He’s genuinely the best dude! Great taste in food too.
Lasagnaaaaaaa 
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@Albertino man i LOVE classical guitar. concierto de aranjuez makes me cry every single time, esp after knowing the tragedy behind the song. i was amazingly lucky and happened to go to the same college as marko sartor who is a guitarist from uruguay and was already known nationally in uruguay before moving here for college. i got to take lessons from him for a time and it was amazing. classical guitar is the one thing i periodically think about getting back into
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Thanks a lot King, you are one of my favourite’s ever, from the first day you have been super welcoming and kind, hope to meet you in real life one day 
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Ahahahah lasagna is simple but is always good, thats the winning secret of Italian food, few simple things but fresh
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Such memories studying Rodrigo lol
Some of his music literally put me in difficulty, it required slooooow playing practice and total relaxation.
If you can start playing please do it, is so rewarding and beautiful, hug the guitar while playing and feel the wood cracking and moving is one of the most beautiful feeling, it makes the guitar alive.
I send you one of my favourite pieces ever, sad I never got to learn it before get sick.
If you need any help in general or advices please write me 
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That show is incredible. Only time I’ve had to scramble for the remote to turn off the tv and walk around the room from empathetic embarrassment. Nice one @Bobparty and @Albertino !
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It’s insane how real Peep show is, it’s UK 100% and encapsulate for real english people, it’s super fun but also devastating at time. Happy to find someone else that enjoy it
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Today we have the great @edhaponik !!!
Wonderful interview I hope you all get a chance to read, with some great facts I never knew about the Eiffel Tower!!!
As well as some touching moments that I feel we can all relate to in how the hobby brings us together.
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
I played around with yo-yos as a kid, and would always buy Duncan Midnight Specials because I thought they looked cool. And those are pretty hard to learn on, so I pretty much sucked. Then during the late 90’s boom, I was working as a camp counselor and every kid seemed to have a Yomega Fireball, so I got one of those. I learned a bunch of tricks to keep up with them, but kind of set it down when the boom died down. Then a few years later I fell back into it HARD after seeing Doc Pop, and I’ve played literally every day since May 2005.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
No Jive 3-in-1 for sure. I think I have about 100 of that one model. I’ve got one tattooed on my arm. I’ve had a signature edition of it. I love wooden fixed-axle yo-yos and would be totally good just throwing a No Jive forever.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
All-time favorite trick is probably just Shoot the Moon. Classic, carefree, and just aesthetically beautiful to me. A perfect trick. Plus, you can always finish with a Lunar Landing! In terms of what I’m working on, it’s less about tricks lately and more about how ideas go together - especially fixed axle stall tricks and all of the technical variations and flips between them. I’m also always interested in the line between what a trick is or isn’t. How you restart a yo-yo can be a trick. How you put the slipknot on. How you catch or throw the yo-yo. A session, a day, or even your whole life can feel like one trick.
What’s the most meaningful yoyo you have in your collection?
I wouldn’t say any of my yo-yos are really meaningful in and of themselves, but I have many, MANY yo-yos which were either given to me by friends or which I associate with them. The further I get from some of those experiences, the more amazing it is to pick those yo-yos up, throw them, and remember those people - especially the ones no longer with us.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I have a lot of other pastimes. I play a lot of music (mainly electric and upright bass and ukulele). I’m in a local band and play at jazz jams. I also love yoga and I’ve studied/practiced martial arts (mainly aikido and iaido) for decades. I skateboard and surf any chance I get. All that besides being a husband, dad, and middle school teacher of course.
What’s your favorite restaurants and order?
Pizza night is always my fave. I’m vegetarian and love peppers, onions, and mushrooms, but my fam usually just goes for cheese. There’s also a local place that does a killer General Tso’s Cauliflower which is divine.
Favorite movie or TV show?
Top 5 are prob Empire Strikes Back, L.A. Story, Seven Samurai, Search For Animal Chin (Do skate videos count? They do for me.), and Endgame.
