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Melin retired when Wham-O was sold to Kransco Group Cos. in 1982. For example, Sea-Doo is a brand of personal water craft owned by Bombardier; Wham-O makes a Sea-Doo line of small inflatable rafts designed to be towed behind watercraft. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. With only network channels to choose from, the odds kids would see ads for the Super Ball were substantial. John Daly asked the gentleman if First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower, oversaw the interior decorating of This page was last edited on 12 December 2022, at 22:20. By the summer of 1958, the Hula-Hoop, and its many imitators, took the nation by storm. Search above to list available cemeteries. Kids would just throw it on the ground and it would just take off to the ceiling, into lights.". During the first half of the 20th century, the best way to see someone use a hula hoop was to watch Chinese acrobats twirl multiple hoops on their arms, legs and torsos. Failed to report flower. Recalled in 1978 after it caused the deaths of two children, having sold approximately 2.5 million units. Melins African-inspired bright idea fared poorly in comparison. Arthur "Spud'' Melin, toy executive who gave world Frisbee COSTA MESA, Calif. Arthur "Spud" Melin, co-founder of the toy company that introduced the world to the Frisbee, Hula Hoop and other faddish gems of American pop culture, has died. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. As Wham-O changed ownership, its new management adjusted this formula to accommodate the changing toy industry, which had increasingly complex toys and fewer distribution channels. Long story short, after much effort and rejection, Spud finally got financing for his Hula Hoop, and Wham-O went on to sell some 25 million hoops the first year, making But Wham-O continued to make other novelties, like Silly String and the Slip 'n' Slide.Tiring of business, Mr. Melin persuaded Mr. Knerr to sell the company in 1982 to the Kransco Group Companies for $12 million. Today, Woodmans net worth is estimated at $800 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which is actually much lower than his peak valuation of $4.5 billion. Arthur Spud Melin, co-founder of Wham-O Inc., which gave the world such leisure icons as the Frisbee, the Hula Hoop and the Superball--along with such duds as He patented a design for a two-handed tennis racket with an adjustable handle.Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Wham-O Bird Ornithopter (1959) sold in a large cardboard box, ready to fly. During an African safari in the early 1960s, Melin discovered a species of fish that laid eggs in the mud during Africa's dry season. This is a carousel with slides. All Rights Reserved, Hula Hoop promoter Arthur Spud Melin dies. 2015: StallionSport Ltd. and InterSport Corp. acquire global rights to Wham-O Inc. 2018: Wham-O partners with Smacircle LMT ltd. to introduce Smacircle S1, an e-bike. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Indeed, throughout their careersMelinandKnerrrefused to becomecorporate suits, forever hunting for things that made them smile. 3 1 greengrenades To be the man, you gotta ''. It became the biggest toy fad in modern history. When the two became interested in falconry in their early 20s, they crafted a slingshot to shoot food into the air to train their birds. Rather, he said, the name came from a comic strip of the era called Mr. Frisbie.But the connection was not coincidental to the success of the Frisbee, which found its earliest acceptance at Eastern colleges. And like his father, Arthur Smith excels at his job. All Rights Reserved. Arthur Melin Mr Knerr, who retired when he and company co-founder Arthur Spud Melin sold Wham-O in 1982, Richard Knerr who invented the Hula Hoop and the Frisbee. Melin and his wife, Suzy, became aware of children in Australia and elsewhere around the South Pacific playing with a bamboo or rattan ring by swinging it around their hips. Most wont even look at an idea unless it comes through an agency. He was born in Los Angeles Nov. 16, 1922, to Della Kelso Melin and Charles Raymond Melin., and was the elder brother to Arthur Spud Melin. All rights reserved. Mr. Melin became active in conservative causes like immigration reform, but continued to pursue inventions. In 1957, an Australian visiting California told them, quite casually, that in his home country, children twirled bamboo hoops around their waists in gym class. For many years, the company's strategy was to maintain eight to twelve simple, inexpensive products such as Frisbees, Super Balls, and Hula Hoops. Whatever the truth, in 1948 two ex-army pilots adapted the principle, and, in 1951, one Fred Morrison used war surplus plastic to produce the Rotary Fingernail Clipper, later known as the Flyin' Saucer. Tilted flip curves. He always had kids test his toys to see if they had play value. Long story short, after much effort and rejection, Spud finally got financing for his Hula Hoop, and Wham-O went on to sell some 25 million hoops the first year, making Spud tens of millions of dollars and making at least fifty bankers and investors sick. Today, Woodmans net worth is estimated at $800 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which is actually much lower than his peak valuation of $4.5 billion. Melina and Knerr were inspired to develop the Hula Hoop after they saw a wooden hoop that Australian children twirled around their waists during gym class.