Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • Yen_D_Heart
    Member
    • Jan 2019
    • 47

    Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

    Hello there!

    I was wondering if others on the forum also like space hoppers? I always had a weird fascination for them, even as a child. I used to have a pretty nifty collection, but I threw most of them away when I moved, since I had no room to store them anymore.

    I live in Germany and have started to add new hoppers to my small collection again. I will also write some "reviews" about the hoppers that I own, maybe provide pictures as well. Not sure, if anyone is interested here in this topic since it is more of a niche interest I guess.

    These are the space hoppers I own:

    -4x 80cm "Retro Space Hoppers", from a UK space hopper website.
    -1x 66cm "Retro Space hopper", same as above
    -1x 60cm Pink Hopper with a round handle
    -1x Hop 45 and 66 from Gymnic
    -1x Oppy 45 from Gymnic
    -1x Rody horse from Gymnic
    -1x small John hopper with print (I guess 40cm)
    -1x small John hopper with owl ear handles (also 40cm)

    I also have a small collection of videos with space hoppers, gym balls, dildo balls involved, which I would glady trade for other similar clips or completely different clips altogether. I will be making Thumbnails for these videos once I am home (every weekend).

    If you have interest in any opinions or trades, message me here or on VK under the name: Jenny Dear.

    Cya~ Yen
  • scuba
    Senior Member
    • Jan 2017
    • 443

    #2
    Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

    I bought one on Ebay from an english seller.
    It's the 80cm space hopper in bright orange.
    It gave me the inspiration to write a little story on this site called :THE MAGIC HOPPER BALL.
    Check it out.

    Comment

    • Yen_D_Heart
      Member
      • Jan 2019
      • 47

      #3
      Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

      Is yours one of the retro hopper kind with the face on it? Or did you find a different kind of 80cm space hopper? Would love to get some variety in my 80cm ballpark

      I check out the story later tonight, but cool that it inspires people!

      Comment

      • scuba
        Senior Member
        • Jan 2017
        • 443

        #4
        Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

        My hopper ball is the orange one with the face on..
        I think it's the 80cm one, that is the one i ordered..
        Playing with balloons and inflatabes definitialy gets me inspired.
        Each time i get a new item i have to write a story about it
        I am for examble wearing the fox suit that inspired THE FLYING FOX right now.
        It's the middle of the night here in Denmark right now and frosty.
        But I went for a walk only wearing the fox catsuit without freecing fantasizing that the air in the suit would somehow become the super helium and I would float off.
        I do the same each time i play with my hopper ball dreaming that it will take control and bounce off and give me a ride of a lifetime

        Comment

        • sonarloon
          Senior Member
          • Jun 2017
          • 121

          #5
          Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

          Hi!
          I've been fascinated by hopper balls since a child myself. I got to ride one in elementary school and I guess you could say that started it all.
          I only have one hopper in my collection. A 52 cm in bright pink.
          I live in the states, so I'm not sure where I could get larger (72 CM+) sized ones. Any ideas?

          Comment

          • scuba
            Senior Member
            • Jan 2017
            • 443

            #6
            Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

            I bought mine on Ebay

            Comment

            • Yen_D_Heart
              Member
              • Jan 2019
              • 47

              #7
              Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

              There is the website http://hoppityhop.com/ , but I don't know if they are still active and selling. Waliki toys also sells bigger hoppers, but I think only up to 70cm? There are hoppers on ebay that I cant get over here in europe, which makes me a bit envy

              Gymnic Hop 66/Gymnic Oppy should also be aviable in the US, they are a bit different than the usual hopper.

              Comment

              • sonarloon
                Senior Member
                • Jun 2017
                • 121

                #8
                Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                Originally posted by Yen_D_Heart
                There is the website http://hoppityhop.com/ , but I don't know if they are still active and selling. Waliki toys also sells bigger hoppers, but I think only up to 70cm? There are hoppers on ebay that I cant get over here in europe, which makes me a bit envy

                Gymnic Hop 66/Gymnic Oppy should also be aviable in the US, they are a bit different than the usual hopper.
                Can you explain? I've not encountered one, ever. I think. Now I'm fascinated!
                By the way, years ago in school I got to ride one that had two handles one for each hand. I'd like to see if I could find one like that as well regardless of size.

                Comment

                • Yen_D_Heart
                  Member
                  • Jan 2019
                  • 47

                  #9
                  Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                  Originally posted by sonarloon
                  Can you explain? I've not encountered one, ever. I think. Now I'm fascinated!
                  By the way, years ago in school I got to ride one that had two handles one for each hand. I'd like to see if I could find one like that as well regardless of size.
                  You can find Waliki Balls here:


                  For the Gymnic Hop 66, I bought mine of Amazon. You could try it as well, I believe Gymnic is not Europe only, but that is just a guess. They also have the Oppy 6, which is a 60cm hopper ball with seperate handles instead. I like the Hop 66 more, but they are more firm than other balls. Still great fun!

