In Farinon College Center, velcroed to a column on the first floor is an experience that promises you laughter, a foot massage and a good workout all at the same time.
Upon first glance, the game seems rather unassuming; it consists of a plain PVC pipe velcroed to the wall, a board of instructions and two foam rollers. But read the rules, grab a friend and take your shoes off, and you’ll be teleported away from Farinon into the dynamic world of RolleyPulley, a “2-person, three-dimensional Tug of War.”
This isn’t RolleyPulley’s first time on campus. It was installed near the climbing walls in Kirby Sports Center before the pandemic and the game often makes an appearance whenever Remy Oktay ‘24 displays his famous converted school bus.
In fact, it was through the game that Oktay first met Jeff Acopian ‘75, the inventor of RolleyPulley.
In the fall of 2019, during a trip to the gym, Oktay noticed Acopian walking backward and forward on his foam roller. Oktay approached Acopian and was quickly challenged to a match of RolleyPulley.
“I remember saying to myself, ‘Oh, this is an older person. Being a young college student, I should probably go a little easy because I don’t want to hurt anybody,’” Oktay said. “And then I got absolutely rocked. My mind was blown.”
After beating him several more times, Acopian sat down with Oktay and talked about the mission behind RolleyPulley and Acopian’s hopes of expanding it. The pair made an appointment for a rematch.
Last week, with the aim of bringing the game to a wider audience, Oktay and Acopian installed RolleyPulley in the hub of student life: Farinon College Center.
“Having it here in Farinon, where people are hanging out a lot more, makes it more accessible,” Oktay said. “They can take a break from doing work, stretch out their feet and have dynamic, healthy movement and a fun time.”
According to Acopian, the first time you play is the hardest, but as RolleyPulley’s website mentions, “You will be amazed at how quickly you progress.”
For beginners looking to improve at the game, Acopian recommends learning to walk a few steps forward and backward on the rollers.
“It’ll give you a real advantage,” he said.
Oktay’s favorite “Hail Mary” move involves spinning around on the roller to face away from his opponent, swinging the pole forward in an almost axe-like motion to disarm his opponent and gain victory.
“If anyone wants some stiff competition, they can contact us and we can set up a little duel,” Oktay joked.
Acopian is not stopping here; with dreams of the game achieving Spikeball levels of fame, he hopes that RolleyPulley will spread to different colleges, sparking intercollegiate competitions.
“I think a competition with Lehigh would be really cool,” Acopian said. “The ultimate goal would be to have it in the Olympics. I know it sounds silly, but they have curling, so why not this?”
