YoYo Related News From Around The World
Shinji Saito, the 13x World YoYo Champion, showed off a little at the Something World contest held recently in Korea. Check out his demo…crazy to think he can just throw something this dense with tricks right off the cuff with little to no prep. Amazing.
Yoyos used are the Something LP.
Japanese yoyo brand Something, the brainchild of 4x World YoYo Champion Hiroyuki Suzuki, has been holding several “Something World” mini events each year…check out footage from their most recent event in Korea!
Featuring Hiroyuki Suzuki, Shinji Saito, Lee Min Woo, Cho Moon Soo, Cha Dam Dae, Yu Hui Won, Min Chan Hong, and Yu Young Sik.
First written in 2012, updated with titles up to 2017.
We have no new World Champions in 2017! Every winner this year had won the World Title previously! In 1A, Shion Araya repeated his solid performance from last year to become only the second 1A player in history to win two titles back to back. Shu Takada won his third consecutive title, including the 2015 AP division title with Shaqler. Hajime Miura remains undisputed in 3A, winning his fourth straight title! Rei Iwakura proves hard work pays off, winning his sixth title! 5A saw the return of 2009 World Champion Takuma Inoue, winning his second title after eight years! AP also saw the return of past champions, with the Swiss duo InMotion! (Ivo Studer and Jan Schmutz) also winning their second title.
Some considerations before we give you the goods: we’ve only considered the “modern era” World YoYo Contest, held since 1992. There was one true World YoYo Contest before it, but it wasn’t a freestyle contest. Its winner was mister Harvey Lowe, in 1932. Between 1995 and 1997, the “Pro-Am” division was considered, and counted as 2A for this article’s purpose, as all winners in that division were expected to play with two looping yo-yos.
So without further ado, these are all the multiple time winners of the World YoYo Contest by number of titles.
| Player | Country | Total Titles | Divisions | Years |
| Shinji Saito | Japan | 13 | 2A, Combined | 2A: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015 Combined: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Takeshi Matsuura | Japan | 7 | 5A | 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 |
| Rei Iwakura | Japan | 6 | 4A, AP | 4A: 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 AP: 2009 |
| Daisuke Shimada | Japan | 4 | X, 3A | X: 2002 3A: 2003, 2004, 2005 |
| Hiroyuki Suzuki | Japan | 4 | 1A | 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012 |
| Yu Kawada | Japan | 4 | 1A, AP | 1A: 2000 AP: 2006, 2013 (with Spination), 2014 (with Spination) |
| Hajime Miura | Japan | 4 | 3A | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
| Shu Takada | Japan | 4 | 2A, AP | 2A: 2012, 2016, 2017 AP: 2015 (with Shaqler) |
| Bill de Boisblanc | USA | 3 | 2A | 1994, 1995, 1997 |
| Takahiko Hasegawa | Japan | 3 | AP | 2002, 2005, 2011 |
| Hank Freeman | USA | 3 | 3A | 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Takuma Yamamoto | Japan | 3 | 2A | 2008, 2013, 2014 |
| Tomiyuki Watanabe | Japan | 3 | AP | 2004, 2013 (with Spination), 2014 (with Spination) |
| John Ando | Japan | 3 | 1A, AP | 1A: 2008 AP: 2010 (with Shaqler), 2015 (with Shaqler) |
| Tomonari Ishiguro | Japan | 2 | 1A, AP | 1A: 2001 AP: 2007 |
| Yuuki Spencer | USA | 2 | 1A | 2002, 2007 |
| Eiji Okuyama | Japan | 2 | 4A | 2003, 2007 |
| Tsubasa Onishi | Japan | 2 | 4A | 2004, 2010 |
| Naoto Okada | Japan | 2 | 4A | 2009, 2011 |
| Atsushi Yamada | Japan | 2 | AP | 2010 (with Shaqler), 2015 (with Shaqler) |
| Takeshi Maruyama | Japan | 2 | AP | 2010 (with Shaqler), 2015 (with Shaqler) |
| Shion Araya | Japan | 2 | 1A | 2016, 2017 |
| Takuma Inoue | Japan | 2 | 5A | 2009, 2017 |
| Ivo Studer | Switzerland | 2 | AP | 2012 (with InMotion!), 2017 (with InMotion!) |
| Jan Schmutz | Switzerland | 2 | AP | 2012 (with InMotion!), 2017 (with InMotion!) |
Shinji Saito dominates both 2A and Combined, and is the sole winner of the four editions ever held of that division. 4A has a surprising number of two-time winners, and Shaqler is the only team to win more than one World Title.
