Ropeless jump rope patented

Yes, you read that correctly. A ropeless jump rope. As in a jump rope, sans rope. Which, in my mind, isn't really a jump rope, rope being the fundamental component, the very essence, of a jump rope. For at the core of a jump rope is, well, rope. That one can jump over. Thus, what we really have here is a pair weighted jump handles, which you can't really jump over.

Come to think of it, what it looks like we really have here is a pair of hollow donuts on sticks.

Coming next to a playground near you: hoopless hula hoop (aka hula dancing), square-free hopscotch, and dodge (same as dodgeball, but without the ball; you just throw yourself to the ground when someone on the other team waves their arms at you).

[Thank you Engadget and Globe and Mail! You can also view the patent, #7,037,243, on the USPTO website.]