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John Narum Leaves Team YoYoJam

January 30, 2014 By Steve Brown

John Narum has announced his departure from Team YoYoJam. Nothing dramatic, and he’s not changing companies…just refocusing on the non-yoyo aspects of his life and stepping away from the responsibilities of being a competitive sponsored player.

Congrats to John on this big step, and all our best!

John Narum Resigns From YoYoJam

Filed Under: Players Tagged With: john narum, YoYoJam

John Narum – Inspire

August 4, 2013 By Steve Brown

This year’s World YoYo Contest will mark the one year anniversary for John Narum’s signature yo-yo, the INSPIRE. Worlds 2013 will also make it eight years since he won his World title. John is only 19 now, which means he won Worlds when he was just 11 years old. Winning the World YoYo Contest at that young of age had never been done, and his accomplishment proved that young players could dominate the game. John inspired yo-yoers of all ages and all around the world to step up their game. You can never be too young to be the best.

A couple years ago, John started focusing on his 1A game, and he needed a yo-yo to fit his needs. With such a technical and quick style, we knew what had to be built. Naming the yo-yo was the tough part, but after looking back at John’s journey to where he is today, John said inspiration was the only thing that came to mind.

If you want to go after a World Championship or if you just want to get better, then grab an INSPIRE, and see what difference you might just make in the yo-yo world.

Filed Under: Manufacturer, Players, Video Tagged With: inspire, john narum, video, YoYoJam

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

2013 Midwest Regionals Results

July 1, 2013 By Steve Brown

Here are the final results for the 2013 Midwest Regional yoyo contest! Thanks for Patrick Borgerding for letting us know these were posted. Contest organizers; if you want your contest results posted quickly, please send them to info@yoyonews.com. Thanks!

1A Freestyle

Place

Name

Prelims

Finals

1

Eric Koloski
118.41
124.17

2

Grant Johnson
133.00
114.03

3

Tessa Piccillo
100.79
109.36

4

Alec Campbell (Seed to Finals at Nationals)
KS Seed
108.07

5

Adam Brewster
IA Seed
105.12

6

Shane Lubecker
107.07
103.76

7

John Narum
107.56
98.88

8

Eric TranTon
IL Seed
96.96

9

Daniel Dietz
87.08
96.28

10

Alex Berenguel
96.96
92.10

2A Freestyle

Place

Name

2 Minute

1
John Narum (Seed to finals at Nationals)
87.00
2
Josh Kanoff
-0.62
3
Seth Gerstner
-17.29

 

3A Freestyle

Place

Name

Finals

1
Patrick Borgerding
133.21
2
Eric TranTon (SEED TO FINALS IN CHICO)
125.75
3
Ian Johnson
44.33
4
Martin Christofferson
41.59
        5 Josh Kanoff
2.29

 

4A Freestyle

Place

Name

2 Minute

1
Ian Johnson (SEED TO FINALS IN CHICO)
113.00
2
Ben Conde
109.70
3
Eric Tran-Ton
85.56
4
Alex Lee
60.14
5
Noah Bachofen
54.32
6
Josh Kanoff
28.75
7
Patrick Borgerding
24.73
8
Stephanie Haight
13.04
9
Zachary Ostler
3.01

 

5A Freestyle

Place

Name

Finals

1
Shane Lubecker (SEED TO FINALS IN CHICO)
112.40
2
Ian Johnson
112.20
3
Adam Brewster
106.03
4
Eric TranTon
84.81
5
Chase Baxter
76.02
6
Justin Perez
64.65
7
Stephanie Haight
63.36
8
Brandon Cole
57.83
9
Antonio Serna
52.72
10
Michael Cummings
32.78

 

1A Junior Freestyle

Place

Name

Prelims

1

William Bryan
111.29

2

Cade Herrera
110.86

3

Adrian Velez
109.07

4 TIE

Lucas Gremler
104.64

4 TIE

Seth Kooiker
104.64

6

Martin Christofferson
101.29

7

Noah Daniels
94.71

8

Erik Goes
93.29

9

Jacob Gustafson
90.14

10

Josiah Tuohimaa
83.64

Filed Under: Contests, Video Tagged With: erik koloski, ian johnson, john narum, mall of america, midwest regionals, mwr, Patrick Borgerding, shane lubecker, william bryan

YoYoJam Minnesota Tour 2013

June 17, 2013 By Steve Brown

YoYoJam Summer Tour 2013

YoYoJam Summer Tour 2013

YoYoJam has announced their very first tour! YoYoJam team members John Narum, Ben Conde, Tessa Piccillo, and Ian Johnson will be touring through Minnesota starting today, June 17th and ending at Midwest Regionals on June 23rd. Just a quick week, but it’s great to see YoYoJam getting their feet wet with promotional tours.

Monday, June 17th

Air Traffic Kites & Games
Eden Prairie Mall
1240 Eden Prairie Center
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
(952) 941-3335
4 PM – 8 PM

Tuesday, June 18th

Air Traffic Kites & Games
Rosedale Mall
337 Rosedale Center
Roseville, MN 55113
(651) 631-3150
4 PM – 8 PM

Wednesday, June 19th

Air Traffic Kites & Games
Burnsville Mall
1050 Burnsville Center
Burnsville, MN 55306
(952) 435-2868
4 PM – 8 PM

Thursday, June 20th

Air Traffic Kites & Games
Ridgedale Mall
2340 Ridgedale Center
Minnetonka, MN 55305
(952) 544-2266
4 PM – 8 PM

Saturday, June 22nd

The Great Race
Minnesota State Fairgrounds (Saint Paul)
8 AM – 11 AM

Sunday, June 23rd

Midwest Regional YoYo Contest
Mall of America
384 North Garden
Bloomington, MN 55425
10 AM – 4:30 PM

Filed Under: Manufacturer Tagged With: air traffic kites and games, Ben Conde, ian johnson, john narum, minnesota, tessa piccillo, tour, yoyo, YoYoJam

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