We Are Throwers has finally been released! After two years of production, Piotrek Smietana’s video love letter to yoyoing is now available to everyone who backed the IndieGoGo campaign (you should have received your download code via email) as well as for purchase on Reelhouse.com.
Archives for July 2017
Eric Rosenthal – 2017 Trick Compilation
Can you handle this massive trick dump from Eric R? Three minutes and fifty-two seconds of utterly fantastic yoyo play from this #trickcircle MVP isn’t nearly enough, but at least you can re-watch it 80 or 90 times.
Loris Rosa – Edge Nation
Loris Rosa, your absolute favorite yoyo player named “Loris”, dropped a new video for the YoYoFactory Edge giveaway happening on Instagram right now. As you might expect, it’s &*(^$# awesome. Enjoy.
Yoyo used is the YoYoFactory Edge.
Road To 44Festival
Ryosuke Kawamura posted a great video from the most recent 44Festival event, showcasing exactly what you’d expect from a contest like this: great tricks and loads of fun!
YoYoFactory Picks Up New UK Distributor
Looks like our friends at YoYoFactory have picked up new distribution in the UK! According to this press release, YoYoFactory is re-launching in the UK with distribution from Wilton Bradley, a company who, according to their website, “specialise in the design, development, sourcing and supply of quality consumer leisure goods, supplying our own branded goods to specialist retailers and sourcing a broad range of products for many of the world’s leading retailers and third party brand owners.”
That’s a mouthful, but what it means is better availability of YoYoFactory yoyos in the UK, so that’s a good thing. The full press release is below…here’s hoping this is a sign of good things to come for the UK yoyo scene!
YoYoFactory has partnered with Wilton Bradley to distribute their expert yoyos line throughout the UK.
YoYoFactory has tapped Wilton Bradley to act as UK distributor for their expert line of YoYos, the firm has announced.
“We are pleased to announce that Wilton Bradley has agreed to be our new distribution partner in the UK,” said Hans ‘YoHans’ Van Dan Elzen, founder of YoYoFactory and international YoYo superstar.
“The UK market is special to us and requires a strong partner who can bring the excitement to the public that Yo-Yos require. Wilton Bradley was the only choice.”
Wilton Bradley’s head of sales and marketing, Simon Hampton added: “We are delighted to be the UK’s sole distributor for YoYoFactory, we have a full product range which will provide a great throwing experience for the beginner using the TenTrick range right up to the high-grade aluminium DV888 Yo-Yo or the F.A.S.T 201 to master the classics.”
USA-based YoYoFactory was founded in 2003 and designs and manufactures the world’s best performing Yo-Yos for professional players, World Record holders, National and World Champions. YoYoFactory also makes accessible YoYos to suit a varied range of styles and skill-levels.
Shu Takada – 2017 CYCC Tour
YoYoFactory and Heartbeat Media put together a new feature video of Shu Takada, filmed while he was visiting China for CYCC 2017. Shu has developed such an incredible amount of skill…watching him play 2A is watching someone at the very pinnacle of their game. Not a single movement wasted, and every transition leads to the most logical possible trick. Shu is a real inspiration to watch.
Yoyo used is the YoYoFactory Loop 1080.
CLYW Cabin Tutorial – Dammit Hotpocket
Ernest Kahn gives us another tutorial for a beautifully smoothed-out original trick. If anyone has ever been close to hitting Jason Lee-level smoothness, it’s Ernest.
Yoyo used is the CLYW Igloo.
IJA Tricks of the Month – Matan Presberg
The International Juggler’s Association has a monthly video series where they feature one juggler and a full video of their best tricks. There’s a lot of original stuff mixed with a lot of just crazy technical tricks, and for those of you who are a little interested in both I thought you might enjoy this month’s video from Matan Presberg.
Tech Creators Presents: Adrian Velez
The latest video from Tech Creators features Adrian Velez showing off tricks stacked on tricks stacked on tricks stacked on tricks. Amazingly good.
Yoyo used is the Mythril YoYos Monolith.
Scales Podcast – David Ung Video Contest Winners
Hey everyone! It’s time to announce the winners for the Scales x YoYoNews video contest! Thanks to everyone who submitted a video. It was great to see the different approaches for the contest and there was some great stuff submitted.
1st place goes to: Zach Gustafson! “Standoff” was beautifully filmed with great colors and use of angle changes. The premise is admittedly a little cheesy, but we play with yo-yos so I’m glad Zach took a lighthearted approach toward his submission. Plus, it made me laugh. Is there anything else you can really ask from a yo-yo video?
