ive been thinking how yoyos have evolved, and they definitely changed quite a lot since the turn of the millennium. with the new technology, and the different shapes the toy can have can very well change how it feels on the string. but do you ever think that retro styles will return? ive seen comments on jensens 2010 worlds freestyle, saying that it was “the golden age” of yoyoing, and returned to that video to “wash out” gentrys 2014 worlds freestyle. nowadays you see more and more companies on the rise returning old school feels and retro shapes, while integrating todays technology. even big companies like yoyofactory and one drop are releasing slim, responsive, and retro throws, and you see more and more players using a slow, elegant, and flowy style. i dont know, what are your guys’ thoughts on this? i honestly think that old school is making a comeback, and i definitely see this type of stuff in video games too.
I personally prefer to play slower/ more flowy. Even techy tricks [The few I know, and aspire to learn] feel better to me when slowed down. I much prefer these modernised old school style yoyos that have been hitting the scene.
I have respect for speed styles, but it’s kind of to much for me.
Someone after my own heart! I prefer older yoyos too, YYJ’s in particular. I’ve got some throws that are more recent and they are nice to get to where I can land some of the more technical tricks. They’re good to learn on, but they actually aren’t as comfortable for me to throw, so I’ll usually revert back to an old DM II, Vigilante, Cerberus, or the like eventually. I understand the reason for the changes in design and respect the advantages both styles have.
As a more direct answer to the OP, all styles come back around, whether you’re talking about going fixed axle or back to responsive in yoyo-ing or anything else. Clothing styles come back around, Like you said, Knowledgeablepixels, video game systems have come back around. People my age have gotten very nostalgic for their old favorites on the SNES, N64, Sega Dreamcast and Genesis, etc. that they’ve traded away to get the latest and greatest games and game systems. Records are back and many vinyl enthusiasts are more ornery than ever about trying to get that perfect vinyl sound, I’ve frankly been shocked by the lengths to which they go. Even home decor styles have made their cycle back around to where they’re recreating a lot of mid century and minimalist looks. No matter how far we venture it’s a strange internal battle, I think, or perhaps just a particular balance between the desire to push the frontier as far as possible into unknown territory, and the desire to pull back to the familiar.
For skill toys, there’s always someone to pull out their older style yoyo and say, “This is how we threw in my day!” Drat, I’m talking about myself again! I’m wondering about something though. Correct me if I’m wrong, for I have slept since I heard this and I’ve never been to a yoyo contest now or in the past, but I was told once that the contest rules for what is now 1A were 1: no metal yoyos (and I presume no metal hybrids like the YYJ Spin Faktor). 2: All yoyos must be stock; no mods. And 3: Routines had to be continuous. When you caught the yoyo, your routine was done, so regenerations were essential. If these were in fact the rules 18-20 years ago, all this talk about returning to “retro” throws makes me wonder if we’ll start to see these rules make a come-back somewhere down the line.