I recently learned about the Hop Rod
The Hop Rod was an engine-powered pogo stick released in the early 1970s. There's been a bunch of writing about it on the internet over the last few decades, but I somehow managed to avoid learning about it until eggbug survivor Nire Bryce posted about it last week.
This, of course, led to me reading a bunch about it online. I recommend checking out the link Nire posted - this charmingly handmade website by a blacksmith...
...As well as these Hop Rod advertisements from the 70s...
...This video of a modern Hop Rod owner refilling the machine with fuel and batteries, then using it (safely! Without dying!):
...And this blog post by the guy in the video above, about how he got his Hop Rod working again, with the help of a guy at the original manufacturing company!...
...And this short article from the IndyStar, which interviews the son of the Hop Rod's inventor.
Anyway, goofy shit. It's interesting that most modern videos of the device show people using it rather safely and confidently. It might be because most of these videos show people who are already familiar with the Hop Rod using it expertly?