I am excited to present one of my favorite Instagram accounts, an amazingly talented thrower, a member of team Motion yo-yo, and someone I feel lucky enough to call a friend @Bjorn_ofyoyo!!! Also know as BF_Throws!!
Barrett “Bear” Farmer, 28 years old, Anchorage, Alaska
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
I was about 8 years old at summer camp in Waco, TX (not THAT summer camp…) and all my buddies had bought Duncan butterfly’s and fixed axel wheels from the tuck shop opened only during our free time, and were learning the forward pass and milk the cow. I went to go buy a yo-yo and they were all sold out! But the shop owner saw my disappointment and told me to come back tomorrow. So upon my return after nap hour the next day, they had fully stocked up the yo-yo shelves and I had my fair choice of color. So I bought a neon green butterfly, and a black and red wheel yoyo, as well as an extra colored string pack they had. So for the next 4 days, I learned to throw a normal up down throw. I learned to throw a sleeper, forward pass, and started working on milk the cow and shoot the moon. I enjoyed it well enough.
I would go back home after camp and would kinda forget about my yo-yo and would practice maybe a couple times a week just messing around.
Fast forward a couple summers later, my summer camp friends and I were still forward passing and some of us had gotten around the world. I had gotten milk the cow down, and had busted myself in the face a couple times trying to shoot the moon, as that trick wasn’t there yet.
Upon my return home from camp that year, my Dad had noticed my interest in yoyo tricks, and proceeded to show me a 2009 Jensen freestyle, a Hiroyuki freestyle, and a Shinya freestyle from 2010 worlds. I was blown away by the tricks I was seeing, slack tricks, speed combos, etc. I wanted to learn so bad, so me and my dad found yoyoexpert.com and found Andre’s tutorials. We saw he was using the dark magic, which in my head, was the coolest looking yo-yo I’d ever seen. Those big shiny silver rims, on a colorful red body, simply beautiful. As we watched a couple more of the advanced tutorials, we quickly realized I would need a new yo-yo to learn this advanced style of yo-yo tricks, and that the dark magic was maybe a bit too ahead of where I was at skill wise, so we opted for the cheaper version of dark magic, the legacy v1 in black!
I loved that yo-yo! I learned to bind, blew through the beginner and intermediate tricks with it no problem of the course of maybe 6 months. Throughout my use of the YYJ Legacy, I saved allowance and birthday money to buy more yo-yos to deepen my collection. At first, it was a bunch of local toy store yomega models and even a single cold metal fusion. Once I started ordering on yoyoexpert more often, I bought YoYojams, some yoyo factory, an h spin, a spyy, some really fun throws that I used to learn more and show people around me what yoyoing could be with the growing technology!
Ever since I’ve enjoyed being apart of the community, shout out the old Yoyonation forums and yoyoexpert for always being there through thick and thin! Shout out the old string theory podcast that taught new tricks and did Yoyo giveaways! I never had people around me, except those at camp who stuck with their butterfly’s and wheels, to Yoyo with, so the online community has always been a huge reason for loving yoyoing as much as I do.
If I’m being honest, come highschool time, I stopped yoyoing having accrued some one drops and general yos and even some older c3 models I liked a lot. But they sat in my case and didn’t come back out until I would turn 23, when covid hit. Though I do remember running into someone who was an amazing yoyoer in Pensacola, FL at the Cordova mall who was using a white delrin severe (right before its release) and I’m pretty sure it was mister Tyler S. himself. I told him I was a yoyoer but didn’t have mine on me, so he let me use the Severe and showed him my super intermediate skills and got the “heck yeah man keep it up” of approval! It might not have been Tyler, but whoever it was, that moment meant a lot, thanks!
Once covid hit I was working night shift security at a local internet outpost and lots of people were sent to work from home. So my job became significantly more relaxed, and while I watched my cameras and made my exterior rounds, I would bring some yo-yos and try and learn new tricks. Now with funds of my own, I went absolutely crazy. I bought so many yo-yos between 2019-2022 and spent so much, I had a blast. So many Bimetals, so many g2, so many Turning Points and YYR, so many Ti yo-yos (drew the line at tiss, too pricey for me), I bought whatever I thought I would like. Picking apart the play of each one and why it played the way it did, how it felt, eventually accruing some throwing style in the process. I was very addicted. I posted as many tricks onto Instagram as I could and eventually caught the attention of a small yoyo brand, FTY, or Fairview Trade Yo-yos. They released a few very fun yo-yos and I got to see what the process was like to make and release a yo-yo, be apart of their advertising troupe, and I met some very good yoyo friends of mine! Shout out Jeremy, Jon, Mike, Jaxon, and so many others!
As FTY came to a close, Jeremy Ayer’s reached out to me and said he was thinking of starting his own yo-yo brand, and wanted me along for the ride as we had become closer through FTY. I knew that Jeremy had never let me down with a yo-yo recommendation, and that he always knew what made a yo-yo design tick. I was instantly in.
Now with Motion coming up on its 3 year anniversary, I’m proud to say I stuck with yoyoing. I managed to move a lot of the yo-yos I accrued over time into more appreciative hands, and fell in love with the Motion lineup of yo-yos. It’s been such a blessing to be apart of such an awesome yoyo brand that makes, in my opinion, some of the best performing yo-yos I have ever had the privilege to throw. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an amazing yoyoer, but I can test out a design and see if a competition player would benefit from using it or not, and I truly enjoy this about throwing in general.
