YoYoNews

YoYo Related News From Around The World

  • Home
    • All Posts
  • Learn To YoYo
  • Video
  • Interviews
  • Clubs & Events
  • YoYo Spotlight
  • YoYo Guides
  • Contact
    • About Us
    • Advertising

2015 Worlds – 44Clash Battle Tournament

October 12, 2015 By Steve Brown

44Clash held a star-studded battle tournament as a side event at the 2015 World YoYo Contest in Tokyo. YoYoFactory’s Paul Kerbel emerged as the well-deserved champion but now those of us who didn’t make it to the event get to watch every round leading up to Paul’s victory!

Round 1A – Janos Karancz VS Tsubasa Onishi

Round 2A – Hidemasa Semba VS Paul Kerbel

Semi-Final A – Paul Kerbel VS Janos Karancz

 

Round 1B – Rei Iwakura VS Petr Kavka

Round 2B – Ben Conde VS Palli Gudmundsson

Semi-Final B – Rei Iwakura VS Palli Gudmundsson

 

FINAL ROUND – Paul Kerbel VS Palli Gudmundsson

 

Filed Under: Contests, Players, Video Tagged With: 2015 world yoyo contest, 44clash, 44clash battle, Ben Conde, featured, hidemasa semba, janos karancz, palli gudmundsson, paul kerbel, rei iwakura, tsubasa onishi

44Festival Video

December 27, 2013 By Steve Brown

44Festival just got videos up from their latest event and daaaaaaaaamn are we jealous we couldn’t be there! There is just an absurd amount of talent in Japan, but just look at this Top Five. Seriously amazing. Be sure to head over to the 44Festa YouTube channel for the rest of the freestyles…there’s SO much good stuff there!

1st Place – Shu Takada

2nd Place – John Ando

3rd Place – Takumi Yasumoto

4th Place – Tsubasa Onishi

5th Place – Hajime Miura

Filed Under: Contests, Video Tagged With: 44festa, 44festival, hajime miura, japan, john ando, shu takada, takumi yasumoto, tsubasa onishi, yoyofactory

Top 5 Offstring Yo-Yo Players of All-Time

July 30, 2013 By Patrick Borgerding

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.

This time we take a look at the history of the offstring (4A) division.  The inception of the style can be traced back to the 1950 Duncan instructors pushing the limits of yo-yos. Rumor has it that Duncan demonstrators would sometimes show the kids a single offstring trick—a front mount, and high toss—at demonstrations; it was intended to be just enough for the kids to try, break their yoyo, and buy another one. It wasn’t until 1990 when Dale showed a group of people the concept and Jon Gates took the style to a whole new level by introducing diabolo and Single A concepts but most importantly: the offstring bind. Later Jon collaborated with John Higby, and with the popularization of ball bearing axles and rubberized rims, Jon was able to push the boundaries another step further. After Jon led the Japanese Hyper Viper tour of 1998, which featured offstring, the style spread like wildfire. With the ground work established, players like Hironori Mii and Sky Kiyabu began to add offstring tricks to their routines. Due to the unprecedented nature of the style, offstring was initially accepted within the Single A division before being moved to the X Division and then eventually being granted its own dedicated division. Today offstring is one of the most intense divisions—any mistake can end up with a yo-yo flying off the stage. Regenerations, solo-ham, technical, whip catches and so much more—the growth from a challenge among friends to a highly competitive world-wide division remains a testimony to the creative possibilities of yo-yo and the ingenious minds who foster it.

Top Five Offstring Players

5. Bryan Figueroa – USA_flag

  • 6x National Champion, 12x Regional Champion, 4x State Champion

One of the few players on these lists to not have a World title, Bryan’s six straight National titles are impossible to overlook. Dominating—which is perhaps a dramatic understatement—an extremely tough 4A division in the United States for six years, Bryan is clearly one of the greatest to play 4A. Bryan is known for his technically difficult tricks and extreme accuracy—rarely does he lose a yo-yo. With two near victories at the World stage, Bryan is a World title away from cementing his legacy further.

4. Naoto Okada – japanese_flag

  • 2x World Champion, 3x National Champion, 4x Regional Champion

One of the four players on our list to own two World titles, Naoto is the ultimate performer. His on-stage persona is more artistic than anything else, taking yo-yoing in a direction that highlights its expressive beauty. With a number of near flawless routines to cement his extreme professionalism, Naoto never seems to disappoint. Even in the midst of a less than perfect routine, Naoto maintains his composure—something only a true performer can do.

3. Rei Iwakura – japanese_flag

  • 2x World Champion, 1x Asia Champion, 3x National Champion, 8x Regional Champion

The curse of 4A World Champion—no one has ever won back-to-back 4A World titles and after taking the top spot at Japan Nationals, Rei has perhaps the best chance ever to accomplish this feat. And with it, he will certainly have an argument for the greatest of all time. Already one of the most out-of-the-box thinkers in yo-yo, and now incorporating his brilliant Artistic Performance routine concepts into his 4A routines, Rei is truly a master of offstring. With no end in sight after taking the top spot over Naoto and company at Japan Nationals, he only seeks to climb the list.

