From Europe to the islands of the Caribbean, it's gone by many names over the years. Some say when English Crusaders brought it back to their home country from Jerusalem in the 12th century, it was called Ring the Bull. When the game was introduced to Jamaica, possibly by author Ernest Hemingway in the 1940's, it was known as the Bimini Ring Game.
But today, all you've got to call it is the Hook and Ring Game. It's soothing, addictive and whether you've got a version set up in your backyard, posted up at your vacation home, or even just poised on your work desk, it's a meditative game that can gobble up the hours if you let it.
Tiki Toss has crafted several versions of this classic game, sized to fit naturally into almost any environment.
The Tiki Toss Original ($23 with coupon code TIKITOSS7; originally $30) is the most traditional presentation of the classic game. Just mount the foot-long bamboo board to an indoor or outdoor wall and screw in its stainless steel hook. Then properly connect and position a metal ring so it can swing from a tree, overhang or ceiling toward the game board. Then see if you can catch the ring on the hook. It's that simple…or, it appears to be, anyway.
It only takes five minutes to set up — but you, your family, your party guests, or virtually anyone can play this game for hours of easy fun. You've got 10 tries to try and swing the ring onto the hook — and the first player or team to reach either 11 or 21 points gets the win.
If you don't have an overhang from which to swing the ring, no problem — that's where the Tiki Toss Surf Deluxe Edition ($32 with coupon code TIKITOSS8; originally $40) comes in. This version of the game comes with a 5-foot telescoping pole with its own built-in cord lock that inserts seamlessly into the backboard. That way, the whole game is completely self-contained.
If you don't have much space, you can also try out the half-sized Tiki Toss Shortboard Edition ($16 with coupon code TIKITOSS4; originally $20); or just put the whole game right on your desk with the all-in-one Desktop Tiki Toss ($27 with coupon code TIKITOSS8; originally $35).
Any way you and your crew play, gamers of all ages will enjoy the hypnotic nature of this island classic.
Prices are subject to change.
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