If there was one song that you say fits your mood and personality perfectly, what it be?
Oof… that’s tough. I’d like to go with Thelonious Monk’s Round Midnight because it’s so dark, interesting, and just hauntingly beautiful. But if I’m being honest, my vibe is probably more Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s Hawaii 78 (even though I’m the haoliest haole that ever haoled).
What’s your best yo-yo memory?
I have so many I could write a book. I’ve definitely written a bunch of long blog posts lol. One which always sticks out was after BAC one year going to Benders in San Francisco with a bunch of friends. Spencer Berry, Doc, Escolar, Steve Brown, Gabe Lozano, Gary Longoria, Steve Buffel, Boxthor, BoJack, Seth P, Nathan Crissey, Sebby… And we were just sitting outside on this cool May night doing dumb picture tricks, having snap-start Bey-Blade battles with yo-yo halves, joking about other even older times. And it wasn’t anything special, but you know those times where you’re experiencing something, and you can feel in real time how much it’s going to mean to you later? It’s just this frozen moment that I come back to a lot and feel really thankful.
What’s your yoyo bad habit?
It’s probably more of a “me” habit than just a “yo-yo” habit, but I would say it’s probably just exploring the same territory over and over again. It’s so easy to just keep doing what you’re good at and what you get positive reinforcement for. I can get pretty comfortable in my little domain, and can be hesitant to push outside of it.
As an artist, how do you feel throwing allows you to express yourself?
A yo-yo trick is just like a song, sonata, story, martial arts kata, skateboard trick… LIFE. They have a clear beginning and end with sections of complexity, tension, and resolution in the middle. I like watching a trick resolve in real time, and then poof - it’s gone. The trick only exists in that moment as you’re throwing and experiencing it and even if you go back and repeat it, it’s changed. The context is different. It’s a very immediate and ephemeral art which is what I love most about it. I relate to modes of expression which concern themselves with NOW.
If you never found yo-yo what would you be doing instead?
All of the pastimes I enjoy pretty much serve the same basic creative drive. So I think I would have found other things to explore in that vein, and I probably would have spent a lot more time playing music. But what I wouldn’t have found anywhere else is the community. I think what really makes yo-yoing so special is the group of people who tend to stick with it. It draws in really unique personalities who are - for the most part - so accepting of each other. Some of my most significant and lasting friendships have come through our common appreciation for this weird little toy.
How has the community changed from what it used to be, and where do you think it will end up?
The way we learn tricks is SO different. When I was first learning it was all trick books, which were often kinda indecipherable. Then later you could learn through diagrams online - Ken’s World On a String and Sector_Y. And eventually video tutorials took hold. Now with technology and social media, we have the capacity and motivation to jump over huge sections of what would previously have been called “fundamentals” in order to get to things we see as bangers or viral tricks. It’s not really better or worse - just something to get past. In the old days we had to move through the fundamentals to get to our own creative ideas. Now we have to move through whatever’s trendy and ubiquitous to do the same. The idea is to get to a place where you can explore your own ideas. I don’t make predictions about where yo-yoiing is headed because I never underestimate the creative power of some random kid with a yo-yo. I expect to have my mind blown. Repeatedly, and for as long as I pay attention.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Wisdom, I don’t know… To me yo-yo is a way of observing yourself. Just pay attention. Pay attention to how you address it and how you react to it. To how it feels to be a beginner in one way or a master in another. To where you find success and where you find frustration. And just kind of ride that wave, because you’ll observe yourself changing - in terms of skill for sure, but also in terms of how you feel about it. Yo-yoing is awesome and so easy to stick with. It goes anywhere. Doesn’t require anything of you. People find it engaging - especially kids (and also cats). Just be patient and don’t hang too much on it. Try to hold on to your “beginner’s mind” rather than racing to feel like an expert. Honestly though, you’re gonna do what you do and that’s great. I wrote a little booklet awhile ago called “66 Rules For Yo-Yo Players” and the most important one was to ignore my rules and write your own.
What you want to tell the world?