                  On ebay or similar sites, you can look for "Retro Space hopper". I guess these are all the same and were made in the UK. They 80cm ones are suuuper fun and nice to ride and sit on.

                  Comment

                  • sonarloon
                    Senior Member
                    • Jun 2017
                    • 121

                    #10
                    Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                    And as it turns out, my pink one is a waliki! This one I've had for a while and can get suuuuuper big if I overinflate it. Rated size is 24 inches, if I overinflate it can get to like 29, if I really push it, 32 but it has absolutely no give left at that point.
                    Can you describe the gymnic hopper ball? Do you own one?
                    You mentioned the gymnic oppy ball having two individual handles. Are they l-shaped, or more like goat's horns? I unfortunately can't go off pictures since I can't see them. I am totally blind.
                    Have a great day!

                    Comment

                    • Yen_D_Heart
                      Member
                      • Jan 2019
                      • 47

                      #11
                      Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                      Totally blind? Well that is interesting!

                      I want a Waliki Ball, too! But shipping costs are so damn high, and their European store doesn't seem to exist anymore....

                      About the Gymnic balls, I own both a Hop 66 and a Oppy 5. The Oppy has handles like the Hop 66, just that they are not connected. So they are rather close together compared to most other hoppers, but are somewhat ergonomically shapped. A bit hard to describe.

                      Their material is also different from each other and other hoppers in general:

                      The Hop 66 has very sturdy and thick rubber material, which almost is a bit leather like. (ledraplastic they call it I believe) You can bounce on it very nicely still. The only downside in my eye is, that the ball is rather oval, not round. It makes the ball look smaller. I wonder if I can stretch the ball somehow... due to the thick material you can't just overinflate it. The handles are "fused" together on the top, so not a single round handle, but two seperate ones. Much better for two hands in my opinion.

                      The Oppy 5 (and 6 I guess aswell) are a bit more toy-like in direct comparison. Slightly less thick, a bit more round and the separated handles compared to the Hop 66. Otherwise I feel like it is very similar.

                      In general I wonder how I could stretch the material of my hoppers. Anyone having any ideas?
                      If you have questions about other hoppers, feel free to ask me. I still want to do a more lengthy write-up of hoppers in the future.

                      Comment

                      • sonarloon
                        Senior Member
                        • Jun 2017
                        • 121

                        #12
                        Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                        IDK, I've heard people gently bake there pvc stuff in an oven or use a hair dryer, although the latter is more commonplace around balloons and as intended, hair drying.
                        I'm more interested in the hop 66 for the thicker material, but the hoppy 6 for the handles.
                        Would you describe the handles of the hoppy 6 like reverse print l shaped? Where you have a stem on the ball itself and then it curves about 90 degrees and forms the handle?
                        I'd like to find a ball similar to the one that first got me started into inflatables. I can't really remember how large it was though, though I remember it had handles as described.
                        And yup, totally blind. Ask away if you wish.

                        Comment

                        • Yen_D_Heart
                          Member
                          • Jan 2019
                          • 47

                          #13
                          Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                          The Oppy has no "I" shapped handles like most regular hoppers like John Balls. They go straight, but are closer together. The handle is veeery slightly shapped like a "3", for ergonomic reasons I guess. Same with the Hop 66 mind you, they are almost identical besides the "bridge" that connects both handles on the top for the Hop 66. It's very hard to describe accurate.

                          There are many hoppers in various sizes that have a reverse "I" shape like you have described. Mostly in the range of 40 - 60 cm. John Balls and Togu are the most common that use them. John is cheaper, Togu is more robust. I don't have a Togu ball right now, so I can't give you many details about them sadly. They are on my wishlist, right behind a 36-inch knobbed hopper from america and the Waliki hoppers (26-inch ?).

                          Hope that helps.

                          Comment

                          • sonarloon
                            Senior Member
                            • Jun 2017
                            • 121

                            #14
                            Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                            I had a knobbed ball for a while but gave it up. The knobs made it difficult and a bit uncomfortable to ride.
                            You think I could import a retro space hopper from Europe? More specifically a 80 cm as you described? Could be fun to try one out.

                            Comment

                            • Yen_D_Heart
                              Member
                              • Jan 2019
                              • 47

                              #15
                              Re: Space Hoppers and Hoppity Hops

                              I like the retro 80cm space hoppers. They are sooo much fun to ride. My oldest one is also now at the 90cm mark! You could try to look for them on Amazon or eBay, as they we're sold to different places. The orange hopper with the face on it is the most common 80cm in my experience. If you want any other colour, you most likely only find them on Amazon or directly from http://www.space-hoppers.co.uk/ where I brought all of mine.

                              Despite your experience I still want the knobbed ball Dunno, I am a collector and it looks fun with clothing on. But getting one to europe is soooo damn expensive ;_;

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              😀
                              😂
                              🥰
                              😘
                              🤢
                              😎
                              😞
                              😡
                              👍
                              👎