As a form of celebration in sports it seems to be quite popular with males under 28 or so. You can also see it in other venues of competition from time to time. I think I first started seeing this in the late '90s but I’m not sure. I’m guessing young males figured this was better than slapping each other on the butt even if it presents a modest risk of injury. And bumping chest to chest is a little risque too, so now they seem to do side bumping instead. But where did this all come from?
I definitely remember doing this in the early 90s, 1992 I think.
It was very fashionable among the hardcore idiots in my rugby team in Liverpool. That included me.
We were awful though, so it was rarely a celebration associated with winning, more like an appreciation of our mutual drunkenness!
I’m sure I first spotted it among American Football players…
Look at the 36 second mark. Movie came out in 1984. Earliest I can think of seeing it.
I remember doing the chest bumping thing while in the 550th Tac Fighter Training Squadron at Luke AFB flying F-4 Phantoms, Glendale Arizona in the summer of 1971. Hadn’t seen it before and don’t know where it came from.
Bob Jones