Surprisingly, we only had one first-time winner this year, Shion Araya!
What about per-country count? Can you tell how far ahead Japan is? Check it out:
| Country | Titles |
| Japan | 82 |
| USA | 26 |
| Switzerland | 2 |
| Brazil | 1 |
| Canada | 1 |
| Singapore | 1 |
| Hungary | 1 |
Japan is far, far ahead of the competition, having added another five titles in 2017, with USA in clear second, Switzerland comes third with the two title from InMotion!, followed by one-timers Brazil (Rafael Matsunaga, 2003), Canada (Jensen Kimmitt, 2010), Singapore (Marcus Koh, 2011), and Hungary (János Karancz, 2013)! If we take the 1932 Worlds into account, Canada rises to two titles, although officially Harvey Lowe competed for China, as there was another Canadian competing and rules only allowed one contestant per country.
Will someone ever equal Shinji’s astounding number? We’ll need to wait at least six more years to find out! Or hope someone wins more than one title in the same year!
Iori Yamaki, Zach Gormley, and Shion Araya
Zach Gormley is the winner of the toughest and greatest yo-yo contest in history!
In a final round filled with favorites, Zach Gormley brought his best and was crowned the new 1A World Champion last night in Tokyo!
2A was equally exciting, with Shiji Saito winning the battle of World Champions against Shu Takada and Takuma Yamamoto!
In 3A, Hajime Miura had no trouble whatsoever, finishing almost 20 points ahead of runner-up Alex Hattori!
We also got a new 4A champion! Naoto Onishi won offstring in an incredibly balanced division!
In 5A champion, Jake Elliott, won by the tiniest of margins: just 0.03 points ahead of Takeshi Matsuura!
Finally, AP was a delight to watch, but ultimately it’s a competition, and Shaqler won with a jaw-dropping routine! Check the full results and commentary below!
With the new seeding rules in place, only the current World Champion was granted a spot in the final round. The result was a final round completely stacked with the best of the best who were able to make it through the qualifying rounds!
In such a high-level contest, predicting a winner was no easy task, reflected on the final scores, where there was only 1.5 point between the 2nd and 7th place finishers, but the online chatter correctly predicted Zach’s win! Another strong candidate was Iori Yamaki, who also had strong popular support, but ended up in 3rd place.
Perhaps the biggest surprise here is the young Shion Araya, who, despite competing at the World Yo-yo Contest for the first time, showed an amazing level of play and maturity, managing to do well not only in the qualifying rounds, but also in the grand final, earning a much-deserved second place!
Last year’s champion Gentry Stein had a great routine, but a single discard cost him the three points that would have put him immediately in second place, and perhaps even first considering the time spent switching yo-yos, and thus he finished 6th overall.
A few other strong contenders had discards as well. World Champions Marcus Koh, and Hiroyuki Suzuki, Ahmad Kharisma, Colin Beckford, and Ryota Ogi were all penalized for the yo-yo switch and ended up in the lower half of the placings.
János Karancz had several unbelievable tricks, as usual, but was unable to go as clean as he hoped, while Anthony Rojas had a fantastic routine, but ultimately without the trick density to achieve a high Technical Execution score.
A fierce battle between World Champions took place in 2A, with Shinji Saito emerging victorious with a high-level routine we expect from the now 13-time World Champion!
