YoYo Related News From Around The World
The results are in from the 2016 California State YoYo Championship! Congrats to all the winners…check out full results, scoring breakdowns, and video of the winners below.
1st – Jack Margetts
2nd – Chris Godsey
3rd – William Woon
Jeffrey Pang made another great trick montage video, this one filmed at the 2015 California State YoYo Contest. Featuring Ky Zizan, Tessa Piccillo, Keiran Cooper, Josh Yee, Eric Koloski, Tyler Severance, and more.
The results are in for the 2015 California State YoYo Contest…congratulations to California State Champion, Gentry Stein!
Full results for all divisions are below, and official video from the contest will be posted here in just a couple of days. Click on the spreadsheets to view them full size so that you can see the complete scoring breakdown.
Prelims have finished at the 2013 California State YoYo Contest, and the top contenders for the 1A (Single YoYo) division are looking good!
Advancing to finals are:
Charles Haycock
Anthony Rojas
Tyler Severance
Jensen Kimmitt
Zach Gormley
Eric Koloski
Kevin Nicholas
Clint Armstrong
Paul Dang
Adrien La
Jaime Kennedy
Ernest Kahn
Ian Lawson
Nate Dailey
Patrick Canny
JT Nickel
Tyler Goldman
Mike Marshall
Josh Yee
Keiran Cooper
Michael Nakamura
Wilson Van Gundy
Cory Hendon
Mitchell Ruskin
Be sure to check out the live stream here to watch the rest of the event!
Everything is getting weird and awesome with yoyo designs these days! For years now, various companies have experimented with free-spinning components…from YoYoFactory‘s hubstacks to some truly interesting designs from Auldey, YoYoJam, and most recently YOYO.Y’s V5 Catch parts. And it’s those V5 Catch parts that have led to this latest bit of “wait, what?” from YoYoFactory.
The Nine Dragons is the yoyo we were teased back in 2007-2008 under the name “Revolution #9” back when YoYoFactory was really pushing their “Project Red Alert”, which was an ongoing initiative for them to create innovative (or just downright cheeky) yoyos separate from their main product line. From the old Project Red Alert blog:
Interesting, then, that it took a Chinese company to help YoYoFactory bring this one to market. Through a collaboration with Chen Jialin from YOYO.Y, Revolution #9 has a new name, an improved design, and it’s finally available.
The idea of the Nine Dragons is relatively simple to understand, regardless of how complicated it is to produce. The main body of the yoyo is covered by a POM shell that spins independently of the rest of the the yoyo. It’s not a revolutionary concept (well, not anymore…back in 2007 this was basically science fiction) but the implementation here is the most interesting thing, along with the fact that YoYoFactory is the first major company to really put a push into this technology that includes competition-specific promotion. In the video above, Ben McPhee announces that beginning this weekend at California States, YoYoFactory will be hosting and promoting “9A Divisions” to specifically foster the unique tricks that can be created with a Nine Dragons.
So, a unique competition division coupled with an interesting and readily available product at only an $80 retail seems like a great combination of things that could lead to some legitimately fun developments in yoyo contests.
The Nine Dragons was offered early to members of the YoYoFactory Dream email list (ordered mine!), will have a limited pre-release at Cal States this weekend, and should be available at retailers fairly soon after that. Expected retail price is around $80 USD. Check out YoYoFactory’s FAQ on the Nine Dragons HERE.
We’ve got official video of the winners in each division from the 2015 California State YoYo Championships, and Top Five from the 1A Divisions! For players interested in scoring breakdowns, we have full scores from all divisions here.
Industry juggernaut YoYoFactory built their company up with innovative yoyo design and an absolutely incredible team. Piles and piles of World and National Champions have earned their titles with YoYoFactory yoyos, so it’s always exciting to see where they place their faith when it’s time to add new players to the team. There’s a ton of solid talent moving forward, but let’s take a look at the new additions to the YoYoFactory Team!
