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Idaho Statesman – Footbag Brings Us Open to Boise (2016)

A preview of the 2016 US Open, which was held in Boise, Idaho. There is a large picture of Evan Gatesman and some chat with Red Husted. It is part of a regular column on outdoor activities in the region.

The full article can be read here.

The 2016 US Open Freestyle Footbag Championships are Saturday and Sunday at Boise State’s Centennial Amphitheatre. It’s the sport many remember as Hacky Sack, which is a brand name.

Three of the best players in the country live in the Boise area, tournament director Ethan Husted said. That group includes Jim Penske, Evan Gatesman and Nick Landes. Penske has the most US Open titles in the event’s history, Husted said.

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Williamette Week – Hotseat: Chris Dean (2014)

When I first saw the link to this article, I thought it might be in regards to the 2017 World Championships in Portland as Chris Dean was a major part of the organising team, however this is a few years earlier, previewing one of the many US Open events that have been held in Portland.

Of course Portland has high-level, competitive Hacky Sack. Considering our city is home to sizable Quidditch and unicycle scenes, you shouldn’t be surprised to see serious interest in the lunch-period pastime that brought together soccer guys, band geeks and bad kids in a circle where they could hand-pass low-grade pot while knocking around a small beanbag.

But Hacky Sack—known to die-hards and intellectual-property lawyers as footbag—has grown to the point that there are two specialized branches. These days, few players can be competitive in both “freestyle” and “net” play. We asked Chris Dean, a Portlander who placed eighth in freestyle routine at last year’s World Championships in Montreal and who is organizing this weekend’s U.S. Open Footbag Championships in West Linn, to explain the modern sport.

You can read the full article here.