Having a Ball--Wish You Were Here

They swoosh and whoosh, sling and fling, boomerang and bounce. It’s not the same old beach ball anymore.

Football, soccer, basketball--prepare for the onslaught of surf turf toys--for kids and grown-ups.

This summer, kids will be kicking soccer balls, tossing turbo basketballs, propelling power-clutch footballs and chasing after mega-howling balls (with three different whistles)--all made of foam, all in neon brights and all part of the endless stock of beach toys ranging in price from $4 to $20.

Flying rings, made of neoprene ($10) for easy catching, are as light as feathers. Aerodynamic, computer-designed Tek-Rings ($5) float in the air and on water.

Slingshots and Koosh balls with power launchers ($8), a Nerf glider ($12) that can perform a loop-the-loop maneuver and a Koosh paddle ball set ($24) a la badminton are predicted to be among the hottest beach games this year, says Michael Ouzts, manager of Glendale Galleria’s FAO Schwartz.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re a child or an adult--the beach really is nothing but a giant sandbox. And if you’re not in the water, then you’ve got to play with something.”