Seems like fresh new talent is just coming out of the woodwork lately. Check out this quickie from rookie player Allyson Seong.
Yoyo used is the YoYoFactory Shu-Ta.
YoYo Related News From Around The World
By Steve Brown
Seems like fresh new talent is just coming out of the woodwork lately. Check out this quickie from rookie player Allyson Seong.
Yoyo used is the YoYoFactory Shu-Ta.
By Johnny Le
The guys over at Slusny are gearing up for the 2015 Czech National YoYo Contest this Saturday Oct, 31st. They decided to drop a preview of former Czech National champion, Vashek Kroutil, dropping some new tricks as well as some other news. Not personally being able to understand Czech, I reached out to Vashek for some translation about the news in the video.
I am informing that we are releasing SLUSNY Nest 2, in special edition with BU2R and Karel Jerie (artist, who made design for the yoyo), you can win it in special online/Facebook contest or at the FAST Challenge at the competition on Saturday. –Vashek
There will be a total of three (3) red Nest 2 made. One will go to BU2R and the other two will go to the winners of the online contest and the FAST Challenge at the contest. The yoyo was designed by Petr Kavka and Kuba Kroutil.
The level of skill in Czech yoyo scene is crazy talented. I can not wait to see the freestyles drop on online. If you can’t wait to see the performance on YouTube, then you’re in luck. There will be a livestream of the event.
By Steve Brown
Check out up-and-comer Sydney Goldman! Really promising skills on display here…always great to see more women getting into the yoyo game.
Yoyos used are the YoYoFactory Replay Pro, CLYW x One Drop Summit, One Drop Y-Factor, and YoYoFactory Northstar.
By Steve Brown
Ann Connolly jumped in a van with the Slunsy gang and headed to Madrid for Spanish Nationals! Check out this long, two-video diary covering the various adventures during the trip, including Vashek Kroutil turning 58 years old, David Kreibich doing laundry, and a really nasty van floor.
Enjoy!
By Steve Brown
Word quietly came down from YoYoJam last week that 6x National Champion Bryan Figueroa was stepping down from the YoYoJam Team. Here is YoYoJam’s official statement:
Like all great players, Bryan is constantly searching for growth. After being on the team for 8 years, winning 6 National titles, developing 3 signature Off-string yo-yos and the Lock and Bolt Axle System, let alone all the behind the scenes work he has done for us, he has chosen to depart from YYJ in search for change and further growth.
We respect his decision and look forward to remaining connected with Bryan as a YoYoJam Legend and to the possibility of working on future projects with him.
Like Bryan, YoYoJam also is undergoing a lot of organizational change. We are taking our time to best serve this community and appreciate everyone’s patience!
Bryan also posted an official statement on his personal Facebook page:
I joined Team YoYoJam in 2007; after being on the team for over 8 years, winning 6 National titles and developing 3 signature offstring yo-yos, I believe its time for a change. I wanted to personally thank YoYoJam for all the help and memories over many years of working together. Change is sometimes scary but with change also comes new opportunities and an even better future. Let the Fiesta never End!
YoYoJam has been very quiet lately, with a few team members leaving and not much in the way of promotion or new releases coming from this legendary brand. I reached out to YoYoJam team member and Team Manager Ben Conde to talk about this, and got more than I bargained for.
Notice the last line of YoYoJam’s official statement?
Like Bryan, YoYoJam also is undergoing a lot of organizational change. We are taking our time to best serve this community and appreciate everyone’s patience!
Sure you did. It caught my eye, too. I chatted with Ben a bit about what that means and while I can’t share any details with you yet, it sounds like YoYoJam is going to emerge from this lull period with a renewed energy, bigger and badder than before. I have to admit, I’ve always loved YoYoJam. They have been consistently the most creative, risk-taking company in they industry. I mean hell, they released soft, almost plush loopers for cryin’ out loud. Metal rims on plastic yoyos pretty much set the tone for competition play of the early 2000s, and good luck finding any player from that time period that didn’t own a Hitman and a Dark Magic. YoYoJam has always been fearlessly creative, and we need more of that in an industry that spends so much time eating itself alive.
Ben and YoYoJam are working on some neat stuff. Keep your eyes peeled…I think we can expect some really excellent things from this industry legend very, very soon.
By Steve Brown
Whether you missed the 2015 World YoYo Contest in Tokyo or were lucky enough to attend, this video should pretty well do the trick for you. Tons of great yoyo tricks from some of the absolute best in the game…Christopher Chia, Shu Takada, Shaqler, Ky Zizan, Colin Beckford, Rei Iwakura, Hank Freeman, and many, many more!
Produced by Burnin’ Berlin x Fist Salud.
By Steve Brown
You might remember that Eugene-based One Drop collaborated with popular video game Terraria to include yoyos in a recent update of their game. There were rumors of an actual yoyo based on one of the digital ones created for the update, and it looks like it’s here.
Check out Ryosuke Kawamura putting the new One Drop Terrarian through the works.
By Johnny Le
The 2015 New Hampshire State YoYo Contest has drawn to a close and we’ve got the full results, scoring breakdowns, and videos! Check out the video of winners in their division, and as well as Spin Dynamics YouTube channel for the rest of the freestyles. Congratulations to all the newly crowned state champions!