Shu Takada brought some very innovative tricks to the stage, that combined with his usual top-notch choreography and music use, were enough to bring his pre-deduction score on par with Takuma Yamamoto’s, even though Shu’s Technical Execution score was almost 8 points behind Takuma’s.
What ultimately decided the final placings was Takuma’s Detach penalty. Hiraku Fujii also suffered from penalties and was unable to place this year.
If there were any doubts about Hajime Miura’s supremacy after his fourth place finish at Japan Nationals, there surely are none left after his outstanding performance in Tokyo!
Finishing almost 20 points ahead of the second place with an unbelievable score of 96.5, Hajime Miura earns his second World Title and becomes a very young legend in 3A play!
In second and third places were US players Alex Hattori and Hank Freeman, respectively, both with very clean routines, but without the extra refinement and difficulty of Hajime’s freestyle.
Be sure to watch Patrick Borgerding’s routine as well! Pat himself stated his goal is not to win, but to bring insane tricks to the stage, and he did not disappoint, hitting all his bangers on the stage in Tokyo!
World Champion Minato Furuta had a very unfortunate run. His tricks were amazing, and he would have been a serious contender had it not been for two disastrous double discards that cost him 12 points in penalties, and a lot of downtime on stage.
Naoto Onishi won the 4A World Champion title in a division where the final standings were decided by the penalties!
While Naoto’s routine itself was completely clean and deserving of the title, it was Takumi Yasumoto’s 2 penalty point that knocked down the latter to second place, and amazingly, Rei Iwakura’s astonishing 6-point penalty that cost him the World Title!
The next spots were taken by the three American players. 2013 World Champion Michael Nakamura had a solid routine, but his Performance Evaluation scores prevented him from getting a better placing. Ben Conde was certainly the crowd favorite, and while he managed to hit his unbelievable tricks, they were not in large enough number to guarantee a better Technical Execution score. An epic performance, nonetheless!
Jake Elliott did it! The new World Champion becomes the man who beat Takeshi Matsuura in 5A! What everybody thought was impossible now becomes true as Jake Elliott raises the bar for 5A play, bringing a whole lot of new tricks to the division!
And check out the final score! This is the closest score ever to determine the World Champion! If this is any indication of the future, we can expect truly legendary contests with these two beasts of counterweight play!
On the human side of things, Sora Ishikawa repeats his third place finish from last year with another entertaining freestyle, followed by Hideo Ishida and Bryan Jardin, who went slightly less cleanly than they hoped.
Shaqler! Wow! The AP division this year was truly amazing, and every performance there deserves to be watched several times, but Shaqler’s freestyle is truly epic! Their 2010 routine is already a classic, but this takes their teamplay concepts and skills even further!
The addition of Shu Takada brought even more energy and acrobatics to the team, and making them only the second team ever to win two World Titles!
Shaqler also took home the Entertainment Award, while BeatPoint’s beatbox/yo-yo combo was awarded the Artistic Award, and Taiwan’s WHO Theatre got the Creativity Award for their fantastic team offstring performance!
What an incredible contest! The 2015 Asia-Pacific Yo-yo Championships comes to an end with an unbelievably high level of competition!
1A was especially tough, with some of the world’s best fighting for the title, but it was Iori Yamaki, with an amazing display of speed and skill who took the title, ahead of previous champion Ahmad Kharisma, and multiple time World Champion Hiroyuki Suzuki!
In 2A, the world’s greatest champion, Shinji Saito, was once again the winner, beating country-mate Shu Takada, and Hong Kong’s Liu Man Ki.
Even without the same amount of top level players, 3A was a close call, with Taiichiro Higashi beating Mizuki Takimoto by only one point before deducts! Thawhir Iqbal, from Singapore, finished third.
4A usually has a higher number of deducts, and AP this year was no exception, with deducts determining a few placings. This year’s Japan Nationals runner-up, Naoto Onishi, finished first, followed by Singapore’s Sean Hung, and China’s Zhao Chen.
