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UPI
39 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Joan Anderson, who brought the hula hoop to the world, dies at age 101
1 of 2 | A reveler uses a hula hoop to corral a shark marching in the Mardi Gras Parade in St. Louis in 2019. Wham-O patented the hula hoop in 1963, which became a memorable fad that sold millions and became one of the company's best-known products. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo July 29 (UPI) -- Joan Anderson, a largely unknown Australian woman who spent decades unacknowledged for introducing the world to the now-iconic hula hoop, has died. Anderson, who moved to the United States in 1946, noticed what would become the fad while on a trip visiting family in Australia years later, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's obituary. She observed a curious craze that involved groups of giggling people swinging wooden hoops around their waists. An intrigued Anderson returned to the United States, where her mother sent her one of the bamboo rings. A friend remarked that the hip-swiveling motion of its users resembled that of the Hawaiian hula dance, giving the toy its widely known name, according to the obituary. In the 2018 documentary Hula Girl, Anderson recalled how she and her husband met with an executive of American toy giant Wham-O who agreed to share profits if the hula hoop sold. Wham-O patented the hula hoop in 1963, which became a memorable fad that sold millions and became one of the company's best-known products. But Anderson's role in the introduction of the hula hoop went unacknowledged and she and her husband finally brought a lawsuit against the company that brought some financial compensation but no recognition, reports the BBC. Anderson worked as a model alongside Marlyn Monroe and had four children, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. A statement from Anderson's family announcing her death said "She had a wonderful life and died peacefully on July 14, 2025 with her family around her." Notable deaths of 2025 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg waves to the crowd before throwing out a ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field in Chicago on October 12, 2015. Sandberg died on July 28 after a battle with cancer at the age of 65. Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Joan Anderson, who helped create the hula hoop, dies aged 101
Joan Anderson, an Australian woman who went uncredited for her role in creating the hula hoop, has died age died on 14 July at a nursing home in Carlsbad, California, having lived "a wonderful life", her family Anderson, who moved from Sydney to the US in 1946, claimed to be the originator of the name 'hula hoop' and played a crucial role in introducing the toy to the US, though never received proper recognition. In 1956, when visiting her parents in Australia, Ms Anderson spotted people swivelling wooden hoops around their waists for exercise. She had a hoop sent to her home in California, where it became a source of amusement at dinner parties. She said a friend pointed out that the movement looked like Hawaiian hula dancing, prompting her to dub the toy the hula in the 2018 documentary Hula Girl, Ms Anderson, a former model, said her husband Wayne knew toy businessman Arthur 'Spud' Melin and arranged a meeting to pitch the hula hoop for his company, Wham-O. They met Mr Melin in his office car park, she recalled, where he told them the toy had merit and they would be compensated if it made money for Wham-O. A deal was sealed with what Ms Anderson called a "gentleman's handshake".Wham-O developed a colourful plastic version and sold millions within months of its launch. As the toy became more popular, the couple heard less from Mr Melin, Ms Anderson said. The Andersons filed a lawsuit against Wham-O in 1961, which ended in with a modest settlement and no formal Joan Constance Manning in Sydney on 28 December 1923, she worked as a swimsuit model and met Wayne Anderson, a US Army pilot, on Bondi Beach and married him soon in life, her story was rediscovered by filmmakers and featured in Hula Girl, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Filmmaker Amy Hill told the BBC: "Telling Joan's story was such a rewarding experience. She was 94 when we met and even with everything she'd been through, she had lived an amazing, full life. "Seeing her finally get the recognition she deserved after all those years was incredible."Ms Anderson is survived by two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren. Another son, Carl, died in 2023.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Joan Anderson, unsung heroine of hula hoop history, dies at 101
'Everyone was having such fun,' she added, 'I thought, 'I'd like to do that, too.'' Back in Los Angeles, Ms. Anderson asked her mother to mail her one of the rings from Australia, and it soon brought joy to the Anderson household. Her children played with it. Ms. Anderson swerved it around her hips for friends at dinner parties. When someone told her that it looked as if she was 'doing the hula,' the traditional Hawaiian dance, Ms. Anderson was struck with inspiration. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up She named the object the hula hoop. Advertisement What transpired next would place Ms. Anderson at the center of what she described as an American tale of shattered dreams and promises, a business deal made on a handshake, and, eventually, a lawsuit. Ms. Anderson died July 14 at a nursing facility in Carlsbad, Calif., north of San Diego. She was 101. Her daughter, Loralyn Willis, announced the death. The hubbub over the hoop started when her husband, Wayne, saw opportunity in the object and decided to pitch it to Wham-O, a toy company that soon became known for the Frisbee. As it happened, he was acquainted with one of Wham-O's founders, Arthur Melin, known as Spud, so he arranged a meeting. Advertisement The encounter, she recalled, occurred in a parking lot outside Wham-O's offices in San Gabriel, Calif. The Andersons opened up the trunk of their car and took out the hoop. 'There were no witnesses,' Ms. Anderson said in the documentary. 'Just Spud and my husband and myself.' 'We told him, 'We've called it the hula hoop,'' she continued. 'He said: 'Looks like it has some merit. If it makes money for us, it's going to make money for you.'' The deal was sealed with what Ms. Anderson characterized as a 'gentleman's handshake' and nothing more. Wham-O began experimenting with the hoop, developing a plastic version of it and trying it out on children at a Pasadena, Calif., elementary school. The company also started giving them away to generate buzz. By the time Wham-O was selling the hoop, lines were forming outside department stores. As the popularity of what Wham-O trademarked as the Hula Hoop grew, Ms. Anderson said, she and her husband heard less and less from Melin. 