Oh, So THAT's How It Happened

Hooping is seen by many as not just a hobby, but a lifestyle. How did hula hoops transform from silly circles of plastic to catalysts for entire communities? How did we get from there to here? 

Most people have heard that big, heavy hoops became popularized at String Cheese Incident shows, but what about before that? Who decided to make these big, strange hoops and bring them out to concert, consequently starting the hoop revolution?  

Why do I know how to make these? 

This article, by Super Hooper Lara Eastburn fills in the blanks pre-String Cheese!
So THAT's how it happened...