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 91裸聊视频� or sport, depending on who you ask 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� thousands of kilometres away. 

91裸聊视频淭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,91裸聊视频� said Bradley Morris, the co-founder of Play Chi Ball 91裸聊视频� a Salt Spring-based company that sells the balls, first purchased from manufacturers in Thailand, Vietnam, China, India and South Korea. 91裸聊视频淧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 91裸聊视频渉ippies91裸聊视频� while on a yoga retreat in Arizona 13 years ago. Instead of using a tennis ball, the pair used a wicker one.

91裸聊视频淵ou just rallied and that was it,91裸聊视频� he said, emphasizing how chi ball pulled him into an 91裸聊视频渋nstant flow state91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� the feeling an individual gets when so engrossed in a task that they forget about everything else. 

But what explains the game91裸聊视频檚 name? 

Morris said the pastime is named after a hard-to-define 91裸聊视频渆nergy91裸聊视频� 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. 91裸聊视频淲e've heard from a bunch of chi ballers that playing 30 minutes of chi ball is equivalent to doing an aerobics class 91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� similar to the ones Play Chi Ball sells 91裸聊视频� beneath his house. 

91裸聊视频淭ruthfully, it felt like destiny,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淚t brought back all of the joy I remember.91裸聊视频� 

The discovery reignited Morris91裸聊视频� love of the game, and he immediately began carrying the ball 91裸聊视频� attached to his belt or backpack with a carabiner 91裸聊视频� everywhere he went. And that91裸聊视频檚 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. 

91裸聊视频淏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,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat is a beautiful thing because there's not a lot of experiences that can unite people.91裸聊视频�   

Slowly, chi ball, and the connectivity it promotes, began to spread. To capitalize on the game91裸聊视频檚 success, Morris reached out to his friend and now business partner Michael Rogers to start selling the spheres, and that91裸聊视频檚 how Play Chi Ball was born. 

91裸聊视频淲e're all over the States now,91裸聊视频� 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 91裸聊视频� Australia, too.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淲hen you're playing a full-on rally with somebody, the game is so fast,91裸聊视频� said Morris. 91裸聊视频淚 figure if ping pong can be in the Olympics, why can91裸聊视频檛 chi ball? I can only imagine in five years when this game91裸聊视频檚 taken off how fast future chi ballers are going to be.91裸聊视频