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Toys I love

Waboba Ball

What began as an idea on a Swedish beach eleven years ago has evolved into one of the world’s fastest growing recreational product lines, dominating air, land and sea. The Waboba WAter BOuncing BAll and its complementary line of land balls and air games have also been leaders in impulse sales in surf, sports, gift and toy stores.

WABOBA – the Water Bouncing Ball – was launched by founder Jan Von Heland, who came up with the idea while throwing a Frisbee at the beach with his sons in 1983. When the disk flipped, hit the water and skipped, von Heland recognized the novelty of using the water surface when playing games. He researched geometry, material and design to develop his patented technology and evolved the product to accommodate various skill levels and surfaces. Waboba balls were launched in Scandinavia, Europe, and Asia in 2005, allowing the entire family to participate in a fun, healthy activity regardless of age or ability, at an affordable price point.

While Waboba rapidly bounced around the globe, gaining market share in Europe, the Pacific Rim, Australia and South America, it arrived in the United States in 2008 and similarly “took off” becoming a fast favorite in throughout the US and North America. Von Heland and his four sons looked to expand their offerings to more skill levels and to land-based games that offer the same crazed performance characteristics that Waboba balls offered on the water. The Extreme ball is for open water, the Blast for pools and the Pro is for competitive play, while the Surf is targeted for 8 years and up.

The “Street” ball soon followed, it’s nubby surface allowing the same high-quality bounce of the original Waboba, designed to get kids aged 8+ away from the computer screen and outside to have fun while mastering throwing technique on dry land. Similarly, the Waboba Flyer, a rubber base with bright yellow and blue feathers, flies through the air and off the shelves when hit it by hand or a racquet. This line of Waboba products, retailing for $9.99 or less, meet the under $10 impulse purchase criteria. Gloves for Waboba water balls and racquets for the Flyer create additional play opportunities for consumers and up-sell accessory opportunities for retailers.

To get really “big air,” Waboba USA distributes the TOSY® AFO – Alien Flying Object, a flying disc game that uses a launcher for an exhilarating game of catch or boomerang-like action for solo play. The TOSY AFO can be used in a small yard or even indoors for “hang-time” competition on rainy days. And when the sun goes down, it lights up! Super bright LEDs ignite when the TOSY AFO is launched, creating colorful streaks through the air.

“INNOVATION IS OUR GAME” is more than a tag-line at Waboba. The goal is to reignite the FUN of playing outside, with products that can be shared and used by the entire family, while providing retailers with a complete product line that encourages repeat and up-sell purchases. Waboba has been used in college and professional athletic training regimens, studied at Brigham Young University’s “Splash Lab,” and been featured on network television programs world-wide.

The new International Waboba Federation (IWF) will promote fitness through Waboba league play—ideal for swimmers and water polo enthusiasts too! The Waboba Street and Moon balls have been adopted for use by groups as diverse as break dancers to Parkour participants. Waboba is committed to a broad-based, grass roots, participatory promotional effort and works closely with its retailers to drive sales. While the www.waboba.com website is constantly evolving, the www.wabobablog.com keeps “Wabobians” up-to-date on news and enables the community to share ideas, new games, photos and videos.

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As Always – Peace & Love

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