In September 2023, friends Boone Hogg and Logan Jugler were hiking in Utah’s Arches National Park. Jugler casually picked up a small stick that looked like a revolver and started rating its features on a scale of 1 to 10. Hogg recorded Jugler’s playful rant on his phone and posted it on Instagram. It was fun but didn’t seem like a big deal.
And yet the internet has a way of deciding for itself what will or will not be a big deal.
In the past (almost) two years, supporters in at least 120 countries worldwide – collectively known as “Stick Nation” – have followed their lead. More than 3 million people of all ages, genders and walks of life have found their own sticks and posted short videos ranking them on Instagram @officialstickreviews.
It’s simple. It’s accessible to anyone. And it’s fun!
No wonder it’s affectionately dubbed “the most wholesome corner of the Internet.”
So what makes a good stick?
That’s a bit of a mystery.
With no set criteria, it’s up to the finder to “sell” their stick to the rest of Stick Nation in their video post. Then others use the comments section to give a thumbs up or down and why.
Most people talk about size, shape and color, but serious followers go all in. They talk about their stick’s “aura” or superpower based on where it was found or what it looks like. Some even give it an origin story so detailed it has it’s own persona.
Stick descriptions reveal something about the finder. Would they use the stick as a weapon? To find mushrooms? As a walking stick on a hike or to lift a pot off a campfire? One avid coffee drinker called her stirring stick the “brew whisperer.”
It’s entertaining for sure.
In an online world plagued with haters, the Stick Nation community is wildly supportive. You can state your opinion but keep it respectful or the members of Stick Nation will come after you in their responses. Hogg and Jugler watch for outliers, but they don’t have to do much policing in a community that looks after its own.
Even those stretching reasonable expectations get the benefit of the doubt. A guy in Antarctica (where sticks are hard to find) presented a long icicle as a stick alternative. Some questioned whether an icicle qualified as a stick, but others quickly pointed out we shouldn’t shame a guy who is stuck in Antarctica!
Bottom line: this unique online community goes out of its way to build people up.
Hogg and Jugler are riding the wave of Stick Nation’s viral success. They realize the whole thing may seem absurd but note that connection is very “human.”
Their lofty goal? To use the unexpected momentum to spread good.
Even in a world as complicated and overwhelming as ours can be, “you can find magic anywhere,” says Hogg. But it’s not just going to jump into your hand. You’ve got to look for it and pick it up.
It doesn’t have to be the prettiest find and it won’t be the same as the next person’s discovery. Seek out whatever resonates most with you.
And then you throw it into the mix with everyone else. Not for fame or recognition, but because it means something to you. Because it feels good to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
Paying attention.
Calling out the ordinary and imperfect.
Making it into something extraordinary.
Sharing it in a way that connects people and builds others up.
Stick Nation just might be onto something…