Now that I am married to the woman of my dreams and have a beautiful little girl, I just make videos and test as many Motion yo-yo products as I can and advertise as best as I can on Instagram and tik tok. And I’m comfortable getting back into extending my trick library! I also enjoy showing my music taste through my videos and creating a vibey clip that would make a yoyoer say “nice”. And that’s bf_throws in a lengthy nutshell!
And that’s pretty much how I got started!
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Motion Yoyo Elevated
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
Currently working on ( a whole lot, but mostly) slap slack to double gt from wrist mount. Fav all time trick? Maybe a trick I call “workman’s comp” as it has a tower and a fun double gt reveal.
What’s the most meaningful yoyo you have in your collection?
I have had so many gifts in my collection, all of them could take this spot. Hard times have come frequently in my life, as it has for some many, and as a lot of my “fun money” has been tied up in yo-yos, some of those gifts have had to find new homes so bills can be paid. Mega guilt, but ultimately happy I got to try some really nice quality yo-yos. Like the something Anglam CC, the TP Solenoid, Hades, AsTer, some other TPs, Alchemik Ti models, as well as a few others!
Currently my most meaningfull yo-yo are my Motion Yo-yos, specifically my centrifugal. It kinda marks my first year with Motion YoYo as a brand and as part of their player team, and it really just means alot to me to have seen the design before it ever was sent to the machine shop for cutting. To see the process from start to finish and for it to be one objectively of the best yo-yos I’ve ever played, this yoyo just holds my heart for yoyoing.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I’ve always been a music guy. Never went to a lot of concerts, but I did chorus from 4th grade through senior year of HS. Almost did it in college to but chose football instead. I play guitar, usually just on my office alone, but I do play onstage for our church worship group, and me and a buddy are working on starting a metal core band. (Long ways to go). Now a days my time is taken up by my 1yo Daughter, Adalee. She’s the princess of this roost forsure!
What’s your “day” job?
Currently I work as a Medical Receptionist at Alaska Neurology Center, which is a remote position where I am allowed to take care of my baby while working, so long as I get my stuff done. So I’m a full time stay at home dad (that sucks at keeping the house clean) and work from home full time.
What’s your favorite restaurants and order?
Local restaurant called 49th state, meal called King Krabby Grilled Cheese. Is a thick filled crab and cheese grilled cheese with a cup of seafood chowder to dip in, with fries. So so so good, my fav. Not heart healthy at all 
as far as an option most people in the US have access to, gotta say the Buffalo chicken bacon ranch hot sub from Jersey Mikes is a fav forsure!
Favorite movie or TV show?
Movie… man that’s tough… maybe the incredibles or Alien Romulus.
Show? Either fresh prince, or that 70s show!
If there was one song that you say fits your mood and personality perfectly, what it be?
I have two very different tracks:
-Is there free breakfast here? By Hotel Ugly
-This Fire by Killswitch Engage
What’s your best yo-yo memory?
Honestly, Jeremy (owner of Motion Yo-yo) asking me to be apart of the team! Still think it’s undeserved, but I’ll take my blessings when I can! Also the time Sam Jennison came up and we met and yo-yoed together (never had anyone to yo-yo with before, no contests or clubs around me in my life ever)
What’s your yoyo bad habit?
Tbh, fully transparent, I got anger issues sometimes and if I’m trying to record a trick and can’t get it, more than likely I’ll snap my string like a twig over my knee… oops…
If you could wake up tomorrow and have any skill set from another player what would it be?
Gotta be Charles Haycock, that flow is nuts frfr.
What’s the most expensive or rare yoyo you have?
Most expensive I have currently is the Alchemik Yo-yos Protos, at maybe $369 a piece. Most rare? I have a 1of1 raw Motion Linear that I hold very very dear 
If you never found yo-yo what would you be doing instead?
Would have a lot more guitar stuff, but I can’t imagine never finding yoyo 
How has the community changed from what it used to be, and where do you think it will end up?
Well, this is tough for me to speak on as I’ve never really been part of the overall yo-yo community. Never had the opportunity to go to a contest, never had friends to throw with, just me in my room and YouTube and yye. So from what I could see, it seems the small companies were few and far between (not the brand lol). Now they’re everywhere! It’s been so cool to see all the designs and innovations over the years and to see Bimetals become more of a staple. I miss yoyojam. The tricks have gotten truly insane, I can’t and probably will never keep up. But looking at the community is always so inspiring, and it’s so cool to see it blow up more and more each year!
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
New players, Soak up every ounce of community you can! Go to contests if you’re able, get friends into and start a club, the more you invest in the community, the more the community will invest in you!
Also, make an instagram and post your tricks! Or YouTube! And don’t compare yourself to others, use them as inspo forsure, but don’t ask “why can’t I be like them?” Just get like them! Everyone’s path looks and feels different, don’t be discouraged! And if you hit a wall, take a break and come back later!
What do you want to tell the world?
Most importantly, Jesus saves; give thanks to our Lord. Also! Yoyoing is such an expressive hobby, and such a great tool to take your mind off the dumb stuff and keep you out of trouble when you’re young. Let’s get more people yoyoing! Also, follow my IG and Tiktok @bf_throws