The Footbag Is Back, Ottawa
Ottawa high school hallways are looking a little different these days — and it has nothing to do with a new phone or social media trend. The hacky sack, that small stitched fabric bag you kick around with friends, is making a full-blown comeback among Ottawa teenagers, and nobody seems entirely sure how it started.
If you're a millennial or Gen X parent in this city, now might be a good time to check the back of your closet. Chances are, you've got one buried under a pile of old CDs and a Tamagotchi.
From the 90s to the 2020s
The hacky sack — technically called a footbag — had its cultural peak somewhere between 1992 and the release of the first American Pie movie. It was the kind of thing you'd see clusters of kids doing near the gym doors before first bell, a low-tech, no-screen way to burn five minutes and look effortlessly cool.
Then smartphones arrived, and the footbag quietly disappeared into basements across North America.
But trends have a funny way of cycling back, and Ottawa's high school crowd has apparently rediscovered the joy of just... kicking something around with friends. No Wi-Fi required.
Why Now?
There's a loose but real cultural thread running through this revival. Gen Z has shown a growing appetite for tactile, offline activities — vinyl records, film photography, friendship bracelets. The hacky sack fits neatly into that same vibe: analogue, communal, slightly retro, and genuinely fun once you get the hang of it.
It also doesn't hurt that the footbag is cheap (under $10 at most sporting goods stores), portable, and requires exactly zero charging. In an era of screen fatigue, that's not nothing.
Some Ottawa teens are reportedly raiding their parents' old gear, while others are tracking them down at thrift shops or ordering them online. Either way, the demand is real.
A Low-Key Social Activity
Part of the appeal is the social dynamic. Hacky sack is inherently cooperative — the goal is to keep the bag in the air as a group, not to beat anyone. That collaborative, no-pressure energy seems to be resonating with a generation that's spent a lot of time in competitive, performance-driven digital spaces.
It's also the kind of skill that rewards practice. Landing a clean around-the-world or a toe stall gives you something to work toward — a small, satisfying win that has nothing to do with likes or followers.
Ottawa Parents: Your Time Has Come
If you've got a teenager in an Ottawa high school, brace yourself for the possibility of finding a hacky sack in the laundry. And if they ask you to show them how it's done, just remember: it's all in the inside kick. You had this once. It'll come back.
For everyone else, it's a genuinely wholesome reminder that sometimes the best trends are the ones that never needed an algorithm to spread — just a few kids in a hallway, a small fabric bag, and a free period.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
