All - today I am proud to present Matt Mullins!!
Matt is great thrower, one of the kindest/funniest people I’ve had the chance to interact with, and just an all around great guy!
If you haven’t ever visited his insta/youtube/tiktok you better change that today - his posts will have you rolling on the floor, along with seeing some great tricks!!
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
I started throwing when my father got two premium nice yoyos for Christmas when I was around the age of 13 to 14. Even though I grew up around other skill toys, his Yo-yo quickly turned into my yo-yo as I could not put it down. The only tricks dad knew how to really do was double or nothing or trap. The other stuff was simple picture tricks.
What is your goal in 2025 for yourself?
I hope to continue to grow as a man and as a Yo-yoer. I hope to continue to work towards my second master’s degree and am debating starting a part time online law degree. I mean hell why not try to make the world a better place if I can?
I hope to make moves on a signature yo-yo for me as well as continue to grow all of my relationships around me. Other goals I have is to be more patient, be more understanding of peoples emotions as well as just trying to be a more understanding person in general.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
G2 Mongoose
What trick are you working on currently?
Rancid Milk. I have seen so many legends just killing this trick on Instagram lately I really got insprised to try to perfect it myself. Not an easy trick, but very rewarding.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Whichever one I am learning at that time. I am the type of person where I have to break each element of a trick down step by step, so I would say they all give me difficulty in the beginning. But Three Six Mafia taught me you got to keep grinding and hustlin or these haters gonna pile up on you.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
The Freehand Zero. My whole yo-yoing journey revolves around this yo-yo. I have been lucky enough to own hundreds of them and have had the pleasure of selling Zeros at two different retail locations. The Freehand zero is what helped me make so many connections with the older Duncan Crew and I will forever be thankful for those friendships I made during the days of chasing those Escolar Dreams.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
My dad worked for a company called Colson Casters practically his whole life, when he passed his 35th anniversary with the company, instead of a watch he had a Stainless-Steel yoyo made with his company’s logo and the phrase 35 years engraved on the Yo-yo. My dad has now passed, and I have lots of other yoyos that belonged to him, but the stainless-steel work anniversary stays in the cabinet. I feel like it’s my legacy to protect what he worked so hard for.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
I will get a knot in your Yo-yo and hand it back to you. Don’t think you’re special though I do that to my own as well. I get knots constantly and put them back in my case. So, in a few days when I pick that yoyo up, I often get surprises.
What’s be kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Just try to be a good father and husband. I have a full-time job and I’m in school, so that adds a little pressure to say the least. But also, my wife is our town’s mayor, so we are constantly juggling other people’s needs and wants.
I have always been interested in collecting toys, particularly toys that my father wanted in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I have a massive love for MEGO’s, but particularly the Planet of the Apes line. My father told me a story in my childhood where all he asked his parents for, for Christmas was a Dr. Zauis figure…. but when they got to the store all they had was a Gorilla Soldier. This story lead me down a rabit hole of ape collecting, with the heart of it being hunting specifically for Gorilla Soldier Megos. I will include my old collection photos below (these have all been sold for yo-yos) hahahaha
What fictional character best fits who you are?
Dale Gribble but my wife made me quick smokin darts.
Favorite restaurant and order?
I’m a little trashy so I’m gonna go Olive Garden, because hell we are family, right?
And I’m gonna have the Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara with Angel Hair Pasta…Keep the soup, mamma didn’t raise no quitter, bring the salaaaad.
Favorite movie and or Book?
The 1968 Film, The Planet of the Apes.
But really if you have a spare day watch all five of the original films. John Chambers did some of the most amazing makeup/fx work that had ever been done for its time, and if you give any of these films a chance I hope you will agree. The actors sometimes had to sit in makeup chairs for up to 5 hours……If I sit on my toilet scrolling on Instagram for 30 minutes my wife is gonna have to come help me get up.
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
Everything. It’s how I have expressed myself for over 20 years.
I have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful people in this community who are now brothers to me. I am so thankful for everything this community has ever given to me and I hope that my content gives joy like you guys have given me over the years.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
I have so many….I think I’m gonna give two here
My first experience ever meeting a yoyoer in person was me going to meet Bo Jack in Nashville. The year is 2009 my friend, and I had never met bo jack, didn’t know him or anything about him, other than he had the largest Freehand Zero Collection at the time. I also need to mention that the only way we had ever communicated before meeting was on AOL messenger, where I still remember my username was Carey The Moose.
So my mother being the protective type let me drive 6 hours to Nashville to meet Bo Jack for the first time. “Don’t worry mom, he’s got all the FHZ’s MIP, there is no way he will kill me”. Thankfully he didn’t kill me, and Bo Jack went on to be a legend in our business.
Running the Duncan Crew for a few years and getting to head the project that originally brought Duncan to Disney Parks in the early 2010s. Years later…and I mean years…10 plus. I go to Orlando to meet up with Bo Jack and homie said, “Dude, we got to take you to Disney since you’ve never been” I bring this up because I got to attend Bo Jacks wedding a few years ago, where he married his beautiful wife Kristen, and that night at Disney, guess who went with us….Kristen….I got to third wheel one of there first dates…how special is that. I will include photos of my journeys.
First Photo: In Front of Duncan Cart, located in Downtown Disney, Orlando.
Second Photo: Me and Bo Jack and both of our beautiful wives.
Third Photo: Sebby Brock, Me, Bo Jack, Issac Sams
Second Story is about a person I met on that first visit I had to Nashville, an old man who came to the meet that I got to go to. A gentleman named Abner Jones.
Abner Jones lives in Kentucky, still to this day and I live in Arkansas. Yall, this dude would pick me up and take me to contest. I was young. 20s. Didn’t have money. Abner would constantly go out of his way, to travel two states over, so I could go meet my “heroes” at these contests. I remember traveling from Arkansas to Indiana in 2011 with Abner and telling him just how terrified I was of meeting Takeshi…You know…Takeshi…The Freehand God…The guy who modded yoyos with a fing Antenna. Yeah…The GOAT. Well, Abner remembered ha-ha. And when we walked up to Takeshi, the first thing he said to him was, “Takeshi, this boy wants to kiss you”
I owe Abner so much. He was with me when my father died, and I look at him like a Grandfather that I hope I never lose. When I found G2 I called Abner and told him that I reached my goal of being a professional yoyoer and I could just hear the tears coming down his face and you could hear the pain he felt for both of us with my father not being there with us physically to celebrate.
I have so many more to be honest. Worlds last year was the best yoyo trip I ever took. But I feel I might need to move on now hahaha
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
The Community is the same in a lot of ways, most of the people on top are the same.
People do come and go, but they always have.
What I’ve found in the years is that people sometimes have to take breaks, I’ve been guilty of it, but they usually come home.
Our needs as consumers have definitely went up though….I need all the yoyos
If you never picked up a yo-yo - what would things look like now?
I’d probably be a criminal. I picked up a yoyo at 13 years old and I wasn’t on the greatest path. D’s in school…didn’t want to listen to my parents…just making bad decisions.
I think Yo-yoing saved my life.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Have fun. Grow at your own pace. And don’t stress yourself financially or emotionally to keep up with the jones’
Yo-yos come and go, but our relationships in this community is what keeps us all strong.
Whats you want to tell the world?
To chase your dreams. No matter how big or small, if it brings you happiness, then it is so very important that you chase that with all your being.
Be Nice to people and remember that everyone has ■■■■ going on. Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Also just want to take a second to thank BobParty/Tyler for doing this. It’s a super fun way to get to know our friends even more.
Peace love and Chicken Grease,
Let’s Ride
I love all of you.
Matt Mullins