YoYo Related News From Around The World
Saitou Ryunosuke and Yamamura Hoshou are firmly in the MarkMont™ camp of skill toys right now, with a stellar video featuring smooth, inventive 1A and jitter rings. Yeah, jitter rings. Mark is bringing them back…the toy you love to play and hate to hear.
Yoyo used is the MarkMont Classic by One Drop YoYos.
MagicYoYo has long been a standard for super affordable, entry-level yoyos but with recent projects like the Skyva and Metal Skyva with Jeffrey Pang they have begun moving into higher quality, specialty releases. The MagicYoYo REX is the culmination of this…a titanium/stainless steel bi-metal yoyo designed in collaboration with Yixing Tan. The result is absolutely stunning…the MagicYoYo REX plays with speed and power only available with this kind of extraordinary weight distribution.
The body is machined out of titanium, a high strength/low weight ratio material that has become more popular among yoyo companies. According to MagicYoYo, processing each piece of titanium body takes more than 45 minutes, and when you include processing and assembling the stainless steel rim it takes approximately 1 hour to fabricate one half of a REX yoyo; that’s almost 15 times as long as making a normal aluminum yoyo half. The REX has a body thickness of only 0.5 to 0.7 mm…the same thickness as a few sheets of paper.
The rims are made of high-density stainless steel. The edge of the outer rim is only 2.17mm, which makes the whole yoyo seem to possess a homogeneous thickness, like a single, smooth arc. This makes the REX feel very comfortable in the hand and very pleasing to the eye, but the real function is weight distribution. The rims account for over 55% of the total weight of the yoyo, making for absolutely incredible spin times.
The MagicYoYo Rex is one of the absolute fastest and most stable competition yoyos on the market. There is always a lot of discussion about “speed combos” among competitive players, and this is the kind of yoyo that can help make you a speed player or accelerate your existing speed combos in a way that you have to try to believe. Some yoyos have a natural tendency towards faster or slower play, and while equipment is not a substitute for practice, having a yoyo that just naturally plays faster can definitely give you an edge. The MagicYoYo REX plays faster. From the gap to the materials to the weight distribution, everything about the REX is built for pure speed, and it definitely delivers.
It’s very easy to buy into hype for a high-end release, but the MagicYoYo REX really does deliver a play experience on-par with the Luftverk Fulvia BTM or the Something Anglam TISS…extraordinary speed, stability, control, and quality at the highest-end of the production spectrum.
There is a lot of beauty to be found in simplicity, and the MagicYoYo REX delivers on a very simple aesthetic that makes it feel even more like a premium art object. The REX was designed with heavy inspiration from the Bauhaus art movement. From TheArtStory.org:
The motivations behind the creation of the Bauhaus lay in the 19th century, in anxieties about the soullessness of manufacturing and its products, and in fears about art’s loss of purpose in society. Creativity and manufacturing were drifting apart, and the Bauhaus aimed to unite them once again, rejuvenating design for everyday life.
With this aesthetic and philosophy in mind, the REX was created to be functional, simple, pleasing to the eye and hand, and reflect an ideal of creativity into an inanimate object. The result is incredibly appealing to the eye and to the hand.
The MagicYoYo REX retails for $469 USD. This is a truly premium item, manufacturing to exacting tolerances out of the best materials available, and the price tag definitely reflects that. That said, it’s still $100-$400 less expensive than similar titanium/steel bi-metal yoyos from other manufacturers…so if you are looking to try out the ultra-high end of the market for titanium bi-metals, this is a perfect way to start with great quality and value.
The MagicYoYo REX is available now at YoYoExpert.com.
Evan Gronberg throws down some nice tricks on a trip to Israel in this promo video for the YoYoBrothers Heirloom, a titanium bi-metal yoyo coming soon.
Jeffrey Pang, owner of Luftverk, dropped details for his next titanium yoyo release and for fans of responsive pocket yoyos, it’s just what you’ve been waiting for. Taking design cues from a bunch of mid-school designs, the Daytona is the latest masterpiece from a guy who has gotten really good at creating masterpieces. Specs and pics are below, and you can head over to the Luftverk site for Jeffrey’s full write-up of the project.
Looks like Japan Technology has another titanium yoyo coming soon!
Check out this teaser video…doesn’t really give us much detail, but it’s got some great tricks. Sweet!
Japan Technology dropped a new promo video for their first titanium release, the Ribira. Japan Technology has a reputation for creating some of the highest quality and best performing yoyos in the world, so it’s no surprise that their team would be able to slam out such good looking tricks with this one. Featuring Kentaro Mannen, Koyo Hashimoto, and Kohei Nishimura.
Yoyo used is the Japan Technology Ribira.
Who wants to win this two-tone Luftverk Evora Ti7075?
Luftverk owner Jeffrey Pang is picking new colors for his plastic yoyo, the Skyva, and he wants your input. Just head over to the YoYoExpert forums and cast your vote for your two favorite colors, and one lucky voter will win this Evora Ti7075!
Check out full specs for the Luftverk Evora Ti7075 here, and click HERE to vote for your chance to win it!
YoYoFactory has released their limited titanium version of fan-favorite yoyo, the Shutter and it’s pretty fantastic. It plays similar to the original, but with it’s own unique feel and of course that amazing *ting* that you can only get from titanium. And sparks, lots of sparks.
And such an epic Shutter release of course means we get some new video from Gentry, which is always a good thing. Check out the champ in action!
Yoyo used is the YoYoFactory Titanium Shutter.
One Drop YoYos announced their latest release, the Marquis, is a one-time production run that will only be sold as a blind box. For those of you who don’t collect vinyl toys, that means that each box is sealed and you have no idea what is inside. They’ve laid out the odds of getting each color/finish of the Marquis, plus the odds of getting a super-rare titanium version. Sweet!
