YoYo Related News From Around The World
Photo by Joey Underline (via FB)
World YoYo Champion, National YoYo Master, and all-around awesome guy Rafael Matsunaga just became the first yoyo player to be an Olympic torch bearer!
I don’t even know what else to say about this. Look at that picture. Look at that huge, amazing smile on Rafael’s face. Isn’t that just the best damn thing you’ve ever seen!?
I’m not sure what I enjoy more from this new video by 2x Brazilian Champion Daniel Borges….the tricks, or the blooper reel at the end. Either way, it’s got something for everyone. 😉
Time to brush up on your Portuguese!
The Brazilian yoyo scene was “the little scene that could” in the early 2000s. They were relatively far removed from the rest of the countries with major scenes, handicapped by huge import duties that made it really hard for them to get the yoyos everyone else was using, and with a lower-value currency that made it stupidly expensive to get to the US or Japan for major contests. So they did what any resourceful, creative, dedicated, amazing group of talented people would do: they figured out how to make it work all on their own. They built their own local brand, they built their own scene, and they made so much noise that the rest of the world couldn’t miss them if they tried, culminating in Brazilian player Rafael Matsunaga becoming the first modern World YoYo Champion not from the US or Japan.
I had the good fortune to visit Brazil once for Brazilian Nationals, and it was amazing. Every player in the country piled into a room that was so thick with bodies there was condensation on the ceiling, cheering each other on with deafening whoops and hollers as they started their routines. It was the very model of a scene built out of love and necessity, and I’m so glad that it’s been documented, and that someone is putting these time capsule together so that everyone can see what an amazing contribution to the art and sport of yoyo play Brazil has made.
The 2015 Brazil National YoYo Contest was held in São Paulo on May 30th, and we have full results!
Daniel Borges was the winner in the 1A division, beating previous National Champions Ricardo Marechal and Victor Sacchelli. In 4A, world’s number seven, Gustavo Amaral, had no trouble maintaining his title. José Lucas Dechen also kept the 5A title, his third so far. Hideki Yassuda, the only 3A player in the Open division, managed to beat the three 2A players to claim his second national title!
Check the results below!
We’ve got a new video from Brazilian player Thiago SMB…and it’s pretty good! I’m not really familiar with this dude, but I like his tricks and he put out a really good looking video.
Yoyo used is the CLYW x One Drop Summit.
Check out some promising 3A from Brazilian player Hideki Yassuda. We haven’t seen much from Brazil lately…nice to see the scene still has some up-and-coming talent!
Yoyo used is the Ioio Fenix.
YoYo Fenix in Brazil dropped a nice spin top promo video featuring Martha Gallo and Carlos Toche. We don’t see nearly enough top spinning, and there are some great tricks in here…grab your tops and get to practicing!
For all you soccer fans, the Journal of Limeira in Brazil has a cool promotion going for soccer-ball yoyos; you exchange the stamps printed in the newspapers and send in R$12.90 for player-themed soccer ball yoyos. There are four versions available: Corinthians, Palmeiras, Neymar Jr. or Brazil.
Charles Haycock grabs a Summit and throws down another CLYW Cabin Tutorial, this one for “Brazilian Whip Technique”. Original trick concept by Whip, music by Chase Hadden.
Here’s something cool we found…a recently started YouTube channel dedicated entirely to street performers who perform at traffic lights in Brazil.
Yep. That’s a thing.
Red lights last nearly a minute so performers will build routines specifically to last for the duration of the light, run out into the intersection, do a mini show, and then get out of the way before traffic starts moving. It’s the ultimate in single-serving entertainment.
Here are a few of our favorites…subscribe to their channel or add them on Facebook for more!
Yo-yo players around the globe are in for a treat this weekend!
In Asia, two huge contests will be held starting tomorrow. The Asia Pacific Yo-yo Championships, in Singapore, will be held from Friday to Sunday at the Hougang Mall. The other big event in the region is the China Yo-yo Corporation Championship in Guangzhou. While it’s unfortunate that the big names will be divided between the two contest, it makes for an exciting weekend nonetheless!
In the Americas, the US West Coast will host the Birdhouse Left Coast Tour, which brings along the YoyoFactory team. Also in the US, the traditional Mideast Regionals will take place in Plymouth, MI. Down south, Brazil Nationals will be held in São Paulo, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Brazilian Yo-yo Association.
And in just a couple of weeks, the Triple Crown of Yoyo in Chicago, and the World Yo-yo Contest will surely be the highlights of the contest season!