRICK: So I just kind of discovered that Oregon doesn't have a state sport, and, you know, why not? It seems like an interesting opportunity to kind of remember a cool piece of Oregon history. So, I mean, it didn't seem like anybody else was going to take it on. So I guess, why not put myself out there?
SIMON: Yeah. I have recently learned that, for example, the state sport of Maryland is jousting, which, let me tell you, I'm not going to cross the state line again now that I know that, because gosh knows what could happen. Do you have any concern that promoting this idea of making hacky sack the state sport of Oregon, just it looks a little less serious than some other state sports?
ZURBRICK: When you look at the other states who have official state sports, Colorado's summer state sport is pack burro racing. North Dakota's is curling. Washington state's is pickleball. So I think that a precedent has been set that we can value culture and maybe a little bit of unique history over what is maybe most rational.
SIMON: Well, honors to you, sir. Joshua Zurbrick is a middle school teacher from Oregon. He'd like to see hacky sack become the official state sport. Good luck to you, sir.
ZURBRICK: Thank you so much. I appreciate being on.
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PHISH: (Singing) And I awoke, and faintly bouncing around the room. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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