Check out their comments about the project, pics, full specs, and video of Paul Dang giving you the what what, all below.
The Marquis is our first yo-yo model to be released in a blind box. Limited to only 400 yo-yos, featuring a variety of finishes as well as five Titanium variants in the mix. They’re all sealed up and randomized so even we don’t know where they’re all going to end up! Imagine picking up a pack of your favorite trading cards, but instead of cardboard, you get a sweet playing yo-yo. With an assortment of finishes, you’re bound to find YOUR ultimate prize!
Remember when you thought all that math you learned in class wouldn’t help you in life? Think again! Here are the different editions and your chances of scoring them:
The yo-yo itself pays homage to the Halifax prototypes of years back with it’s undersized manner and angular design. The jewel-like look and feel inspired it’s name. It’s a nimble little gem, but with a profound presence on the string. It’s small enough to slide into your pocket when you’re going about your day, but big enough to shine when the moment is right.
Continuing our commitment to deliver great value, each sealed box will retail for $49. We understand how many hours of labor you guys have to go through to afford a new yo-yo. Your work doesn’t go unnoticed. You deserve a little break and some fun while you’re at it!
The anticipation in cracking one open is real. Will you be the one to own a Titanium Marquis? Only one way to find out. Good luck and enjoy!
*Titanium Marquis shares the same weight and profile as it’s aluminum counterpart, but has a redesigned inner cup, and takes 19mm Flow Groove.
The latest releases from German-based iYoYo are a titanium monometal and a titanium/steel bi-metal. Huge jumps for a small company! Check out pics and full specs below…both models are available now!
This took us about 5 Prototypes before we got it, where I wanted it to be. You can feel our extensive effort the moment you open the beautiful black metal box.
Precisely machined Titanium with polished rims for that classy look. This thing’s got some power! Every single piece is hand tested and powered by a Pixel Bearing!
During my recent trip to China, I wanted to finish three projects.
This is one of them – the most difficult one.
When we were coming along with our 2nd Titanium yoyo, I knew I wanted to push it even further. I wanted to give a Bi-Tanium a shot.
So we sat down, went back to the CAD drawing board and used FiRROX as basis. Titanium, however, can be machined so much thinner that it allowed us to make most parts of the yo-yo half as thin as FiRROX’, and cramming it into the rim.
The result is such a powerful beast, I have rarely had something like that in my hands. TiSSOX was born.
Jeffrey Pang loves to travel, throw yoyos, and create beautiful things. His latest beautiful thing is the Luftverk x CLYW Tundra, which he’s throwing (quite nicely, I might add) in this latest love letter to his well-worn passport. Watch as Jeff travels through Macau, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Kyoto with the Tundra. Amazing, as always.
Yoyo used is the Luftverk x CLYW Tundra.
The Luftverk x CLYW Tundra has been fully revealed, and it’s a beauty. From an intensive blog post by Luftverk founder Jeffrey Pang:
By now you’ve likely heard about the Tundra – the project involving both Luftverk and CLYW. It was something we worked together with, using design language from both companies. Its always really interesting when a brand can make a yoyo that has a universal design language across the board. And even though the CLYW line up has expanded to more experimental designs lately, its always very obvious it is a CLYW product – even without looking at logos or engravings. I try to do this with Luftverk as well, where when you pick one up you just know who produced it.
The design of the Tundra seems simple but is actually a mash up of all sorts of things. If you take a look at the profile – you can see that the catch zone was inspired by the Chief and original Yeti. Getting closer to the pad, the step is similar to the Borealis. And don’t forget the pad itself: the very loved CLYW “Snow Tire” which makes the yoyo feel very, very different than any Luftverk throw in the past. In fact – I feel that the pad itself makes this yoyo play the way it does. You need to try it in person to know what Im talking about.
The Tundra will be first available at the 2016 World YoYo Contest, beginning August 3rd in Cleveland, Ohio, and then online August 5th at 8 pm EST, only at Luftverk.com. Check out the full blog post about the design and assembly process here, and then check out specs and more pics below.
2011 World YoYo Champion Marcus Koh is bringing another titanium yoyo to market…the Throw Revolution Lotus. In a blog post on his site he talks about the design process and why he created this…it’s a nice read, so be sure to head over and check it out.
Pre-orders are open now, with these limited edition yoyos expected to ship in July 2016. Check out a video and full specs below.
Jeffrey Pang’s company, Luftverk, has built quite a name for themselves with creative design, beautifully executed packaging, and some pretty fantastic yoyos. So, of course, they’re trying to completely outdo themselves with their latest release, the Fulvia.
Two versions of the Fulvia will be release on May 31st: the Fulvia BTM-R and the Fulvia-R. The R is the standard version, an all-titanium yoyo with a new body shape and weight distribution. The Fulvia BTM-R is something else entirely; a titanium/steel bi-metal yoyo with weight distribution that is absolutely insane.
You can visit the Luftverk website for the full story (and I highly recommend that you do), but I’ve been talking to Jeffrey through this whole process and it’s more than a little amazing to talk to him every morning and get a progress update as he works with the machine shop, day in and day out, figuring out how to make this project happen. The last time I talked to him he’d figured out that he was going to have to hand-attach the steel rims to the titanium bodies himself, because the process was too delicate and his machinists didn’t want to touch it for fear of ruining the parts. Crazy.
The Luftverk Fulvia-R will retail for $290, and the Fulvia BTM-R will retail for $510. Quantities for both of these are extremely limited, and pre-orders will open Tuesday, May 31st at 9:00 pm EST, only at Luftverk.com.
