Flybar – Reinventing the Classic Toy

The pogo stick is probably one of the most, if not the most popular toy of all time.  They’ve been around for generations and it seems that nothing’s stopping it from bouncing all over the competition.  It’s very easy to see why this is the case.  If you’ve had the privilege of playing with one, then you know that it’s something that is designed to entertain kids and adults of every generation. 

You can say that pogo sticks are iconic.  It’s a well-respected icon and this is evident when you look at the shopping lists of parents when they’re out to buy toys for their kids.  You can say that the whole concept works.  They’re fun to play with and kids can play with them for hours at a time.  Played with correctly and with the guidance of parents, they’re also very safe. 

Pogo sticks also offer a lot of benefits.  They offer the perfect amount of exercise which is what kids nowadays need.  Instead of having them spend hours playing with a video game, buy them a pogo stick and they’ll be encourage to play with it instead.  Kids will get the exercise needed to combat child obesity and he’ll also develop his balance in the process which will benefit him all throughout life.

If the whole concept works, does that mean that no one should change it?  After all, there’s a saying that you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken.  But there’s also the concept of “reinventing the wheel”.  This is when someone takes something that works, and adds improvements to it.  This way, they’ll be even better. 

Flybar is a company that’s credited for reinventing the wheel known as pogo sticks.  The company realizes that there’s no need to drastically change it.  However, they saw rooms for improvements that can make the whole experience better.  But fortunately, they stayed true to the roots of this iconic toy.  Instead of drastically changing it, the company just inserted a few minor improvements and they’re enough to double the fun.

Flybar is the brainchild of champion skateboarder Andy Macdonald, inventor Bruce Middleton and SBI Enterprises.  Yes, the same company that invented the original pogo stick back in 1918.  After 4 years of intense research and development, the group finally agreed on the final model for the reinvented toy.  Middleton provided the theories while Andy Macdonald made sure that the excitement is doubled.  As for SBI Enterprises, they made sure that the new toy stayed true to its roots.

The most major change that they did was to replace the steel spring with rubber system elements.  The patented technology improved the toy by leaps and bounds, so to speak.  It’s something that’s best experienced than read.  So check them out for yourself to see how the group reinvented the wheel.