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In most english-speaking countries the game is best known by its original trademark, Hacky Sack®. The name came from the inventors of footbag, John Stahlburger and Mike Marshall, who coined the phrase to "hack the sack" and named the brand after it. Many years later they sold the rights to Wham-O, Inc. who owns the brand today. Players who treat the game with the respect it deserves call it by its true name, footbag, and for many reasons. Firstly, no good players use Hacky Sack® products, because they are poor quality by most standards, and the company has shown little contribution to the sport nor to its promotion. Wham-O, Inc., among countless other footbag manufacturers, markets their products as toys, and aims to keep their target market oblivious to what's really happening in footbag. Otherwise they would likely lose most of that market, as those new players graduate to better equipment as necessary to improve one's skill level. This is somewhat speculative, and in no way are we speaking for the company or trying to defame them. It's simply observation and opinion shared by most advanced footbag players. Again, we don't like to single out Wham-O, Inc.- as stated they are one of many "oppressors," if you will. But because they own the trademark of the most popular name for the game, it is especially heinous that they continue this practice. However, let it be known that Hacky Sack® products are not the absolute worst, and we are glad Wham-O, Inc. at least chooses to better the quality of vinyl and crochet footbags, which should by all accounts cease to exist. A little fun fact, footbag is known by many names around the world, such as "Aki" in Quebec, "futbolito" in Mexico and Central America, "Fushi" or "Fuchi" in parts of South America, "Zoska" or "Zocha" in Poland, "Hakisak" in Czech Republic, (a name I can't remember) in Korea and China, and just plain "Hack" in High School Land, USA. If you want to get involved in footbag or be taken seriously (at a tournament for example) we recommend calling the sport by its true name, footbag.
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