Freshly Dirty Mod44, Reykjavik Freyja, and Duncan Freehand One AL are my top three for the year. I considered the Jake Bullock Slam Dunk but it just got narrowly edged out by the Freehand One AL. Both are phenomenal though.
The top threes yoyos that released this year that I haven’t gotten the chance to play but would love to try are are the Turning Point Bacchus, Mgska, and the Duncan Small Bearing FH1AL. Unsure if they would’ve managed to hit the top three for me, but they all certainly seem like strong contenders on paper.
Was there anything not great released this year (or last year)? I couldn’t even come up with a top 10 I don’t think. Props to the forum members who made great stuff though! YYF, Luftverk, Dressel, Spinworthy, Fair Trade, Few and Far Between, Atmos, Duncan, CLYW and there must be more.
I’m just getting back into the hobby after a lengthy hiatus, but I’ll give this a shot.
The TopYo Cloud is a seriously great full-sized Delrin organic, and its price tag is frankly unbelievable. Feels very floaty, smooth, and relaxed on the string, and it is very stable considering the combination of shape and material. I’ve rarely been so pleasantly surprised with a $30 throw, although it is worth mentioning that I did need to change out the response pads immediately.
DD’s Assassin is an excellent undersized steel throw that manages to retain some full-sized characteristics with its wide profile, comfy catch, and brilliant weight distribution, to say nothing of how well the D bearing is applied here. This one is also a steal considering the other SS throws that are available for less than $100.
The RCS/OYY Sk8r 2021 is a very fun mid-sized Delrin yoyo that gets a lot of things right. The shape is unique and comfortable, and it is surprisingly stable despite its high-walled appearance due to a good stock bearing choice (Trifecta) and a minimal response bump. Probably my favorite carry yoyo at present - aside from being a capable player, the dyed colorways are very fun, and the stock Lego hub is a cute gimmick.
Honorable mentions: iYoYo Shooting Star, Retic Yoyo Copperhead (it’s new to me), probably others