Colorado player Patrick Canny first caught YoYoFactory’s eye during their Rocky Mountain Tour last year. He took 14th Place at US Nationals this year with a routine that found him going for some really solid tricks and just not quite hitting them. But his routine oozed with style and there’s a ton of promise in this guy…and if YoYoFactory is betting on him, it’s safe to say he is definitely going to be a player to watch in the coming contest season.
Hailing from the Mighty Midwest, Michael Stecz is a familiar face at contests. He’s been grinding away and putting in the work for a while now, and this year he took home the gold at both Mideast Regionals and Illinois States, as well as a respectable 8th Place at US Nationals. He’s been hovering in that “When is someone gonna sponsor him?” limbo for a while now, and YoYoFactory has publicly sung his praises quite a bit during the last year. Looks like they’re ready to make the jump with this Michigan player, and we’re excited to see what Michael brings to the contest circuit next year.
Photo by Oleg Matveev
Wilson Van Gundy has been on the verge of greatness for a while now. Previously sponsored by Werrd, from the word GO he’s shown a tremendous amount of both skill and imagination in his play. Not the most consistent contest player, but he’s got the tricks to make a serious run at some trophies…if YoYoFactory is sponsoring him, it’s safe to say he’s gunning for some larger wins and I think we can expect some big things from this guy in 2015 and beyond.
I’m personally super excited about this addition! Chandler Steele is a tremendous talent, and watching him come up at the contests that I organize has been fantastic. It’s great to see another Ohio player getting some time in the spotlight! Chandler not only has the skill to make some noise, but he’s also got a good enough head on his shoulders to deal with the success. Hell. Yes.
Jake Rimmer isn’t the flashiest of players, but he’s been putting in the work at contests like Arizona States, and living in Southern California he’s up against the stiffest competition in the country. Jake really embodies what seems to be YoYoFactory’s new team strategy for 2015, and that strategy is long term. YoYoFactory has always been really good at planning for the future, and with players like Jake they’re making sure that when his time comes, they’ll be right behind him.
Betty Gallegos has put in her time as a YoYoFactory Protegé, and has more than proven her value as a serious contest player. With big guns like Paul Kerbel and Luis Enrique to mentor her, Betty has proven herself to be a top-notch player in Mexico. With YoYoFactory backing her fully, it looks like she’ll get a chance to prove herself in the international contest scene.
Photo by Oleg Matveev
YoYoFactory Russian Jr Team member Dmitriy Akinshin just stomped everyone with his win at the 2014 Russian National YoYo Contest…and when you’re beating out the full team members above you, seems like a good time for a promotion. Dmitriy has a really fluid style, with trick construction influence from the early 2000s Spindox videos that he’s clearly managed to make his own. Great presence, great skill…a natural pick for the YoYoFactory Team.
All in all, looks like YoYoFactory is rolling in to 2015 loaded for bear, with a team line-up of World & National Champions augmented by the cream of the crop of the up-and-comers. Congrats to all of these players on their new (or upgraded) sponsorships, and congrats to YoYoFactory on another round of great player additions to their much vaunted team!
Duncan Toys is hosting the 2014 West Coast YoYo Championship tomorrow at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California and some of the top name players are going to be there! Duncan Toys is putting up almost $3,000 in cash prizes for the winners, and some of the best players in the contest scene will be there competing for top placements and a chance to be seeded to Finals at the 2014 US National YoYo Contest in Chico, California!
Current World YoYo Champion Gentry Stein will be in attendance, and serving as a judge for the event. Registered competitors include:
Full details for the competition are online at WestCoastYoYo.com…see you there!
Chinese manufacturer YoYofficer has been growing quickly in the international yoyo market, sponsoring players in China and Europe, and sponsoring contests all over the world. Today they’ve added the first US-based member to their team…Ryan Gee! Check out Ryan’s video above, and the official statement from YoYofficer below.
Introducing our first Yoyofficer U.S.A. team member – Ryan Gee!
