It’s Wednesday my dudes - and we have Randy Shreeves to get us through the day!
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
Yoyoing was introduced to me by my friend Jake Bullock. We went to school together from grades 1-5, and after I moved away I made periodic returns to Kutztown to hang out. I remember one summer I went to visit Jake, and he showed me some videos of then world champ Johnnie DelValle, and I almost couldn’t believe the things he was doing were possible.
The most complex yoyo trick I’d ever seen before that was “rock the baby.” I thought he must be some sort of child prodigy, but then Jake showed me a few tricks and I realized anyone can learn. Jake had a YoYoJam Hitman that he let me try, but it was unresponsive, so I spent the rest of the afternoon practicing binding the yoyo just so I could get it to return to my hand. After that, I was hooked.
What is your goal in 2025 for yourself? Yo-yo or not!
I plan to learn a couple of basic looping tricks with my dominant hand. Even just being able to consistently do 5-10 repetitions of hop the fence and inside loops would be a solid achievement. Although 3A, 4A, and 5A are all unique styles of yoyoing, I can do a bit of each because they’re still string tricks. Looping feels entirely strange to me.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
I’m not too picky. I’d probably pick the Anti-Yo “Bapezilla.” I love the color combination, and I have small hands, so I find small yo-yos more comfortable. Smaller yo-yos also fit better in my pocket, so it’s more convenient to bring them with me if I want.
What trick are you working on currently?
I’ve been working on learning some old chopsticks repeater tricks by Jason Lee. If you’ve never seen his video The Fidget then I highly recommend you check it out on YouTube. The video quality is absolutely terrible compared to what we have now, but the tricks are still impressive, especially when you take into consideration the yoyo he’s using.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
It definitely has to be “seasick.” I find the motion uncomfortable, and I’m always paranoid that the yoyo will hit me in the head. That tense feeling prevents me from executing the trick how I’d really like it to look.
What’s the most meaningful or favorite throw you have?
I started yoyoing in early 2004 and stopped around 2010. I still stayed in touch with Jake though, and last Fall he sent me a white & silver prototype of the newest yoyo he was making, the “Dunk LX.”
Even though I hadn’t been yoyoing for nearly 15 years, once I threw it down, it felt like almost no time had passed at all. I hadn’t really planned to start yoyoing again, but I’ve been doing it every day since I got that yoyo.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
I leave them laying around the house. Usually when I untie a yoyo from my finger, I place it on the nearest horizontal surface. In a way it’s nice, because then when I want to pick up a yoyo, there’s almost always one within arm’s reach. It does make the house look a bit messy though.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Anything that’s entertainment. Movies, music, video games, etc. I’m a big fan of NFL football. When the weather is nice, my family and I like to go hiking at one of the nearby state or national parks.
What song best fits your personality?
I can’t think of a singular song that fits my personality, but I love the punk rock genre as a whole. I find it calming, ironically, because any feelings of frustration that I have are channeled through the fast-paced music. It’s very cathartic.
Favorite restaurant and order?
I don’t have a favorite restaurant, but I do have a favorite order. Every time I eat at a new Mexican restaurant, I always order carne asada tacos. If I visit a second time, then I’ll usually order tacos al pastor. I love getting classic taco recipes and comparing them from one restaurant to another.
Favorite movie and or Book?
My favorite movie is Goodfellas(1990), and accordingly, my favorite book is “Wiseguy” which is the book the movie was based on. I’ve always had an affinity for gangster movies. They offer an interesting insight into the minds and lifestyles of people that I will (hopefully) never interact with.
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
Different things at different times. When I was younger, yoyoing mostly meant hanging out with friends. It provided a central reason for all of us to meet up. Now that I’m older, it’s more about serenity. I’m prone to ruminating on the past and planning for the future, but yoyoing grounds me in the present moment, which gives me feelings of peace and calm. Something about watching and controlling so much physics happening in such a small area makes it very compelling.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
There are so many that it’s really hard to choose a favorite. All of them center around one contest or another. I won’t expand upon a specific memory, but going to the world yoyo contest in Orlando for the first time was an unforgettable experience.
I remember the Rosen Plaza Hotel being the biggest building I’d ever seen in person at the time, hanging around the hotel for 3 days, seeing yoyoers on every floor, attending various events and workshops, watching people take the stage, staying up into the early hours of the morning to see what shenanigans would take place…it was great.
If you could start over again, what would you do differently?
I had such a good time that I’m not sure I’d do anything differently. I suppose that I wish I’d been a little more outgoing back then. I was a very introverted person, so I usually only hung out with the same group of people at every contest.
What’s your biggest accomplishment yo-yo or not?
My biggest yoyo related accomplishment is simply sticking with it for so long. I’ve always had a tendency to start new hobbies and then put them down after a couple weeks or months, before I ever actually get good at them. Yoyoing is the only hobby I can think of that I consistently did for years.
How has the community changed since you started and where do you want it to go?
I’ve been away from yoyoing for so long and only just recently started again, so I don’t feel qualified to say much about the community. It looks like people are a lot more competitive now.
Competitions were always a part of yoyoing, but back in the early 2000’s it felt to me like the contests were almost just designed as a reason for everyone to get together. People went on stage and did their tricks, and the score almost seemed like an after thought. Now when I see people compete, I can tell they’ve put a lot of thought into how they can maximize points scored.
If you never picked up a yo-yo - what would things look like now?
I think I would have a much smaller world view. I went to so many different states to attend yoyo contests, which helped shape my views on traveling and made me more self reliant.
Also, despite being an introvert, I still met a lot of new people from all over the country and even other parts of the world. Those are experiences most people don’t get until they’re much older.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Just do whatever is fun for you. Don’t feel like you have to do what everyone else is doing.
Whats you want to tell the world?
It sounds cheesy, and it’s not only related to yoyoing, but be kind to each other. The world would be a much better place if everyone was a bit more compassionate.