Rasta Ball: Makin' It

What came first, the Comet Ball or the Foxtail? I'm not quite sure about the answer, but in the 1984 edition of Silver Bullets from Karl Rohnke he showed us how to make a Comet Ball out of an old nylon and a tennis ball - oh the fun! Then, as evolution would have it, in one of the Volumes of FUNN Stuff Karl made the "Rasta/Comet Ball Comparison" (now in FUNN 'N GAMES, 2004) and taught us how to make the Rasta Ball (RB). I'd like to share a step-by-step build of the RB with you here to keep the fun alive. So, break out the old tennis balls and grab a few things from the hardware store. Here we go... 

NEEDS: 

• 3/8 inch Hollow-Braided Poly Rope (50' bag shown).
  
• 1 Tube of Clear Silicone (2.8 oz. good for 12, or so, RBs)
  
• Electrical Tape (color does not matter)
  
• Tennis Balls (old or new, does not matter)
  
• Scissors
  
• Box Cutter or Sharp Knife
  
• Black Sharpie

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PREPARATION: 

• Cut (with scissors or knife) 2 1/2 to 3 feet of the nylon rope
  
• Tie an overhand knot about two inches from one end.
  
• Wrap some electrical tape off the other end anywhere from 6 to 9 inches from the end (more details in next step). 
  
• Draw a two-inch line with a sharpie on the ball - avoid the rubber seam on the tennis ball. 
  

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MAKING THE TAIL: 
You have a choice to make before unraveling the tail of your RB. Basically, the more you unravel the slower the RB will go - translation, the less distance it will travel. You'll want to unravel at least a few inches to give your RB a fair "tail" for directional purposes. After that, it's up to you. So, before unraveling, wrap your electrical tape at the point you want to stop unraveling, then unravel-away. (You can alway remove the tape and unravel more, but not the other way round.)

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CUTTING: 
Carefully (please), cut along the line you drew on the tennis ball with a (new blade!) box cutter or really sharp knife (I suggest you wear a leather glove on the hand holding the tennis ball). This is not as easy as one might think, so be CAREFUL! A two-inch cut is just about right for the knot at the end of rope. However, you may need to cut the opening a little bit more if you find yourself using profane language while attempting insertion.  

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INSERTION: 
While squeezing the sides of the tennis ball near the edges of your cut, use the other hand to push/manipulate the knot of the rope into the opening. Note: Newer tennis balls are more forgiving than older ones. In my experience, older tennis balls are more susceptible to cracking at the ends of the cut (dried out material). If the opening becomes to big it's more difficult to seal it - you decide if you want to try and save a cracked one or not. 

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SEAL IT: 

• Open up your silicone tube and follow the directions for preparing the top. 
  
• Squeeze silicone in and around the opening of the cut. 
  
• Be sure to move the rope around a bit to get silicone in and around the rope area. 
  
• Let your creation dry (read the tube for drying time). 
  

And......

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Tah-Dah...a Rasta Ball is born!

PLAY: 

• Rasta Lawn Darts
  
• Pasta Golf - into containers or hit an object
  
• Rasta Bocci 
  
• Ultimate Rasta (tail catch for score)

I've included a little video below of one possible (there are others) tossing procedure (if you have yet to see one of these props in action).

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Do let me know what fun you have with your Rastas - long live the RASTA!!

Have Fun Out There!

Chris Cavert