The shape is so different it actually looks kinda cool.
And after watching Mike Montgomery’s vid, no doubt it is more functional than I would have thought.
I have a few Evil Yoze and they are a lot of fun. But the Lesula is much more Radical in shape.
This is coming from a slightly biased source (I won mine in a contest, so that’s likely to leave positive feelings!) but here’s my take on it:
It’s a really fun throw. It’s light yet has presence on the string, so you can really whip it around. It has an excellent texture and finish, and as you no doubt saw in the videos, it’s nutty for finger grinds (not that I have nutty finger grinds, but I can still tell the difference).
The really thin rims are what you would expect-- they take away from a bit of “comfort” (it’s not one of those “fits in my hand like it was meant to be there” kind of shapes) and for me the first few high-rpm binds were a little scary; once I got used to them, I realized there wasn’t much to fear (though I’d still rather bind back from low or medium speed!). You also may find yourself needing to adjust your throwing grip… or you might not… depends on how you already throw. But after twenty minutes of throwing, you “get” how you’re supposed to throw it. I got the distinct feeling that my yoyo throw had improved in as a result of the Lesula.
Despite the interesting profile, it’s roughly the same width and diameter as many other yoyos out there, like the Wrath. It’s not a wide throw, and it’s not an undersized throw. It’s right in the “normal” size overall, on the lighter side of normal also.
In terms of stability, even though it’s technically a “rim-weighted” yoyo, it doesn’t have quite the same extremes of rim weight as some. It’s got stability to spare, but it’s not like it’s going to rival soemthing like a Chief for stability.
Floaty? In a word, yes. But I don’t buy into much of the “floatiness” hype anyhow… it’s lightweight yet is a fairly powerful spinner… those things help contribute to the so-called “floaty” feeling IMO.
Smooth? You’d better believe it. Your first few throws might be unexpectedly wobbly because you’re not used to the shape and are trying to throw it like a Code 2 or something. But again, 20 minutes later and you “get it” and your throws become smooth and strong. This is one of the smoothest throws I own.
Couldn’t say if it’s good for horizontal or not. I don’t know from horizontal.
Overall, I love having it in my collection. It’s surprisingly addictive, and in a market of “samey” yoyos, its stand-out features also make it a must-have for people who are just as interested in fun and uniqueness as “competition performance” spec sheets. For some people, it will be love at third throw (not many people will throw it right the first time, I think!). For others, it will be a slower burn. But anyone who puts this into their collection will probably find themselves reaching for it more and more as time goes by and other yoyos start to blur together.