Finally, in 5A, Naoya Takeuchi completed Japan’s clean sweep by beating Singapore’s own Ian Loh, and Yuttana Sukhumalchatsombat, from Thailand!
Check full results and winner freestyles below, videos courtesy of yoyovideoarchive!
Duncan Toys dropped a great promo video for their latest looping yoyo, the Hornet, featuring 12x World YoYo Champion Shinji Saito! Filmed at the International YoYo Championship in Orlando, Florida.
Yoyo used is the Hornet by Duncan Toys.
Shinji Saito, the 12-time World YoYo Champion in the 2A and Combined divisions, has finally dropped a new video! This quickie shows him throwing his signature model yoyo, the Paranoid by Turning Point. We don’t have much info on the Paranoid, except for this one pic and partial specs. No word on release date or price.
As we gear up for the 2013 World YoYo Contest, we take a step back to appreciate and admire the greats of years past. We will be posting the top 5 in each division in the weeks leading up to the World YoYo Contest.
The mastery of a single style speaks to the greatness of the individual yoyoer; endless hours of practice and innovation are crucial to success. Now imagine doubling that: this is what these five individuals have managed to do at an extremely high level. Being elite in two or more divisions is perhaps one of the most incredible displays of talent possible in the world of yoyo and those who endure the challenges deserve recognition.
5. Shane Karan – 
Shane is the only American to win two divisions at the US National competition in the same year. This feat is very unlikely to ever occur again and thus cements Shane’s spot as a legend of multiple division competition. Additionally, Shane is extremely skilled in 2A remaining competitive in every competition he has entered. Shane’s diverse skill set is why he deserves a spot on this list.
4. Shinji Saito – 
Everyone knows Shinji for his incredible 2A, but not everyone knows Shinji is an overall yo-yo king. Shinji is the only player to ever win the combined division on the World stage which certainly speaks to his multiple division skill; however, Shinji has never out right seriously competed in any division but 2A (which is why he remains fourth on this list) until 2013 where he took 2nd in 1A at the East Japan Regional. It is probable that Shinji could have dominated any division he wanted to–it just so happens it was 2A.
3. John Ando –
John was always known for his 2A. Rarely was he seen without two yo-yos on stage, if at all. He took four 2A National titles home before he even won a 1A title, but in 2008 he burst on the scene taking the top spot at one of Japan’s most competitive regionals, East Japan. From there he immediately took his 1A to the next level and won perhaps one of the least expected 1A titles ever with a routine that changed the entire trajectory of the community.
2. Maya Nakamura –
Maya Nakamura is the only player to take top 2 in two divisions at the World competition in the same year–taking the 5A title home and placing 2nd in 3A. Maya remains a competitive 5A player today but her 3A, which she appears to have retired from, was equally as competitive in the past taking home the National title. Wildly entertaining and amongst the greats of counterweight, Maya is often underappreciated in her contributions to 3A.
1. Takeshi Matsuura-
Takeshi is perhaps one of the greatest yo-yoers of all time. His domination of the 5A division is obvious but his unique double-National title in 2010, which is a feat few have ever accomplished, demonstrates Takeshi is elite in all aspects of yo-yo. Additionally, he is extremely competitive in 1A, managing to make to the finals through prelims at the World competition and placing extremely high at Japan Nationals. Takeshi is the pinnacle of multiple division skill–incredible in three divisions.
Honorable Mentions: All THP greats in both 2A and 1A
Who do you think are the greatest multiple division players of all time? Feel free to post your thoughts below!
As a reminder, these rankings take into consideration competitive players from around 2000 and on.
As we gear up for the 2013 World Yo-Yo Contest, we take a step back to appreciate and admire the greats of years past. We will be posting the top 5 in each division in the weeks leading up to the World Yo-Yo Contest.
