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Interview: Gabe Lozano talks Repeaters

June 20, 2013 By Drew Tetz

Today we’re joined by Gabriel Lozano to talk about what many consider to be the purest forms of tricks: repeaters. You should know Gabe as the brains behind Sector-Y, one of the most legendary pioneering online yo-yo resources ever, and as if that’s not pedigree enough he’s also a member of Duncan Crew USA and Spindox. He’s put together too many classic yo-yo videos to name, and has created such timeless tricks as Candyrain and Shockwave. He knows the difference between a good trick and a bad one by now and is here to tell us all about it.

How would you define a “repeater”, and what makes a good one?

Gabe: Obviously, there’s the baseline definition where a repeater is defined as “something that repeats.” But it’s much more than that. For example, take a trick like Mach 5 or Boingy-Boing. Both of these are visually striking because of an element that repeats over and over (rotating hands or bouncing yoyos), but most people would not call them repeaters. The reason is that there’s only 1 element that repeats. Much like you wouldn’t call multiple summersaults or multiple pinwheels “Repeaters,” one-element repetition doesn’t have enough substance to be called a repeater.

I would say that a repeater has a mount (however complex), then two or three elements that repeat over and over in sequence. Something like Mount > Element 1 > Element 2 > Element 1 > Element 2 > … > Element 1 > Element 2 > Dismount. A good repeater will have interesting elements that flow together nicely. To me, the construction of linking Element 1 to Element 2 (and maybe to Element 3) is extremely important. If the transition between elements is abrupt, then the repeater will look ugly. If the transitions are smooth, then everything will flow together nicely and the repetitions will look that much better.

Penultimately, a good repeater has to be relatively short and refined. You would never have a repeater be Mount > Element 1 > Element 2 > Element 3 > Element 4 > Element 5 > Repeat > … > Dismount, because it will take too long to get back to Element 1. There’s too many pieces n the way and the repeater is diluted. At this point, the repetition is no longer the focus of the trick because there’s multiple-elements in the way of the trick repeating itself.

Lastly, repeaters should be simple enough to be visually recognizable. This is definitely more subjective, but it follows from the previous point. If a repeater has too many elements (and is thus complex and not simple), it will not be a good repeater. The complexity of linking several moves together kills any style and grace for that repeater, so complexity (for the most part) should be left out when considering repeater-construction.

So to recap, the best repeaters are smooth, refined, simple, and visually recognizable as a repeater.

I’d love to see a top five of your favorite repeaters and what you like about them – what makes them work?

Gabe: There are soooo many great repeaters out there! In the end, here are 5 repeaters that stand out and exemplify the definition and spirit of the repeater.

Shockwave


Shockwave is one of the most basic repeaters. The fact that it’s so simple (only 2 elements) and flows together so beautifully is what makes it one of the best. OK, maybe I’m biased since I created it, but it really does capture the essence of the repeater concept. When you look at it, it’s very clear that it’s repeating and it does so in an elegant and zen-like way.

Nanda Kanda


Created by Hidemasa Senba, Nanda Kanda is another classic repeater that stands out because of it’s striking clarity and simplistic nature. I also love it because it’s a front-mount repeater that doesn’t involve any sort of somersaults, barrel rolls, or other “complex” components. Nanda Kanda really is as distilled as it gets; it’s composed only of mounts and dismounts.

Mark Montgomery’s Arm Repeater


This is a severely underrated repeater. The reason why I find it so intriguing is the motion in the arms and the motion of the yoyo work together to form an amazing rhythm. It somewhat reminds me of the coupling rods of train wheels, chugging along, repeating the same motion over and over. It’s hypnotic.

Infinity

This is a trick created by both Kalani Bergdorf and Anthony Rojas. This repeater is different from the other repeaters in that the moves are very different in style. The arms crossing and uncrossing, along with the yoyo popping up and over the string, is a really simple idea. The smoothness really brings these unique holds together to form something that looks much more visually striking than you might expect.

