Wham-O turns sixty

Wham-O, the company that brought you mega fads like the slingshot, the Hula-Hoop and the Frisbee, turns
sixty this year. According to the Wham-O Wikipedia page, the WAMO slingshot was invented to hurl meat in the air for the training of pet falcons and hawks. (WAMO supposedly being the sound of the target being hit).
The company was founded in 1948 by Arthur "Spud" Melin and Richard Knerr (who just died this past January and was the subject of this blog entry). Read more about this history of Wham-O on the history page of the Wham-O website.

Wham-O Founder Dead

Richard Knerr, the guy who brought you such crazes as the Hula-Hoop, the Superball and the Frisbee, died on January 14. Mr. Knerr was 82 and died from complications from a stroke.
The Hula Hoop was the original 'fad' item - selling 140 million in the first two years alone! Despite the sales, Wham-O would only profit $10,000 from the sales of Hula Hoops thanks to having a mountain of stock left after the fad died out.
Check out this article on the New York Times web page. (Registration required). Don't wanna register? Then don't.