 2. Tsubasa Onishi – japanese_flag / USA_flag

  • 2x World Champion, 2x Asia Champion, 3x National Champion, 2x Regional Champion

Tsubasa holds the interesting feat of winning both US and Japan Nationals. Not to mention his two World titles, his resume is only to be expected with the creativity he exhibits year after year. One of the few to make full combos that incorporated his ears, Tsubasa is undeniably one of the most ingenious offstring trick creators. Add in his arm stand whips & jump behind the back whips and it is clear Tsubasa belongs among the greats.

1. Eiji Okuyama – japanese_flag

  • 2x World Champion, 1x Asia Champion, 1x National Champion, 2x Regional Champion

The first ever to capture two world titles, Eiji is the original offstring superstar. Creator of the classic trick which bears his name, Eiji Regeneration, Eiji pioneered offstring and pushed it to levels unheard of. With his signature extremely long string, Eiji was at the top of the offstring division for many years. Incorporating full arm grinds, long regeneration combos and intricate string tricks, Eiji was diverse in his repertoire; Eiji also had an aura of confidence and swagger which emanated on stage. All of these qualities came together to cement his place at the top.

Honorable Mentions: Hironori Mii (World Champion), John Narum (World Champion), Lim Aik Hwee (4x Asia Champion), Kazuaki Sugimura (2x National Champion)

Who do you think are the greatest offstring 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.

Filed Under: General News, Players Tagged With: 4a, bryan figueroa, eiji okuyama, featured, hironori mii, john narum, naoto okada, offstring, rei iwakura, top 5, top five, tsubasa onishi

W-wing Offstring YoYo by BWW

December 12, 2012 By Steve Brown



SpinGear just tweeted about this new offstring yoyo by World Champion Tsubasa Onishi. Looks…well, it looks a lot like another huge offstring yoyo for serious competitors. That style of play doesn’t really lend itself to a lot of variety in the equipment. I mean, you can shoot for different colors but even then….you’re really kinda stuck with delrin because there just isn’t enough demand to justify molding versus machining. But according to Spin Gear, there will be additional weight kits for this yoyo available later, so that’s pretty cool.

Specs:
Weight: 74.5g
Diameter: 79.8mm
Width: 53.8 – 55.0 mm (depending on gap adjustment)
Bearing: C-Size
Response: YYF Slim Pad

And really, what announcement about a Japanese yoyo would be complete without a hilariously confusing description, courtesy of Google Translate:

Model with respect to the shape of the creative ingenuity that was used to Kamui Onishi players prefer. It is the model that brought, was realized in the factory planning Onishi players themselves are produced in domestic. Endorsement is uncompromised performance ease of use that made the prototype himself until satisfactory.

Pick one up at SpinGear, and while you’re there you should get some Hyper YoYo stuff. Because seriously, it’s all awesome.

Filed Under: Manufacturer, YoYo Drop Tagged With: bww, japan, offstring, onikki, spingear, tsubasa onishi, world champion, yoyodrop

Follow Us

Recent Posts

  • Scales Open Vol. 3 Results & Video
  • Goodbye Collin
  • Duncan Toys Presents: Javier Augusto X Sebastian Lavin
  • First Look – CLYW BOY
  • SFTUTS: Keiran Cooper “Derek Jeter Was An eBoy”

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Scales Open Vol. 3 Results & Video February 19, 2020
  • Goodbye Collin January 25, 2020
  • Duncan Toys Presents: Javier Augusto X Sebastian Lavin January 8, 2020
  • First Look – CLYW BOY December 16, 2019
  • SFTUTS: Keiran Cooper “Derek Jeter Was An eBoy” December 3, 2019
  • Colin Beckford – Biennium December 3, 2019
  • Polo Garbkamol – Trick Dump November 1, 2019
  • Bryan Jardin – What’s Your Setup? October 21, 2019

Follow Us

Posts By Date

March 2023
M T W T F S S
« Feb    
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Tags

1A 4a 5A 5a may 2013 2014 c3yoyodesign cabin tutorial charles haycock clyw contest counterweight Czech Republic drew tetz duncan toys eyyc featured freehand gentry stein Harrison Lee japan kendama offstring one drop recess results Russia tyler severance video Werrd world yoyo champion world yoyo contest yoyo yoyo contest yoyo contest results yoyodrop yoyo drop yoyoexpert yoyofactory yoyofficer YoYoJam yoyorecreation yoyo tricks yoyo tutorial yoyo video

Search YoYoNews.com

All content copyright YoYoNews.com, 2016. All rights reserved.