A little-known pastime has captured the hearts of Salt Spring residents, and its biggest advocate hopes its popularity will spread worldwide. 

Called chi ball, the game 香蕉视频直播� or sport, depending on who you ask 香蕉视频直播� is played using a small ball woven out of dry grasses, which players keep airborne as long as possible by batting it back and forth with their hands. 

The bare-bones game originated over 45 years ago 香蕉视频直播� thousands of kilometres away. 

香蕉视频直播淭he origins of chi ball began in the late seventies on the island of Maui with an amazing wizard and Tai Chi master named Phil,香蕉视频直播� said Bradley Morris, the co-founder of Play Chi Ball 香蕉视频直播� a Salt Spring-based company that sells the balls, first purchased from manufacturers in Thailand, Vietnam, China, India and South Korea. 香蕉视频直播淧hil originally used a tennis ball and he called the game 'frapping' in the early days." 

Eventually, the sport crossed the Pacific, landing in the Southwest, where Morris learned about the pastime from two 香蕉视频直播渉ippies香蕉视频直播� while on a yoga retreat in Arizona 13 years ago. Instead of using a tennis ball, the pair used a wicker one.

香蕉视频直播淵ou just rallied and that was it,香蕉视频直播� he said, emphasizing how chi ball pulled him into an 香蕉视频直播渋nstant flow state香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� the feeling an individual gets when so engrossed in a task that they forget about everything else. 

But what explains the game香蕉视频直播檚 name? 

Morris said the pastime is named after a hard-to-define 香蕉视频直播渆nergy香蕉视频直播� called chi.  

"Chi refers to the fundamental life force or energy that is believed to flow through all things in traditional Chinese culture," he said. 香蕉视频直播淲e've heard from a bunch of chi ballers that playing 30 minutes of chi ball is equivalent to doing an aerobics class 香蕉视频直播� except way more fun. In other words, it gets your energy moving and makes you feel alive."

After his yoga retreat had drawn to a close, Morris travelled back to Canada, where he forgot about the game until five or six years later, when he found a wicker ball 香蕉视频直播� similar to the ones Play Chi Ball sells 香蕉视频直播� beneath his house. 

香蕉视频直播淭ruthfully, it felt like destiny,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t brought back all of the joy I remember.香蕉视频直播� 

The discovery reignited Morris香蕉视频直播� love of the game, and he immediately began carrying the ball 香蕉视频直播� attached to his belt or backpack with a carabiner 香蕉视频直播� everywhere he went. And that香蕉视频直播檚 what he did for eight years, playing with strangers interested in the mysterious orb he dubbed a "friend maker."

Morris recalled playing with two strangers at a beach in Vancouver for over an hour. 

香蕉视频直播淏y the time we were done, it felt like we were longtime buddies. The two of them reflected to me that it was amazing how this little hand-woven ball was a bridge to help us connect,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hat is a beautiful thing because there's not a lot of experiences that can unite people.香蕉视频直播�   

Slowly, chi ball, and the connectivity it promotes, began to spread. To capitalize on the game香蕉视频直播檚 success, Morris reached out to his friend and now business partner Michael Rogers to start selling the spheres, and that香蕉视频直播檚 how Play Chi Ball was born. 

香蕉视频直播淲e're all over the States now,香蕉视频直播� said Morris. "We are in Scotland, Ireland. We just had a friend send us videos of them playing on the beaches in Nicaragua. I know there are people in Mexico playing right now. We had somebody in Brazil buy a ball 香蕉视频直播� Australia, too.香蕉视频直播�

Though the game is all about linking strangers, it can be played competitively, with teams racing each other to 100 hits. If the ball falls to the ground, 10 points are lost, but if it bounces once and players are able to keep it airborne, then the fumbling team only deducts five points from its total score.  

Morris and Rogers regularly travel to the Island and the mainland to host impromptu chi ball gatherings, where the pair invite passersby to take part in the game. Often, people tell the co-owners they think chi ball could be an Olympic sport.

香蕉视频直播淲hen you're playing a full-on rally with somebody, the game is so fast,香蕉视频直播� said Morris. 香蕉视频直播淚 figure if ping pong can be in the Olympics, why can香蕉视频直播檛 chi ball? I can only imagine in five years when this game香蕉视频直播檚 taken off how fast future chi ballers are going to be.香蕉视频直播