By André Boulay
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of AJ Kirk. A true force of good in the yo-yo community who we will never forget.
AJ’s impact on the yo-yo community and the friendships he made will be forever eternal. His passion for the sport and for enjoying life to its fullest was obvious from the minute you met him. A mentor in so many ways he personally devoted his time to trying to make others happy wherever he was. From teaching new kids their first throw at YoYoJoe’s Yo-Yo Club to his amazing work in hospitals – putting smiles on people’s faces who needed love and hope more than ever. The minute he walked into a yo-yo contest you knew he was there – high energy and so much fun. He touched so many lives and the world is a better place because of him.
A member of Team YoYoJam from the early days he had a long competition career even placing 3rd in 5A at the 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest. Locally he worked hard to support the local scene at Mitchell’s (and later YoYoJoe’s) and co-hosted the YoYoRadio Internet Show with Joe Mitchell. He helped judge contests across the east coast and was always willing to help out wherever & whenever he could. He was also an avid juggler and performer – balancing chairs on his head and pulling off a 5 ball cascade. Most recently he helped create the Tiki Tiki YoYo Club in Delaware and had an amazing following of people. His signature series yo-yo the Ring Master was everything he had hoped for in a design and I can still remember how happy he was the day that became a reality.
His presence in our community will be forever missed. RIP our friend and thank you for the memories.
By Steve Brown
Chris Rodrigues and Shinnosuke Ishizuka got together on a Sunday afternoon for some filming…and it looks like they had a hell of a time. Brilliant tricks from the next generation.
Yoyos used are the CLYW Puffin 2, CLYW Gnarwhal 2, and One Drop Valor.
By Steve Brown
CLYW team member Ayumu Harada seals the deal with this new video. Stellar trick construction and great pacing…so much fun to watch!
Yoyo used is the CLYW Borealis.
By Johnny Le
YoYoExpert.com is celebrating their 7th Anniversary; congratulations André and the rest of the Expert staff! Check out their great savings deal and wish them a happy anniversary.
Join us and let’s celebrate an amazing 7 years of YoYoExpert’s existence!
From today (10/26 at 10AM EST) to Wednesday night (10/28 at 11:59 PM EST) the more you spend the more you save! With some amazing new releases this is a perfect time to snag that yo-yo you have had your eye on!
Thank you to everyone who continues to support this amazing movement of the modern yo-yo. Join us as we continue to teach the world how amazing this simple toy is!
By Johnny Le
Recently the 2015 German Masters YoYo Contest was held in Leipzig, Germany and we have full results! Congratulations to all the new champions!
1st Place – Carlos Braun (97.0)
2nd Place – Robert Kučera (85.0)
3rd Place – Yixing Tan (78.4)
4th Place – Vashek Kroutil (71.8)
5th Place – Sören Denecke (58.4)
6th Place – Malte Voß (56.1)
7th Place – Sebastian Holzkamp (54.7)
8th Place – Joscha Lang (52.7)
9th Place – Okan Gürses (48.7)
10th Place – Johannes Geys (48.4)
11th Place – Hadrien Bennaceur (45.3)
12th Place – Manuel Freudig (44.4)
13th Place – Ricardo Meli (43.6)
14th Place – Oliver Müller (35.4)
15th Place – Paul Klatt (29.0)
16th Place – Frederik Duda (24.6)
1st Place – Naoto Okada (100)
2nd Place – Johannes Voggenthaler (55.7)
3rd Place – Andres Pegam (0)
1st Place –Sören Denecke (98.4)
2nd Place – Dinh Bao Dang (80.4)
3rd Place – Marco Riechen (66.3)
4th Place – Andres Pegam (12.7)
5th Place – Tina Assmann (4.0)
1st Place –Malte (65.3)
2nd Place – Vanilla Bubble Gum Stracciatella Splash (61.7)
3rd Place – Alexander Schmidt (56.0)
4th Place – Jerry und die 3 pinken Unterhosen (41.3)
1st Place – Nick Nienhaus (100.0)
2nd Place – Nils Rechberger (89.1)
3rd Place – Volker Köhler (32.4)
4th Place – Felix Oesterle (32.1)
5th Place – Timon Kollhoff (28.0)
6th Place – Gerrit Grön (24.0)
By Steve Brown
Last week we got an amazing surprise when a thoughtful and well-written article on modern yoyoing showed up in the mainstream media. Vice Sports sent someone out to the 2015 US National YoYo Contest to talk about the struggle for modern yoyo contests to turn from amateur events into something more polished and professional.
The modern yoyo industry is still very young, very amateurish, and very resistant to change and progress. Against a backdrop of contest organizers who change rules in the middle of events, small companies struggling to become self-sustaining, and players with such low expectations that they will accept literally anything and praise it as being the “best ever”, a new generation of contest organizers struggle to raise the bar and create events that will not only serve the needs of the die-hard players that contests have always catered to, but will also provide a smoother and more accessible point of entry for new players to join.
This article is one of the best outside views of modern yoyoing I’ve ever read. Huge thanks to Tyler Severance and Patrick Borgerding not just for their work in helping organize the 2015 US National YoYo Contest, but also for working with Vice Sports to give the outside word an honest view of our strange, tiny little industry.