'We called Spud and asked him what was going on, and he kept putting us off,' she said. 'Then they just ignored us.' The hoop quickly became a national sensation. From Ms. Anderson's home in the suburbs of Monterey Park, Calif., she watched as newspapers landed on her porch with headlines like 'Hula-Hoop Sales Soar to $30 Million in 2 Months.' Over the years, stories about Wham-O's success sometimes spoke of a 'friend' visiting from Australia who first told the company about the hoop. 'I think that bugged me more than anything,' Ms. Anderson said. 'It was never reported correctly at all. I was not a 'friend.'' Advertisement In 1961, the Andersons filed a lawsuit against Wham-O. But the company presented records demonstrating its own woes. Just as quickly as the Hula Hoop sensation took off, it swiftly ended, entering the annals of American fads. Wham-O was left with heaps of unsold hoops and argued that it had not made a profit after production costs. The case concluded in a settlement, and the Andersons walked away with just a few thousand dollars. The couple moved on with their lives. Wham-O went on to release the SuperBall, the Slip 'N Slide ,and Silly String. Melin died in 2002. (Wham-O was sold in 1982 to the Kransco Group Cos. for $12 million. It was later sold to Mattel, which then sold it to a group of investors, and it has continued changing hands ever since.) 'We often talked about the money we could have made from it and maybe changed our life a little bit,' Ms. Anderson said in the documentary, 'but it didn't work out that way.' 'The world isn't fair. But life goes on.' Joan Constance Manning was born Dec. 28, 1923, in Sydney to Claude and Ethel (Hallandal) Manning. Her father was a real estate broker. As a young woman, Joan was a swimsuit model known as the 'Pocket Venus' because she was 5 feet 2 inches tall. In 1945, Wayne Anderson, a US Army pilot on leave from duty, approached Joan on Bondi Beach. They married a few months later and moved to California. Anderson, who went on to run a prosperous woodwork machine manufacturing business, died in 2007. Advertisement In addition to her daughter, Loralyn, Ms. Anderson is survived by two sons, Warren and Gary, and six grandchildren. Another son, Carl, died in 2023. Over the years, Ms. Anderson's brush with hula hoop history faded into family lore. When her children grew up, they sent letters about her story to Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres, but nothing came of it. Fate intervened in 2016, when Ms. Anderson's daughter was recounting the story to coworkers while dining at a restaurant in La Mesa, near San Diego. At a table nearby, eavesdropping, was the mother of Amy Hill, a filmmaker. She asked for her telephone number and passed it along it to Hill. Intrigued by the tip, Hill began vetting the story with her husband and collaborator, Chris Riess. They decided to pursue the project and interviewed Ms. Anderson at La Costa Glen, the retirement community where she lived. The resulting short documentary, 'Hula Girl,' premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. At 94, Ms. Anderson flew to New York to promote the film, and a writer for Vogue interviewed her for an article. The documentary was also shown at the Sydney Film Festival and received coverage in The Atlantic and Smithsonian magazine. It was screened as well for Ms. Anderson's fellow residents at La Costa Glen. Her friends watched in fascination as they learned about her connection to the hula hoop. At La Costa Glen, Ms. Anderson stayed fit by swimming every week and taking ballroom dancing lessons. She also became a formidable bridge player. And in her apartment, she kept the original wood hoop that her mother had mailed to her from Australia, although it mostly sat collecting dust. Advertisement 'I do it once in a while for exercise,' she said, 'but not as much as I should.' This article originally appeared in
Daily Record
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Bring the water park home for less than £30 in Amazon bundle perfect for summer holidays
The water park set is currently £27.99 on Amazon Keeping the kids entertained during the summer holidays can be a difficult task, especially in the hotter weather when parents still have to work but keep their little ones occupied. That is why parents often invest in getting a bouncy castle or some sort of entertainment for the day. Now, though, there are easier and cheaper ways to entertain kids for longer than just one day. For example, the Wham-O 16ft Slip n' Slide 3 in 1 Splash Park with Paddling Pool and Sprinklers, which is £27.99 from Amazon, gives more than just a day or week of fun. The splash park combines three features: a 16ft slip n slide, a kids' paddling pool, and a water-jet sprinkler pod - the perfect way to keep children happy for long. According to Amazon, the 16-foot slip n slide is engineered for speed and thrilling slides while the kids paddling pool is a more relaxed aesthetic and perfect for relaxation. The water-jet sprinkler pod sprays all around, making it ideal for active play and cooling down on hot summer days. Suitable for a wide range of ages - five to 12 - this outdoor water toy is designed for safety and fun for all. For those with a loftier budget, the Plum Water Park Splash Station is available for £239.99 from Argos. This option also includes three different water accessories - a water blaster, bubble blower and an 8-pattern sprinkler. Another option is the BESTWAY H20GO! Hurricane Blast Water Park for £399 from Currys. This model comes with an inflator, is made of PVC coated polyester, comes with safety mesh and a waterslide and pool. The Wham-O Slip n' Slide has been rated highly on Amazon with a 3.6 out of 5 star rating from 572 reviews. One shopper said: "This was bought for the grandchildren. They have had hours of fun during this devastating period. Not only the children but the whole family have joined in. Excellent value, hours of fun and still going strong." Another said: "Super fun summer gift! Perfect for kids or all ages - even overgrown ones!" Some others disagreed as one shopper wrote: "The concept is good, but my children couldn't slide down this whatever they tried. They still had fun playing in the fountains, but it was a bit of a disappointment." "The kids loved this," said another. The Wham-O 16ft Slip n' Slide 3 in 1 Splash Park with Paddling Pool and Sprinklers is available on Amazon.