Anchovies


This repeater is amazing because of the incredible motion of the yo-yo. One of the factors in having a successful repeater is usually that there are only one or two small components that are repeating. Typically when you start to add too many things, the repeater gets diluted and becomes uninteresting. Anchovies bucks that trend. There are so many cool things going on and, most importantly, they all work together and complement each other to form a very cohesive and distinct repeater.

In addition to creating some of the most timeless repeaters, you’ve helped document countless others in videos such as “Things That Repeat”. How do you make sure that a trick stays interesting in a video even when it’s essentially the same thing over & over?

Gabe: I’ve never really thought much about repeaters being different in a context of the video, but now that you mention it, it there is one big difference that I can think of: when you film a repeater, you get to control the angle and view. This is the same as any other trick, but this probably matters more with a repeater because if you’re going to do the same motion 3 times in a row, you better make it look good. A prime example is Anthony Rojas’ trick Infinity. The trick looks boring when collapsed and filmed from a straight-on angle. This is because you can’t see the incredible 3D-ness of the trick. But when filmed from above at a 3/4 view, it looks so incredibly awesome. Compare this clip to the one above and see for yourself:

But don’t get me wrong. Angle isn’t everything. No angle can make a bad repeater look good. The key to having a repeater stay interesting is to make interesting repeaters. There’s no way around it!

Do you have any advice for anyone that is looking to create a new repeater?

Gabe: When it comes down to it, repeaters are simple tricks. They are not complex, long-winded combos, but rather purified elements that link together. The key to making a successful repeater is to make sure every single element is interesting. Since repeaters are constructed using only a few moves, it becomes extra important to make sure that each of those moves is interesting and important. Don’t fill your repeater with extra underpasses, somersaults, or other movements that are combinations of other movements. If you do, you will likely dilute your repeater into something more complex, and lose the magic that a simple repeater has.

Filed Under: Interview, Players Tagged With: citadel, Duncan, featured, gabe lozano, Gabriel Lozano, Interview, repeaters

Top Five: David Ung’s Favorite Modern Videos

June 12, 2013 By Drew Tetz

Yoyofactory team member David Ung took a break from his bike-ridin’ dreamboat supergenius lifestyle to pull together a list of his top five favorite modern yo-yo video clips. Seeing as he’s the mastermind behind such modern classics as Broke and Your Future’s With Us, we’re inclined to listen! If you want to see more from David, check out his youtube channel and his stint on the 2012 season of 365yoyotricks, but in the meantime kick up your feet and see what he’s turning to for inspiration for an upcoming new video. Hit it!

“Miggy has the most impressive list of yo-yo videos. Win By Default is especially near and dear to my heart because it’s the first video I saw that made me go: ‘okay, yo-yo videos can be more than just standing in a bedroom and recording your tricks.’ Miggy has always been into themed yo-yo videos (see: Manifest Destiny, Tunnels) but Win By Default is the one that inspired me to put more effort into my videos.”

“Whyte Avenue has a powerhouse of collaborators. Chuck produced a great video, Chase made an awesome track, and Seth’s yo-yoing is some of the best. The video is composed beautifully and the cuts between angles are seamless. It’s great to see Seth on the other side of the camera for once!”

“Golden Age has such a great vibe to it. Chuck had great timing with all of the music and the video had some gorgeous scenery. Keep in mind this was released around three years ago! His tricks were super ahead of the curve, and the shots starting at 0:36 and 2:40 are beautiful.”

“Legendary had over four minutes of great yo-yoing. Jason Lee is one of the most innovative players of all time, and to see him and Gabe collaborate on such an amazing project while Jason was traveling is super humbling. Jason’s tricks show that there is still a lot you can do without overly technical tricks.”

“The Park is my favorite video of 2012. I normally hate videos entirely in slow-motion, but Gabe did a beautiful job. The Royal Concept track fit perfectly and the video overwhelms you with such a great vibe. Gabe made the yo-yo video I always wanted to make with this one.”

 

Filed Under: Players, Video Tagged With: charles haycock, clip videos, david ung, featured, Gabriel Lozano, jason lee, miguel correa, sector y, seth peterson, top five

The BAC Experience (NSFW)

June 5, 2013 By Gabriel Lozano

This video is recommended for audiences 18 years and older.