Ryan is a long time yo-yo player living in Southern California and you can regularly meet him at many contests including BLC, BAC and US Nationals.
We simply love his truly unique style of yo-yoing, maybe not the best scoring tricks for competition, but just super fun to watch. So we are really happy to welcome Ryan to our teamPlease enjoy some of his beautiful tricks in his first Yoyofficer video.
We are YoYo Players and we throw for different reasons.
We throw because it brings us happiness and flow to our lives. Our meditation. We throw for the experience. For the friends and people we meet. We throw for the personal satisfaction of hitting a trick on and off the stage. The accomplishment and drive to always learn. We throw with meaning and cause. This is our art and our passion and an expression of who we are.
This. Is. Why We Throw.
YoYoExpert was a proud sponsor of the 2014 California State Yo-Yo Contest and we teamed up again with the amazing Dennis Barahona to bring part of the contest experience to you.
Get a feel of what it is like to be at a contest and why we throw. What it means to the players. What it feels like to watch history in the making. Whether you are there to observe, learn, or just be part of what is pushing our sport into the future. We thank all of you who attend these events and urge more to keep an eye out for a contest near you.
Thank you and enjoy.
CLYW has finally announced the drop date for the Wooly Marmot 2…and it’s this Saturday, April 12th at 10 PM EST.
The Wooly Marmot 2 is the signature model of World Champion Jensen Kimmitt, and an updated version of his original signature model. The last Wooly Marmot production run was in 2012, and it’s been a favorite of fans and collectors…so expect these to fly off the virtual shelves when they drop on Saturday night. Check out the Marmot 2 in action, when Jensen showed up at 2014 California States with the first production samples:
The Wooly Marmot 2 will be available at the following stores…expect the US retailers to have it available Saturday night, while it might take a little longer for the retailers in Europe and Asia to receive their inventory. The box features a slew of awesome Marmot illustrations by Jason Week, showing the many faces of the Marmot.
Air Traffic (MN State Contest)
SHUTTER has quickly become a team favorite at YoYoFactory with a stack of players selecting it as their competition choice for the 2014 season. This video features Luke Finnell, Paolo Bueno, Clint Armstrong and Gentry Stein, who all played SHUTTER at the 2014 California State YoYo Contest.
YoYoFactory is back on tour! The gang has loaded up into the van for another run at traveling across the United States and teaching new players about the art and sport of yoyoing. Here is a list of tour stops…keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details.
The van rolled out of our base in Phoenix Arizona Feb 19. It wouldn’t be a road trip without some unexpected delays and a new water pump (to replace the one we just replaced!) saw us get to our staging point in SF a little later than expected. The crew onboard, Clint, Joe and Tyler would be de-touring to Seattle for PNWR to collect Ann and get to our first official tour stop, Nevada City California. Where you say? Nevada City Its a small Gold Rush town located 60 miles NE of Sacramento. Why? Why not! The store owners at Mountain Pastimes were super enthusiastic about having us out so here we are!
The 2014 California State website went live today, and it is extremely slick with a redesigned logo featuring the California Grizzly bear; with the live website came the opening of registration. With over $3000 in cash prizes, it will be well worth the $25 to enter. The event has been attracting tons of talent for years and has grown accordingly. This is an event you will not want to miss! The contest takes place on March 1st, 2014, in Sacramento, California.
Here is an official statement from contest organizer Johnnie DelValle:
– All Championship Divisions WILL have prelims
– We hope to take 25 Finalists into 1A
– Championship and Sports Ladder Registration is ONLINE only
– Prelims will have 15 set songs to choose from, once you register; a list of songs is emailed to you for you to choose from.
– There will be a Friday night even (Coming soon)
– Sponsors will be coming soon
– 1A Championship Division will have a minimum of $1,000 CASH for first place.
– Junior 1A will also be awarded for highest placing contestant under the age of 13
Good luck and get registered!
In the meantime, check out the winners from last years event:
1A:
2A:
3A:
4A:
5A: