I’m getting there. I can get through the front part. The back part the last two are still a little tricky. I’ve gotten through it maybe once or twice. It’s kind of a trick that I never put a lot of time in learning I’d just try it once and awhile and not be able but more recently it finally started coming along. I started with the double or nothing version which helped a lot.
Before I found out that black hops was named after someone I always thought it was a play on the word black Ops 
Nice! Just stick with it like it’s definitely a frustrating trick and I’m still waiting for the day my heart doesn’t speed up a bit before that last hop. focusing on making sure I got all the strings as far back as possible all the time for the second half helped me get it more consistent and is the one thing I try to focus on now bc it’s helps to start scooting them back right away for me atleast.
And hahah I had no idea why it was called black hops when I made this op and thought ppl just liked naming tricks w colors like we got white Buddha, green triangle, red triangle, yellow submarine, purple gorilla, someone else chime in w more bc I think there is a blue one also and color 9 is a trick from that era idk lol
You’re gonna be really surprised at how much smoother you are with your other yos after your wedding, having thrown plastics and responsives all this time lol
I remember seeing the original trick performed by Black (right after the freestyles were uploaded online), and the most impressive part was… He did it to J Ralph’s "One Million Miles Away’ and he was hopping the yoyo to the beat landing each hop perfectly on time. @GTDropKnot you mentioned you’ve researched Black - is this one anywhere to be found? I remember he starts this freestyle in a beanie and when it progresses to 5th Element “The Diva Dance” he takes it of (there are two versions of this freestyle with different beginning, this one is more complex).
For years that trick for me was not only the skill required to do the actual trick, but to sync it with the rythym as well. Great it’s still being discussed in the community 
It’s amazing how tricks like skin the gebril, black hops or superman just stayed the ultimate classics and are still the milestones on everyone’s road.
For me landing it on responsive was a rush. Same as landing it on the mighty flea. As soon as something takes several days/weeks/months of grinding it’s always a pleasure when it finally sticks. However it was sort of similar the first time I did it on unresponsive for two reasons. 1. I wasn’t yoyoing for very long so it took me a decent amount of time to learn it and 2. I didn’t have to practice much to land it responsive and landed it quite soon after I could do unresponsive so although it was a rush it wasn’t like it was a bigger achievement than unresponsive was.
Also, I find it easier to land on smaller and slimmer yoyos. (I can land it equally fine on something very wide though but back when I was just getting into it smaller was better)
Hahah! I just watched the 2001-2004 worlds performances and I don’t think any are that one but it sounds super sick! The beanie toss seems like the sun glasses toss in 2004. He goes for it in 2003 but fumbles it and I really don’t know when he started doing this trick. I guess I need to do more research hah!
100% agree w you about historic tricks and I think it’s just a really cool and charming thing about yo-yos.
Do you still get just a touch nervous before that last hop? Def agree that slimmer is easier and I gotta get an itsy bitsy Yoyo to try this w now hah!
I been debating what type/size of yoyo is best for black hops. I kinda like using my shooting star the most. I think it being so light helps me a little maybe? At first I was using smaller yoyos but it seems to make the second part harder.
To me it’s actually the second part that becomes easier on a slimmer yoyo. As long as you remember to cup close to the yoyo and keep your landing string in line with the gap you really can’t miss all that much. Just take it easy, pause before the hop until it becomes 2nd nature.
Found it by accident and decided it’s still worth reviving 
