Mr. Hooper the surfer ('Sesame Street' Wednesday)

I miss Mr. Hooper. He was cool.

Ol' Hoops was the friendly storekeeper on 'Sesame Street' played by the late Will Lee. He was known for having to frequently correct Big Bird when he mispronounced his name.

I've found another sketch from the 'Sesame Street' fact-finding mission in Hawaii that aired in 1978. This was from the same trip as Oscar the Grouch's skirmish with the airport metal detector.

In this clip, we learn that Mr. Hooper is a fucking good surfer:



Even though the waves knocked his glasses off, Mr. Looper then opts to try it again!

This clip also shows the rank foolishness of the other cast members: First they dared Mr. Hooper to surf - and then, after he took the surfboard into the water, they finally start worrying that it might not be safe after all for an elderly man to suddenly take up surfing with no instruction whatsoever.

'Sesame Street' will never be the same without the original proprietor of Hooper's Store.