Jon Gates hosted the 2013 South Central Regional YoYo Contest in Denver, Colorado and the contest was a a huge success. Lots of up and coming young players showed up to perform their tricks–many affiliated with their local hobby shop and yoyo club, great things for a growing community.
1A through 5A saw excellent competition.
Results:
1A:
In the 1A division, Zach demonstrated why he is the current US National YoYo Champion. Building on a lot of elements from his Nationals routine, Zach seems poised to make a great run at the World title next month. In second place, independent Patrick Canny showed off a great routine with well choreographed, innovative tricks. Patrick will surely be a contender moving forward as he gains more experience on larger stages. In third place, Dylan went full throttle with his routine with a much improved stage presence. Dylan showed off some exciting and long sideways combos with impressive binds, and was worthy competition for Zach and Patrick.
1st. Zach Gormley
2nd. Patrick Canny
3rd. Dylan Benharris
2A:
Unfortunately there were not enough competitors to run a full 2A division.
3A:
In 3A, Patrick Borgerding (despite a snapped string) followed in Zach’s footsteps and took the top spot. With some polished tricks from his Nationals routine, Patrick, too, is chasing the world title. Crucial’s Darren Kim put on a great show with some excellent technical tricks and innovative ideas. Mack also brought a lot to the table, throwing the Rally, the new plastic throw by One Drop. Mack is quickly ascending to the top of the US 3A scene.
1st. Patrick Borgerding
2nd. Darren Kim
3rd. Mack Finley
4A:
In 4A we saw the return of an offstring legend: Jimmy Peng; and as humble as you might expect, Jimmy praised the youngster, Zachary Ostler, who came in second who has been doing offstring for a mere five months. Ryan Ayers rounded out the top 3 with some impressive offstring.
1st. Jimmy Peng
2nd. Zachary Ostler
3rd. Ryan Ayers
5A:
Today, National Champions demonstrated why they are at the top–and Tyler Severance was no exception. Showcasing some new tricks and his classic tangler combos, Tyler looks to be gearing up for Worlds as well. Ryan Ayers also showed he is skilled in both 4A and 5A with an impressive double-top 3 finish. Patrick Canny, similarly, showed he is not a one trick pony, coming in the top 3 for two divisions as well and bringing equal energy to the counterweight division.
1st. Tyler Severance
2nd. Ryan Ayers
3rd. Patrick Canny
Finally, recipient of the Tom Gates Memorial award went to Darren Kim. Darren played a huge role in helping put on the South Central Regional contest and is obviously a beloved member of the Colorado yo-yo community. Darren had the entire crowd chanting his name and had Jon Gates on the verge of tears. Darren will be joining the armed forces next year and will be passing the torch onto someone else but it is clear he has made a huge impact on many in Colorado and beyond. Thank you Darren!
This article will be updated when full results are posted online. Check back if that is what you are looking for.
Also check out Patrick Canny’s youtube page for more videos.