Jacob Dimond / jake@yelmonline.com
One local business, Yelm-based Rival Flyer Inc., is gaining traction in the toy industry as its flagship product, the Woblong Double-Wing Flyer, has been named a finalist for the 2026 Outdoor Toy of the Year Award.
Miro Bouchakian and Chelsea Bouchakian, co-founders of Rival Flyer Inc. and the Woblong Double-Wing Flyer, described the 2026 Outdoor Toy of the Year Award as the most prestigious honor in the global toy industry and is “widely considered the Oscars of the toy world.”
“You can see it’s just two elliptical rings connecting crisscross, but there’s a lot of aerodynamics with it too,” Miro told the Nisqually Valley News on Thursday, Nov. 20. “It’s a cross between a biplane and a helicopter. It has airfoils, and I got some aerospace technology to help with it. It’s my invention, and I wanted to leave some kind of legacy behind for our son. He’s only five, and I thought it would be great to bring it back. I was talking to Chelsea about it, and she supported me, so we started doing this.”
In addition to Rival Flyer Inc. being located in Yelm, its Woblong toys are American-made products and are even created in Seattle. The company itself only began shipping its toy in February, and is already being sold and featured in nearly 250 retail stores throughout the United States.
Being up against several giants of the toy industry, such as Mattel and Hasbro, the married couple, Miro and Chelsea, are turning to Yelm and surrounding areas to cast votes for the 2026 Outdoor Toy of the Year Award. Yelm and Thurston County residents can vote at https://tinyurl.com/VoteWoblong.
“I’ve always believed that, like in this category, it’s been pretty stagnant for decades,” Miro said. “There’s nothing but disks and rings. Now, the Woblong comes along and it’s very different. It’s patented, and that’s what makes it kind of cool.”
According to Miro, Rival Flyer Inc.’s first step to getting items onto shelves was locating a manufacturer that would create their Woblong toy. He specifically wanted the toy to be locally made, and ruled out the option of it being manufactured in China.
“I made a bunch of calls to plastic injection molders all over Washington and even Oregon,” Miro said. “I was actually looking for someone who would take the risk and loan us the money for this mold. I got lucky. We make them in Seattle, and they come in different colors.”
According to Miro, the Woblong is a versatile toy for many reasons. Those throwing around the toy can mix and match the colors by easily snapping the rings in and out of place. Along with altering the aesthetic look, Miro said there are many ways to catch the Woblong.
“They’re easier to throw than a disk. It’s got more lift, so you don’t have to throw it hard to get it from here to there. It’s got more ways to catch it,” he said. “You can spear it on high throws. You can scoop it on low throws. Pancake catch. Two handed crab catch. Snag catch. Inside snag catch. It’s got a whole bunch of different ways to be caught. It’s a new skill. It’s easy to pick up, yet it keeps you hooked. What’s really cool about it is it’s accurate, and when it flies the different colors glide and make it cool.”
Chelsea noted that currently, Rival Flyer Inc. is sold in around 215 stores nationwide, specifically in specialty toy stores. The locally made toy is also available for purchase on Amazon.
“We’re looking to expand our retail into smaller chain stores, sporting goods stores especially,” Chelsea said. “Right now, we’re just in specialty toy stores — like Fun Time Toys in Yelm. Tim’s Pharmacy had us in there last Christmas too. We’re in small mom and pop shops right now.”
As Rival Flyer Inc. and the Woblong toy continue to grow, Chelsea said the local business is looking to begin expanding advertisements through social media.
“We’re looking for people, kind of like brand ambassadors or micro-influencers, to help us take the product on social media,” Chelsea said. “We see real potential there.”
Additionally, Miro said the company is open for local collaboration.
“If anyone is interested in being a partner, or they have some skills they want to share with us, if they have kids that are really good at throwing stuff, maybe we could take pictures,” Miro said. “We’re open for help.”
