First up is truly one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet @Raindog3030. An incredibly talented player and owner of Turner Return Tops!
What got you into throwing, how long have you been in the hobby?
Duncan came to my Elementary School to peddle their plastics, and the next thing I knew… I was in the yoyo boom of the 90s! My friend group and I were avid yoyo-ists all the way through Junior High. Unfortunately, I forgot about my yoyo for several years before I picked it back up on my 30th birthday. When I turned 30, I decided to quit smoking, I did that with my yoyo! Anytime I had a craving, I’d throw yoyo for 5 minutes instead. That was over 7 years ago, now!
What trick are you working on?
I’ve recently learned the Beefhook and have been focusing on consistency. I’ve also been working on Beesting!
Whats your favorite trick?
Tough question! It’s definitely a tie between boingy-boing and follows.
What’s your favorite yoyo?
Another suuuper tough question! And this is another tie-up… my favorite yoyos, that aren’t ones I made, have gotta be the Parlay and Panorama.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I’ve been really into pinball for several years now. We compete in local tournaments and also have found great joy in fixing and restoring old machines. I’m also an avid reef aquarist, reader, video gamer, wood worker, and mechanic. We started our first classic car resto last year, a 1973 Volkswagen Type 1. You could say I’m a bit of an eccentric hobbyist!
Favorite foods?
I love food in general. I spent most of high school and college working in kitchens and learning different culinary arts. That said, I’m a sucker for good Japanese food, especially takoyaki, sushi, and curry! I’m not certain I’ve found a type of food that I genuinely dislike, apart from previousely frozen fish.
Favorite movie ?
Fifth Element, chicken good!
What does yo-yo mean for you?
Yoyo means a lot to me! It’s an escape, it’s an outlet for my art, it’s an actualization of my dreams, and it’s nothing short of a great source of joy. Yoyo also has also become a great source of fellowship for me. Between organizing the Central Florida Yoyo Club, starting TRT, and attending events, we’ve met so many excellent folks. The Yo-mmunity is made up of some of the most wonderful and amazing people that I’ve had the honor of interacting with. The friendship, support, and kindness we’ve felt is unreal!
Best yoyo memory
Hahaha, it’s gotta be when my 2 best friends and I would regularly skip out of Church on Sunday’s to instead yoyo around downtown and visit the local science store for yoyos, string, and trick pamphlets… yeah, there was no internet back then!
What made you start TRT
Mark Diehr, it’s all his fault!!! Really though, I owe it to him. I met Mark on the interwebs a few years back (2020-ish?) on the Throwers Discord channel. One day, he asked for help with Quality Control and packaging, and we obliged! He invited us over, total internet strangers, and taught Jess and I how to visually inspect and package yoyos. We spent the day working with him on the second run of his Contact yoyo. I started learning yoyo engineering from his youtube series, started talking to manufacturers, and the rest is history!
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players
Practice! And don’t let anyone tell you it’s easy, it isn’t. Yoyo is a skill that everyone has to build. At the end of the day, whether you can hit crazy zontals or just throw-and-catch, as long as you’re having fun… you’re doing it right!
Thanks again @Raindog3030
All - if there’s anyone you would like to see, questions I could ask, or a better way to present this please let me know!
I know you all will be excited about who’s coming up next!