2nd place goes to: Daniel Predka! “The Lost Interlude” had some really gorgeous shots in the forest and really smooth tricks. Daniel had excellent use of slow-motion by pairing it with slower sections of the song. Overall I think it was maybe a little over-edited (really high contrast in some of the shots) but I thought it was a really complete package overall.
3rd place goes to: Wildan Furqon! “99% fun 1% skill” is also filmed in a forest (apparently I have a thing for yo-yo videos in forests). You can tell that the three players are all good friends and they have a good mix of tricks and styles. Plus they even threw in some 3A in there!
Please contact info@yoyonews.com and Steve will get you in touch with me so we can figure out shipping for the prizes.
Take a look at the other entries as well!
YoYo Spotlight – Rain City Hipster Highlife
Rain City Hipster Highlife Specs:
Diameter: 56 mm
Width: 45 mm
Weight: 64.4 grams
Response: Monkeyfinger Monkey Snot
Bearing: Size C (.250 x .500 x .187)
Rain City Skills is a new skill toy company founded by Jeremy McKay and his wife Andra! After telling Andra about his trip to visit the One Drop shop in Eugene, she had the idea of starting up a high end skill toy brand. They combined their skills; Jeremy had the years of experience playing with skill toys and was connected with the community and Andra put her art school degree and years as a professional flow toy entertainer to work. Each toy released by Rain City Skills is the result of collaboration with experts in each field, extensive testing and carefully thought out artistic design.
This yoyo design is focused on supporting North American industry. Machined by One Drop, anodized by Gruntbull and assembled with Monkeyfinger bearings, handmade string and snot, this yoyo represents the North American yoyo scene in every way.
The Hipster Highlife is built for competition while keeping comfort and style in mind. It has smooth curves, a rounded profile, and the perfect weight distribution for long spins and stability.
And for more fun, Rain City designed the hub with a Lego compatible nub; each throw will ship with a pair of Lego pieces that match the yo-yo theme, as well as spares that will let players tweak the center weight of the throw. And, staying true to it’s name, each Hipster Highlife is packaged in a hemp bag inside of a mason jar. What’s more hipster than that?
PLAY
The Hipster Highlife has extra fat and comfy rims, so the first thing you notice is how great it feels in your hand. Those beefy rims bring plenty of rim weight to the game, resulting in a yoyo that throws heavy but plays light and always seems to come back with more spin than you’re expecting. The wide v-shaped gap makes landing pretty much anything a breeze, and it rejects string well if you’re into those type of tricks. It’s a solid all-around player…great for contests or for just bumming around and grinding all that ano off fulfilling Walk The Dog requests.
The Hipster Highlife come with Monkey Snot flowable silicone installed for response…as with all flowable silicone give yourself some time to break it in! Those first few binds can be a little grabby until the silicone wears in a bit…so watch your knuckles.
LOOKS
The Hipster Highlife comes in multiple colorways (Starving Artist is shown below), all of which look great in person and are the product of top-notch anodizing. But where this yoyo really sets itself apart is the Lego-compatible side nubs that allow for practical modifications (there are Lego pieces that work nicely for fingerspins!) or for more aesthetic modifications…go ahead, put Darth Vaders head on there. Why not?
The fit and finish on the Hipster Highlife is great, and even without anything else snapped on to those hubs, it’s a good looking yoyo.
VALUE
The Hipster Highlife retails for $109. It’s a fair price for this kind of play and quality, but the pile of extra Lego pieces and the glass jar packaging really put this over the top. The presentation on these is top notch, and the silly fun of snapping Lego bricks on your yoyo cannot be overstated.
BUY NOW
The Rain City Hipster Highlife is available at YoYoExpert.com.
THIS POST SPONSORED BY YOYOEXPERT
Tech Creators Presents: Ahmad Kharisma
Any day that you get a new video from Ahmad is a good day. Check out the latest from 3x Indonesian National Champion and 2x Asia-Pacific Champion!
Yoyo used is the Komodo by Recess Intl.
Polo Garbkamol – Serene
Polo Garbkamol does what he does best in his latest video…effortlessly blows our minds with beautiful tricks that look impossible. We can’t get enough of this guy!
Yoyo used is the YoYoFactory Horizon Ultra.
String is Kitty String XL.
CLYW Cabin Tutorial – Pineapple Catch
Tessa Piccillo delivers a really satisfying slack rejection for this week’s CLYW Cabin Tutorial. Looks good, feels good.
Yoyo used is the CLYW Kodiak.