YoYo Related News From Around The World
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!
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.