The Eiffel Tower is 15cm taller in summer than in winter. (I mean the real one not the yo-yo one.)
Thanks again @edhaponik - appreciate all the laughs in our chat!!!
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Imagine learning middle school from Ed Haponik. Kids don’t even know how good they got it 
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They probably aren’t even aware of the YoYo fame (not to be confused with actual famous)
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I heard a story that Ed once looked a kid dead in the eyes for more than 20 seconds. That kid was Gentry Stein.
Anything more would have turned him into a literal yo-yo
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I can’t wait for Ed to stumble on this thread 
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I’m going to have a kid, move, and send them to Ed’s school, just so we can jam out on parent teacher conference in night.
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I hope they don’t get turned into a yo-yo. Unless that’s why you’re doing it in the first place 
Is this all an elaborate plan to get a new yoyo?
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Hahahaha omg.
Sadly, my students have to learn actual middle school science and engineering from me. Fortunately one year they get a full Yo-Yo Physics unit and the next they get Skateboard Science, so there’s that.
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Up next we have Blaise Becker! Hope you enjoy!!
What got you into throwing, how long have you been in the hobby?
I’ve been throwing for approximately 12 years now! When I was in third grade, I won a Duncan Butterfly for my good deeds in class. I got involved in club at tiki tiki board games, and never looked back.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
I’m currently working on tricks that score higher, but are unique to my style. I would say pop and fresh is probably my favorite! It was one of those tricks that I was like “wow, I can’t believe I was able to do that.” Hahaha. That sentimental value on that one is big so, yeah.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time ?
Favorite yoyo of all time…oh man. I have to say the adrenaline since it’s everything I want in a yoyo, in play and aesthetically. Before my signature however, the cognition still holds a special place in my heart.
What kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Hmmm a lot of things! I would say video games, anime, cars, hiking, sports, fitness, psychology, and fashion are my main interest-nerdy things pretty much hahaha.
Favorite foods?
Man I absolutely love to just… eat honestly hahaha. But the first things that come to mind are ramen, sushi, and arroz con pollo.
Favorite movie?
Ghost in the Shell or Blade Runner are my two favorites.
What does yo-yo mean for you. Expression, technical, art, sports
Good question. I honestly think my answer varies depending on where I’m at in yoyo. One thing that does not vary is my belief that it’s a creative outlet. It can very well be an expression of who you are through the infinite amount of transitions and executions you can create. However, (especially after worlds) my belief is that yoyo can very well be considered a sport. The experience of immense pressure, stress, focus, and other emotions in order to achieve one’s dream or goal can qualify to be what someone experiences from a sport. So yeah, I think that kinda sums up what yoyo is to me!
Best yoyo memory?
Oh man, I really think the moment where I made finals at worlds this year was the most surreal moment I’ve ever experienced. The physical presence of everyone around me, the chants, the cheering… I’m forever thankful for everyone who participated in that.
If you couldn’t yo-yo what would you be doing?
If I couldn’t yoyo, I’d most likely still be trying to play a sport, either Lacrosse or Football. I’m very grateful to be yoyoing, but if I didn’t have the talent for it, I can imagine myself playing one of the two still, yeah.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players
STAY PATIENT- most likely, it’s going to take time to learn tricks, but stay persistent and stay set on what your goal is! Get involved in your local scene, and learn, learn, learn. And make sure it stays fun! If you’re getting frustrated even with help from peers and videos, skip it for now and eventually it’ll click down the road. Plastic whip was one of those tricks for me.
What do you want to tell the world?
I love you all, and I’m honored that you’ve made it this far into the interview. Thanks for reading!!!
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Kudos to you @Bobparty, you’re making a tremendous contribution to the content here on the YYE Forum. Every one of these profiles has been inspiring to read. Please keep them coming. Thank you!
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Thank you so much @yoyo_cubicle y’all truly don’t know how much it means to hear that
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These are simply amazing, keep 'em coming!!!
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I gotta echo everyone else. I love reading these. Thank you for taking the time!
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