Guide Note

A pogo stick is a recreational device, consisting of a pole with a handle on one end and foot stand on the opposite. A spring in the bottom portion allows the user to the propel him or herself into the air, against the ground. The pogo stick was patented in 1919 and has been manufactured continuously ever since by a company called SBI. Competitors of emerged through the decades, some offering exotic modifications to the original technology.

Fast Facts

1. Patented in 1919 by George Hansburg
2. Originally called "Master Pogos"
3. Became fad in the 1920s
4. Used in performances of Ziegfield Follies

Exotic Pogo Sticks

There have been a number of unusual variations of the pogo stick concept.

1. Vurtego
   • Powered by air spring technology, this modern variation can bounce over 7 feet in the air.
2. Hop Rod
   • This model, marketed in the 1960s, was powered by a single-piston gas engine—and was likely very dangerous.
3. Hip Hoppa
   • Not exactly a pogo stick, but similar in principle, the Hip Hoppa uses flexible tubing instead of a pole and was named one of the 10 Worst Toys 2007.