Morning all!
I apologize on the delay here - we’ve been prepping for the hurricane so some other things have taken a bit of a delay!
Regardless, today I’m excited to present an insane talented player Anthony Rojas!
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
I had a yoyo or two in the 90s, but it was really just a toy for me back then. Around 2003 I found the skill toy Astrojax through their commercial and got into that. Through Astrojax I discovered that there were more advanced yoyos, competitions, etc. I consider 2005 my true start to modern yoyoing and my grandma discovered the kite shop in Redondo Beach, CA that sold yoyos (the store isn’t around anymore). I met other yoyoers there and bought a YoyoJam Dark Magic and Aquarius that year.
What is your goal in the next year for yourself personal or professional?
I feel like I’m in the process of trying to clearly define some goals…
Professionally, working in more freelance graphic design work into my schedule is something that’s been on my mind for a while.
Personally, I’d like to learn more on guitar and piano. After the last World Yoyo Contest in Osaka, I started using Duolingo casually to learn some Japanese, so I’ll probably continue that too.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Well currently, it’s my signature CLYW model, the Dune. It’s a difficult question though because experiencing other kinds of yoyos is part of the fun, and can inspire different kinds of play. Only using one would be kind of boring to be honest!
What trick are you working on currently?
I relearned Rancid Milk recently since people are into it at the moment. I’ve also been doing more 5A in general too.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Unlocking cow wraps in 2A (and many other 2A tricks) just hasn’t clicked for me yet. Making up nicely flowing tricks in 3A is pretty tough too. That said, I think more people should get into those styles.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
So that I don’t say the Dune again, I’m going to change the question to what I think the most influential or important yoyos of all time are.
At least up to what I’d say the new school, metal-yoyo-centric era is. Maybe a top five would be something like: Butterfly, Raider/Fireball, Freehand 1/Zero, Dark Magic, and 888. I could see arguments made for other yoyos though. Would be curious to know other’s top five, or what the new school top five would be…
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
Any yoyos that I received or bought from friends, or yoyos I’ve contributed design/artwork to. Always nice supporting friend’s work or collaborating with others to help with their vision.
I also have a Shinobu Konmoto modded yoyo that I won from 44Clash 2011. A reminder of that win, but also just a nerdy, deep-cut grail.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
Right now I need to clean up some yoyos from the floor of my room. It’s overflow from my organized storage, and they’ve just been kind of living there…on the ground. Need to address this soon lol
What kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Too many things, but a lot of my interests are based around creative outlets. Design, art, photography, music/concerts, other skill toys, etc.
What fictional character best fits who you are?
There’s probably a few reasons for this, but I honestly can’t think of anyone. At least based on how I’m interpreting this question.
I think I’m usually more inspired by stories, concepts, and feelings around a fictional piece, rather than relating personally and specifically to the characters within. If anyone thinks I remind them of a certain character though, let me know lol
Favorite restaurant and order?
Too difficult to name one, but I appreciate having been introduced to good ramen restaurants by friends in the yoyo community.
Maybe this just sounds good in this moment, but a bowl of phở tái or bún thịt nướng chả giò are other favorites of mine.
Favorite movie and or book?
For movies, this question plagued me for a long time, but I feel more comfortable giving an answer thanks to recently logging films I’ve seen in the app Letterboxd. While this may change, my current “Letterboxd top four” films are: The Matrix, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, La Haine, and Persona.
If you could wake up tomorrow and magically have the skills from one
player who and what would it be? Having Shinji’s 2A skills would be insane.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby?
Traveling with friends is one of my favorite parts to yoyoing, and where some of my favorite memories come from. It’s kind of surreal sometimes when you wake up in places like Reykjavik or Tokyo and think, oh yeah, I’m here because of yoyos! Even when the destination is less exotic and yoyoers are just together for days taking over a hotel, it’s a special vibe.
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
Change has happened in many ways since people, technology, social media, and other factors have evolved or came into play over time. Competitions, yoyo design, how we share tricks and communicate, have all changed, but it’s something I expect.
I’d like to see long form clip videos a little more often, and I hope that events and competitions with alternative judging systems can continue to be organized.
If you never picked up a yo-yo - what would life look like now?
If I deleted all of my friends and experiences via yoyoing, my life would probably look pretty different socially, and I may not have traveled to a lot of places too. It’s kind of hard to imagine because there’s so many little threads in my life that lead into yoyoing somehow. I’d probably just be into another skill toy and all of my other hobbies even more.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Just yoyo how you want to and enjoy it first and foremost. The different approaches to yoyoing are part of what makes it cool. It can be a toy, a more involved hobby, a sport, or a performance art. You can be a collector, designer, make videos, or maybe you just like to hang out in the community (online, in person, or both). It may evolve over time for you, but don’t feel like there’s only one way to participate.
What do you want to tell the world?
“Ask the river: ‘Do you feel useful, given that all you do is to keep flowing in the same direction?
’ And the the river will answer: ‘I’m not trying to be useful, I’m trying to be a river.’”