Each TOY or GAME has a STORY to share with kids.

Today, it’s the BOOGIE BOARD’S turn to tell its story (with a little help from Grandma Sharon and her grandchildren Jake and Maddie)…

WHAT is the Boogie Board: The Boogie Board, sometimes called a body board or belly board, is a very short, foam surfboard-type structure with one straight end, ridden in and on waves by lying on the chest with legs and feet hanging off the back.

WHO invented the Boogie Board:  The Boogie Board was invented on July 7, 1971 by Tom Morey.  Tom, a talented musician, surfer, mathematician and engineer, created his own small, rectangular surfing mat from some scrap polyethylene foam on that summer day on the island of Hawaii because he didn’t have a standard surfboard handy.  Wow.

In 1973, Tom trademarked the name Morey Boogie.

It’s been said that Tom named the Boogie Board for his love of music.  I hope this is true, because I love this little tidbit and the way it tells of the personality of its creator.

But I must give credit here, too, to the paipo board (“pipe-oh”), forerunner to the Boogie Board.  Paipo is a Hawaiian word meaning small board, and for thousands of years prior to the Boogie Board, Polynesians used wood and bundles of reeds to body surf for fun, challenge and entertainment.

WHEN & WHERE was the Boogie Board invented:  Hawaii, 1971.  By 1977, 80,000 Morey Boogies were being produced and sold, mainly in the United States. In 1978, limited rights to Morey Boogie were purchased by Knansco, re-sold to Mattel in 1994 and then to WHAM-O in 1998.

But Boogie Boarding all began on the Island of Hawaii in July, 1971.

WHY is the Boogie Board so popular:  This is an easy question.  The Boogie Board can be used by anyone of any age to engage in the art of surfing. It is easily affordable, easy to transport, easy to learn and enjoyed immediately by anyone who enjoys a wave or two.  It is easy to understand why the sport of Boogie Boarding now enjoys world-wide appeal.

But… isn’t there always a but?  But, at first, upright surfers on real surfboards scoffed at the second-class Boogie Boarders who weren’t man-or-woman enough to stand up and ride.  It didn’t matter, though, because Boogie Boarding became so popular that even professional body boarders began to emerge.  In 1979, the Morey/Gap event at Huntington Beach, CA rode the wave to world bodyboarding championships that continue to this day.

HOW do you “play with” the Boogie Board:  Of course, it’s recommended that a Boogie Board should be selected for child/adult, height, weight, skill set and cost considerations.

That being said, Boogie Boarding is really all about the board, some simple instructions and a love or curiosity of nature’s awesome force… the wave.  The simple instructions are: 1) get a Boogie Board with a leash that straps around your wrist (so you don’t lose your board);  2) get yourself and your board out to where the waves are breaking;  3) just before a wave begins to break, lie on your board with your hands on the upper sides; 4) kick toward the beach as you catch the wave…

The wave will take you and your board right to shore if you catch the wave just right.  Watch as my granddaughter Maddie catches her wave:

Get your kids and grandkids in on the incredible sense of power, learning and fun of the Boogie Board.  Tell them of Tom Morey and his idea that has caught the world in one great big wave.  Tell them that ideas can become their very own stories… maybe even a TOY STORY.

Hey, why not get on a Boogie Board yourself and feel the idea first-hand (and body and feet).  Here I am with Maddie as we catch a wave and a “ta-dah!” together…

And join me here each day in July for TOY STORIES on 365 Days of Literacy for Kids! A little fun, a little learning and a little “ta-dah!”