Youtube version here.

Because it is my regional contest, The Bay Area Classic is dear to my heart. Currently held in San Francisco, CA, the BAC always manages to bring together many of the world’s greatest players.

Since I personally never compete, I am always a spectator on the sidelines. I don’t mind this. In fact, I embrace it. Very rarely do you see me without my trusty camera. Since 1998, I have shot video at pretty much every yoyo event I’ve gone to. Some people have said that my work has documented the growth and change of yoyoing over the past 15 years. While I don’t feel I’m worthy of such high praise, I do feel that my videos have made a large impact in the yoyo community. That is why when the BAC committee asked me if I was willing to help shoot freestyles for the event, I gladly accepted. This acceptance, however, came with a downside.

This year, BAC ran freestyles throughout the day (as opposed to the end of the day). While this made everything run much smoother, it meant that I was unable to film tricks for a clip video since I would be busy with freestyles all day. I was pretty bummed, as I really enjoy making clip videos. So, to get my “documenting fix” in, I decided to shoot photographs and maybe hope that I could grab some good video footage at the Official BAC BBQ on Sunday.

My initial video plan was to make a video that showed people hanging out at the BAC BBQ. I wanted to make a sequel to last year’s BAC video, but this time focus on the players themselves, instead of their tricks. I wanted to show all of us hanging out, laughing, having a good time, making up and sharing tricks, and relaxing after a tough competition. This was the plan until I got home and realized that the photos I had taken all weekend showed a much more interesting story.

Over the course of the weekend, I shot approximately 2000 photos using a combination of my iPhone, Lumix LX7, and Sony NEX-5N using (primarily) a 8mm fisheye. If you were in my vicinity at any point this weekend, odds are I took your picture.

Inspired by Kohta’s EYYC 2012 video, this BAC 2013 video shows a different side of the contest filled with friends, family, spirits, camaraderie, yoyoing, and kendama.

Filed Under: Video Tagged With: 2013, Alex Kato, Alex Smith, Andrew Daugherty, Ann Connolly, Anthony Rojas, bac, bay area classic, Ben McPhee, Boxthor, Boyd Seth, bryan figueroa, Caribou Chris, daniel dietz, Elliot Jackson, elliot ogawa, eric koloski, eric tran-ton, Erik Thatcher, featured, Francis, Gabriel Lozano, Gary Longoria, gentry stein, Graeme Steller, guy wright, Harold Owens, Harrison Lee, ibrahim rahman, Isaac Sams, jacob jensen, jake wiens, JD, Jeff Longoria, joseph harris, Josh Yee, JT Nickel, kendama, kieran cooper, kiya babzani, Kristi Lozano, luis enrique, Markmont., michael nakamura, Nathan Crissey, Nickie Cardano, nsfw, palli gudmundson, patrick mitchell, paul dang, paul escolar, paul han, paul kerbel, paul yath, rocky mountain, Sam Lopez, seth peterson, Stu Branoff, Trevor Moreno, tyler severance, Yoshi Mikamoto, Zach Gormley

The 2013 California State YoYo Championships

April 4, 2013 By Gabriel Lozano

The California State Yo-Yo Championships is one of the larger yo-yo contests in the United States. Players travel from across the country to show off their amazing tricks and combos, hang out with friends, and compete for thousands of dollars in prize-money.

This video showcases several amazing yoyo (and kendama!) tricks that were filmed at the contest.

Music: Luv(sic) Part 5 featuring Shing02 by Nujabes

Vimeo version here.

Filed Under: Contests, Video Tagged With: Andrew Daugherty, Ann Connolly, Anthony Rojas, Boxthor, california state yoyo championships, Caribou Chris, Clint Armstrong, Donavon Bearrunner, eric koloski, featured, Gabriel Lozano, gentry stein, ibrahim rahman, jake wiens, James Reed, JT Nickel, kendama, Miles Gibson, Nickie Cardano, paul dang, paul escolar, Sam Lopez, sector y, seth peterson, tyler severance

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