Hoop rolling

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Ganymede rolling a hoop and bearing aloft a cockerel - a love gift from Zeus (in pursuit, on obverse of vase).
Attic red-figure crater, 500-490 BCE; Painter of Berlin; Louvre, Paris)

Hoop Rolling, often called hoop and stick, is a child's game in which a large, hoop, made of wood, metal or plastic, is rolled along by means of a stick. Skilled players can keep the hoop upright for lengthy periods of time and can do various tricks. Able hoop rollers have created circus acts around their skill.

It is known to have been played since early antiquity, as seen on Greek vase paintings from ca. 500 BCE, and called trochos by the Greeks. It is still found - albeit rarely - as a feature of children's street culture all over the world.

The largest hoop rolling tournament held in New England is the Swiss & Wielder Hoop and Stick Tournament. It began in 1962 and is held every year. Generally, there are close to 500 contestants who are divided into 27 different divisions based on age, experience, and size.

Hoop rolling races have been traditionally held at the close of each academic year at the Seven Sisters colleges. Seniors will line up with their hoops before graduation. The race's winner will be the first woman in her class to reach some goal, the exact title depending on the school.