Who knew that a Wichita, Kansas company made such wacky toys? Chance Manufacturing out of Wichita came up with what has been called the world’s most dangerous toy, the Hop Rod, and they were reportedly made in 1960 and 1961. This gas-powered pogo stick can be found listed here on eBay in Bennett, Nebraska, and they’re asking a hefty $4,250, or you can make an offer. I’d be so in it’s not even funny for anything around $1,500, but not for four grand. I found this one and thought you folks might get a bang out of it… Let’s check it out.
This is ONE CASE and ONE CASE ONLY when a seller can provide vertical photos in a sales listing without being put on the Barn Finds wall of shame. If we had a wall of shame, that is. Cars and trucks? No, they’re horizontal. Pogo sticks? Yes, they’re vertical, although some pogo stick users often find themselves horizontal with injuries, according to early sources that called this one of the most, if not the most, dangerous toy of all time. I find that hard to believe when you see a YouTube video of someone hopping on a Hop Rod. It’s not like they’re being jetted up two or three feet, but maybe a foot? Clearly, it was a fad, and I don’t care; I still want one. Here’s a fantastic website with a ton of information on these unique rides.
Chance Manufacturing is still very much in business today, and they’re famous for fair and carnival rides, such as trains, the Zipper (I know!), merry-go-rounds, and things like that. I love that the Hop Rod existed, and that some still exist. If any of you are fans of American Restoration – the latter ones where they switched formats in favor of several shops around the country – (I like the Rick’s Restorations version myself), you’ll remember a company restoring a Hop Rod for a customer. It’s cool how it works, but I don’t understand how it was deemed as being so dangerous.
It’s powered by a two-stroke “engine”, which is a cylinder with a piston (that’s not the weird part), and it’s activated only when a rider jumps on the two footpads, which activates the gas that you pour into the “tank”, and there are also several C-cell batteries that you dump in another hole to provide spark. If you need a new “spark plug”, good luck: this is what it looks like. “Yeah, NAPA? I’ve got a ’61 Hop Rod and… ” “Click.” The carburetor and gas tank are a single unit down by the foot pegs/pads, the thing with the round bowl on the bottom in the photo above. I can’t imagine this is any scarier to use than a regular pogo stick, but man, would this bring over the onlookers at a Gas-Powered Pogo Sticks & Coffee event… Have any of you heard of the Hop Rod? What do you think is the most dangerous toy?
This thing is more dangerous than clackers or lawn darts. I love it!
Yes, original metal tipped lawn jarts. I’ll throw in a cox fan car on a guide wire.
Fun and entertaining write-up SG. I have never heard of the Hop Rod. The video is a hoot. The fact that these existed is a testament to the difference in the legal system between then and now.
Scotty….. “would this bring over the onlookers at a Gas-Powered Pogo Sticks & Coffee event…”… Sorry let me pick myself up off the floor from laughing at that one…. That was good. Anyways, I’m with Bob, I’ve never heard of these and I’m strongly inclined to believe Mom and Dad would NOT have bought one of these for their clumsy accident prone kid ( me) Yhanks Scotty, I needed a good laugh today!!!
The video did say Mom and Pop can Hop too!! Umm… Does this sound like a Dr. Seuss book? Love the video too Scotty. Thanks for the research too.
This is the rare “Kastrator” model!
Didn’t that same company also manufacture diving boards?
I’m waiting for the EV unit to be available
I just spit out my coffee, good one Thames.
There was a number of years when we saw people in our emergency department related to these. That eventually went away. Good riddens. People sure do some stupid things sometimes.
Methanol might give it higher hops, just saying.
I worked for NAPA, No Auto Parts Available. Yes it does not go very high.