From the earliest days of yoyo demonstrators, beginning with the Flores YoYo Company in the 1920s, two-handed yoyo play was set as the pinnacle of skill. Demonstrators would whip out a pair of yoyos and kids’ jaws would drop and their parents wallets would open…it was the ultimate demonstration of mastery. With the intense development of 1A and the invention and popularization of the alternate styles, two-handed looping has lost its mystique a bit…but the top levels of play are nothing short of staggering. Two-handed looping remains one of the most visually stunning forms of yoyoing, and while the skill barrier for this division gets higher every year, those who have put in the time and work to master it continue to blow minds every year.
5. Matt Harlow –
Known for his blistering speed which shattered and destroyed many yo-yos and snapped equally as many strings, Matt infamously snapped a string one year and World YoYo Contest judge Dennis McBride took a yoyo at full speed, right in the chest. (In Dennis’ credit, he shook it off and kept clicking, establishing for all time that he was secretly a superhero.) Back when 2A was the measure of a great yo-yo player, Matt took the top spot at the World level. Matt brought a lot to the double looping division when wraps were just being introduced and tangler combos were in their infant stages.
4. Hiraku Fujii –
A staple in the 2A division for almost a decade, Hiraku has taken the top spot at Japan Nationals numerous times as well as consistently winning his Regional competition. His technical skill and choreography have remained superb for years. Once again, Hiraku could not top Shinji’s dominance, but his longevity in the division, placing third at the World contest in 2012, earns him a spot on the list.
3. Takuma Yamamoto – 
The only person to put a blemish on the list of accomplishments of Shinji Saito, Takuma Yamamoto immediately earned a spot as one of the greatest. His technical 2A is unmatched today, above and beyond the best in the world right now, and his recent double-digit win at Japan Nationals only proves that notion. With several more National titles to back his 2008 World title in which he beat Shinji, Takuma is still a fiercely competitive 2A player moving forward.
2. Koji Yokoyama –
Koji will be the highest ranked player to never win a world title—stymied by the greatness of Shinji. But it is undeniable, Koji was one of the most electrifying performers and toughest competitors. With an unmatched eight second place finishes in 2A on the World stage, Koji Yokoyama demonstrated great creativity and passion for the sport while maintaining runner-up for almost a decade and some would argue deserved the top spot in 2007. Winning the title at Japan Nationals and Asia Pacific only adds to this man’s great legacy.
1. Shinji Saito –
Were you expecting anyone else? The single most dominant yo-yo player of all time. His near perfect record only speaks to his greatness. Technically skilled, innovative and overall endlessly entertaining—eight 2A World titles to show for it—Shinji Saito is the all-time greatest 2A player and has a strong argument for the greatest yo-yoer of all time. Period.
Honorable Mentions: Yasushi Furukawa (World Champion), Shu Takada (World Champion), John Ando (4x National Champion), Patrick Mitchell (2x National Champion)
Who do you think are the greatest 2A players of all time? Feel free to post your thoughts below!
As a reminder, these rankings take into consideration competitive players from around 2000 and on.
A minute and a half of Shinji Saito is worth stopping whatever you are doing to watch. There’s a reason he’s got twelve World YoYo titles. Damn.
Somewhere in Tokyo, Shinji Saito is still an amazing yoyo player. His crazy slack Jamaican Flag move at 0:10 is simple and elegant and completely original…another great example of the natural genius and flow of Shinji’s yoyo play.
One minute and fourteen seconds of amazing style from two of the best players in the game, Kentaro Kimura and Shinji Saito, showing off the Turning Point Basilisk yoyo.
Videos are starting to show up following the 2013 East Japan Yo-Yo Contest.
You can find many of the prelim routines here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/yama18J
1st (Tatsuya Fujisaka) and 2nd (Shinji Saito) in 1A videos are here.
Note – Shinji Saito is not only amazing in 2A but has some equally amazing tricks in 1A. Very impressive freestyle!
For the full results from the contest by division see our previous post here.