In 2005, 9-year old Savanna had to crochet a doily for her 3rd grade school project. While she did a very nice job, she added a few too many drop stitches at the outer edge of the trivet causing it to curl and form a small lip. On the end table it sat idly for over a year, until one night a family friend, Chris, picked it up and tossed it across the room at Savanna's dad, Patrick. As it floated across the room and landed softly in Patrick’s hand, the two of them stood silently, jaws hanging slightly. They played catch for the next hour, joking all the while about what a hit this thing could someday become.
Time passed. Day jobs continued. But each time they hung out, Savanna's doily took flight and the lure of its possibilities grew stronger. Finally, almost a year later, they decided "Let’s give this a spin." As it reminded them of a cross between a hippie hat and a hacky sack they began researching where hacky sacks come from. The answer: Guatemala. Meanwhile Savanna’s mom, Mindy, made a half dozen or so prototypes, each of which took her several days in her spare time. Patrick and Chris shipped the prototypes off to different village-based production groups in Guatemala. What was sent down were two-toned concentric circular striped discs of the most ordinary sort. What came back blew their minds. The colors, patterns and variety the Maya artisans had created was so striking and unique that they knew they had discovered something amazing.
For the next few years, Patrick and Chris worked their day jobs while establishing a strong production base in Guatemala and took booths out at trade shows like the NY Toy Fair and Outdoor Retailer. Their warehouse was Patrick’s basement. By the end of 2010, they were ready to sell Pocket Discs full-time. With a motley crew they dove into the festival scene at places like Bonnaroo, The Hangout Festival, Telluride Blues and Brews. Years later, the team still loves to hit the road to connect with Pocket Disc fanatics, to see smiles lighting up kids’ faces, and to create fun for all ages. Our beliefs in global responsibility and fair trade live on and 600 Mayan artisans and over two million Pocket Disc owners can thank Chris for his inaugural throw of Savanna's doily that fateful night. Since then, the Pocket Disc line has expanded to include a range of toys, games, and accessories, all devoted to honoring the Maya and our green, sustainable ethics.
In 2020, as a tribute to the Mayans who handcraft each product, the Pocket Disc became the MayaFlya and Buena Onda Games was born. Buena Onda means good vibes in Spanish and speaks directly to our culture and values.
Buena Onda Games is built on a commitment to Fair Trade and ethical values and we strive to improve the quality of life for our Mayan artisan partners. Through the years, we have sustainably employed over 600 Mayan artisans in the villages surrounding Lake Atitlan who hand craft our colorful creations. By providing a fair wage, enabling them to work from home while setting their own hours, and maintaining a steady flow of work, we are able to share these amazing products with the rest of the world while maintaining our fair trade values. In addition, we are able to give back to the wonderful communities through projects like water filtration installations, lake grass plantings, and baby turtle releases.
We all have to start somewhere to strive towards a better world and this is where you come in. Each purchase supports these goals and makes you a part of our mission to Play for Good; a mission that is always expanding. We have plenty of projects brewing and if you’re as passionate about sustainable change as we are, drop us an email with your own thoughts and ideas.
In addition to the Eno River clean up day, here are a few of the previous projects we have helped support:
