Happy Monday with a great profile from one of our own Brandon Rogers!! @Captrogers
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby
When I was a kid, my dad had a few yoyos and messed around with them. I remember he had a Proyo Roadster which has long been lost to time. My first yoyo was probably some cheap light up thing you get at an arcade but the one I remember was my raider.
As many have, I eventually got serious in my career and instead of messing with toys I focused on work. While on a vacation in ocean city I was in a kite shop and kept eyeing a raider like the one I had as a kid. My wife (fiancé at the time) nudged me to get it and from there the spark was made and my rediscovery of yoyo had started.
That was around 2016 and by 2018 I started fining online stuff initially Yo tricks then YYE. I eventually after lurking for a while joined the community and inserted myself into various groups and here, we are today.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
That’s hard. I have an eclectic variety of yoyos at my disposal but I always fall back to picking up a raider or some other looping yoyo. If I had my pick, it would be a pair of something lp or loop ups probably.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
Shoot the moon is my favorite trick. I enjoy being able to throw a yoyo and do a trick with one hand. What am I working on? I’ve been quietly working on KWIJIBO but its been slow with all this Fixed axle/modern responsive/anti banger stuff to participate in.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time
I absolutely love my wildwoods Gnomad in pink Spectra-ply. It’s just such a darn good wood yoyo and I sure do love wood.
Trick that gives you the hardest time?
Kick Flips!!! I can do them maybe once out of 20 tries and it always feels like I both won big when I do get it but I also lucked out because I have no idea how I got it.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
Yoyo’s that are gifts are my most cherished. My wife got me a Spinstar for Christmas one year and I refuse to let it go regardless of how silly it is because it was from her. She also got me a zipline honey badger which she stalked the drop for which was so cool of her. I think the honey badger is my most meaningful yoyo in that regard.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Gardening is a core part of who I am. I had a blog a long time ago when blogs where cool about my tomato gardening and love to grow cool plants or just a bunch of produce to share with friends’ family and neighbors. Currently I have a plan to convert the drainage ditch the county doesn’t maintain next to my house into a pumpkin patch and am hoping I corrected the PH issues enough to properly grow sunflowers this year.
Favorite restaurant and order?
Isn’t the meme answer chilis? I love Mexican food, there’s a small hole in the wall place in Manassas called Molcajete Moya and I usually order Enchiladas.
Favorite movie and or Book?
Jurassic Park is hands down my favorite book and movie. I watched the VHS till the tape broke then taped it back together and kept watching it till DVDs where a thing.
What does yo-yo mean for you. Expression, technical, art, sports
For me yoyo is relaxation and connection. It’s a hobby I use to connect to other people and it’s a way for me to take my mind off my day to day when needed.
It’s also been a sense of community for me in the online side of the hobby where I have met amazing people and shared experiences in a way I don’t get often in my day-to-day life.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
My yoyo clubs (being a part of yoyo boomer club has been a delight and watching my own club DMV throw grow has been an adventure.
What’s it been like to watch the growth of the community
The biggest thing I’ve been a part of and watched grow in real time has been my local club DMV Throwers. We have quickly grown from 4 folks showing up in the park a year ago to a dozen to 30 people showing up monthly in the library auditorium and giving away yoyos to new players that stop by every time.
Being able to show someone how to throw a yoyo and give them advice and encouragement is fantastic and a big part of my enjoyment in the hobby. I’ve also watched our local area go from 1 club in a 50-mile radius of DC to three over the last few months and am so supportive of the expanded access to a local club for folks farther north and south of us.
If you couldn’t yo-yo what would you be doing?
Maybe paintball still or more bike riding. Idk, yoyo is a big part of my life at this time but it’s not my whole life. My kids take that spot and everything else is secondary so if I couldn’t yoyo, I would fill that gap with some other hobby. Maybe pickleball.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Your bearings are probably fine. Your string choice doesn’t matter and your skills can only be compared to your past self.
Theres always a new shiny toy and someone better than you out there so just pace yourself and enjoy the hobby for whatever you get out of it and don’t try to fit your enjoyment into other people’s definition of what the hobby is.
What’s your Yo-yo bad habit
I will borrow your yoyo make an axle knot without realizing and return it with said knot… I will also apologize a dozen times for doing so.
What movie or book character best fits who you are?
I used to be told I looked like Wayne knight specifically in his role in Seinfeld as Newman. What movie character do I act most like. Probably Marlin from finding nemo.
What do you want to tell the world
Spread the love of the hobby, Be good to others and accept people for who they are and be who you are without exception. Give good and you will get good in the end.