It’s the spring of 1979. A group of six PSU students — Tom Brewer, Randy Rabe, Greg Shook , Steve Vuylsteke, Andy Bilotti and Brad Rabe — stands in front of the old science building in a small circle. Hopping from foot to foot, they pass a new novelty toy back and forth with their feet and knees: a leather beanbag called a Hacky Sack. They start to get competitive and show off their dexterity with swift kicks and catches on the tops of their feet. A quiet focus takes over as they get into a flow.
Each player has a different style, but they share a common goal: never, ever let the Hacky Sack drop.
Forty-five years later, the circle of friends is still in close touch. They still meet annually for dinner to talk about careers and families — and reminisce about old times. At a Hillsboro restaurant, the group splits a few orders of dumplings and shares stories about what they remember as the heyday of Hacky Sack on the PSU campus.
While footbag is a game with ancient origins, the modern version of Hacky Sack has an Oregon connection.
Mike Powers, Greg Shook and Brad Rabe play Hacky Sack on the Park Blocks in the late 1970s.
“What I loved about hitting the bag was that it gave us something to do together in between classes. It helped us relieve stress, push limits and have fun,” says Steve ’81.
The group played on the Park Blocks in front of Smith Memorial Student Union. The friends would stand on the concrete platforms edging the sidewalks and bring out their bags as large crowds of PSU students milled around in between classes.
The friends would stand on the concrete platforms edging the sidewalks and bring out their bags as large crowds of PSU students milled around in between classes.
“People would sometimes watch but we always gave a warning. We’d rather accidentally kick a friend in the face than let the bag drop, so be advised to keep your distance!” says Greg ’80.
A popular game with Oregon roots
While footbag is a game with ancient origins, the modern version of Hacky Sack has an Oregon connection. It was invented in 1972 by John Stalberger and Mike Marshall, two residents of Oregon City, as a way to strengthen John's knee.
When Mike died of a heart attack in 1975, John decided to honor his friend’s memory by bringing their invention to a wider market. In 1983, the Hacky Sack was acquired by Wham-O, the famous toy producer known for creating the Frisbee.
By the late 1970s, the Hacky Sack was gaining popularity but was still a niche interest. Back at Portland State, this group of alumni were early influencers and adapters of the sport, playing footbag all over campus — in hallways, stairwells and, of course, on the Park Blocks.
Lessons in Hacky Sack
In the early days, playing Hacky Sack on the PSU campus introduced its share of hazards. Occasionally, players would kick the bags too high and get them lodged in tough spots. Brad ’80 recounts how he once lodged a Hacky Sack onto the exterior ledge of an upper story of the Science Research and Teaching Center — a tricky spot accessible only behind a locked door. He traversed the adjacent skybridge, forty feet above the ground, from one end to the other, to retrieve the bag.
What I loved about hitting the bag was that it gave us something to do together in between classes. It helped us relieve stress, push limits and have fun.
As the group’s collective skills grew, Hacky Sack became more than a casual hobby. The friends formed a team called the “Hacky Sack Devotees” and competed in a national tournament hosted at Portland Community College in 1982. Randy ’80 and Tom ’91 took third place nationally for net play. The next year, the Rabe brothers took home a silver medal. As an individual competitor, Randy earned a bronze medal for kicking the bag more than 700 consecutive times without dropping it.
Still trying to outcompete one another, Tom reminds Brad that his individual record was more than 1,000 consecutive kicks.
Life after PSU
After the circle of friends graduated from Portland State, Hacky Sack took a back seat to medical school, growing families and other pursuits. Several members of the crew went on to pursue careers in the medical field. Brad, Randy and Greg all pursued careers in dentistry. Andy went on to become an ER physician. Steve became CEO of SakeOne, a sake brewery in Forest Grove. Tom worked as a general contractor for several years building American-style homes in Japan before finishing his degree at Portland State in 1991 and becoming a clinical and forensic psychologist.
From left: Tom Brewer ’91, Randy Rabe ’80, Greg Shook ’80, Steve Vuylsvteke ’81, Andy Bilotti ’82 and Brad Rabe ’80.
While they all took different paths, they credit Portland State with helping them get their start.
“I loved Portland State. I came here after four years in the U.S. Navy because I had a wife and I needed to go to school close to home,” says Randy. “PSU was here for people like that, and it still is.”
Today, the alumni are still connected to Portland State. Andy visits the farmer’s market every weekend. Steve serves on the board for the Japanese Studies department. For many of them, PSU offered a chance to get an education that would have otherwise been out of reach.
As for Hacky Sack? When the group is back on campus, a few of the guys can still show the next generation of enthusiasts how it’s done.