Happy Friday!!
Great profile with Marc Zuno from team Enzo!! I believe a lot of what they say will really resonate with us all!!
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
Way back around 2008 or 2009 - I don’t remember exactly when - my grandparents bought me a brain type, light up yoyo and I thought it was just kinda cool. My uncle showed me a few tricks on it like around the world and rock the baby and such. Learning the absolute basic tricks made me more interested, but what really got me hooked was what I did next. I searched “yoyo god” on YouTube. The video that I clicked on from that search was of the winning routine from the 2006 world yoyo contest in the 1A division, Hiroyuki Suzuki. I watched that routine just, mesmerized. I swore right then and there that I was going to reach that level of yoyoing.
What is your goal in 2025 for yourself? Yo-yo or not!
My goal for myself in 2025 in yoyo, higher placements for sure. I want to win contests. I made finals at the World Yoyo Contest before I had won a pro contest. I got my first professional contest win in November of 2024 at the Colorado State Yoyo contest. I also want to push my competitive abilities even further and I want to make routines that don’t just score and present well, but feel like they fit me and express a message. I want to surpass my ceiling and push myself even further. I want there to be a noticeable, big improvement. I also want to continue supporting everyone and I want to be a lot more social, as I have a bit of a hard time with that. For anyone who meets me, I know I can be somewhat awkward, but I really do appreciate everyone that comes up to me.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Assuming I’d still be competing, it’d be the Gear 5. The Gear 5 is able to handle everything I throw at it and it fits me like a glove. Assuming I was retired from competing, it’d be the UI. The UI is just too fun and still holds up with my trickset.
What trick are you working on currently?
Rather than a specific trick, I’m working on making my tricks look more presentable. What I mean by that, is rather than just doing trickshots - not that I plan to stop doing trickshots of course - I want my tricks to transition to each other more smoothly. I want my tricks to look like they blend together, rather than being lots of separate elements being done quickly and incoherently.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Double green triangle ninja vanish. Even after many attempts, I can get it right once every 30 tries or so. It’s not a trick I especially need anyway.
What’s your favorite trick?
I can’t think of a specific one because I know quite a few that are about as amazing as each other. I would say I really enjoy seeing dynamic body tricks and trickshot type tricks. What’s really cool is seeing a trick and getting chills or being crazy impressed. I hope I have tricks that can get that kind of reaction out of other people and hopefully provide inspiration.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
The UI by my amazing sponsor, Enso. It’s the first yoyo of theirs I ever tried and it is always such a fun throw to go back to. The way it rings as I just casually do tricks makes me feel so cool. Close second would be the Metatron’s Cube.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
The most meaningful throw I have is probably my half swapped UI. It was the first yoyo Enso ever sent me. I half swapped it with my teammate Cisco, shortly after I joined Team Enso. To me, it represents my welcoming into team Enso and also the bond that I’m able to share with this amazing company that took a chance on me at a time when I really needed it.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
It used to be accidentally poking myself trying to deshield bearings. I haven’t had to worry about that since I only use NSK bearings for competition now. My bad habit now is not cleaning my bearings until it actually becomes a problem. I also have a habit of not pacing my practice sessions. Often I’ll just do a full burst of practice until I’m wiped, rather than doing a few runs at different times of the day.
What kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Yoyo has kind of taken priority over my other hobbies to be honest. I like to play video games sometimes. I used to play a lot of Rainbow Six Siege and Osu! I watch a lot of anime, mostly random anime that aren’t usually brought up in conversation with others though. Same deal with manga, literally whatever catches my attention I’ll look into. I also really enjoy hanging out with my friends when I get the chance to.
What song best fits your personality?
The song “Blue Light” by Ike Eveland. I heavily resonated with this song before I finally started seeing results in yoyo. It summed up my exact feelings that I had even before the song had been released. “Blue Light” is about feeling like you’re wasting time and not really seeing any significant progress. It’s about feeling afraid to take a step forward despite really wanting to. Feeling inadequate and like no matter what you do, it’s never enough to satisfy yourself. Near the end of the song, there’s a mention of being reborn as somebody new and I feel as though I was finally able to take a step in that direction once I put in more effort than I ever had before and proved what I was capable of - not just to everyone else, but to myself - at the 2023 US National Yoyo Contest. It was more than yoyo to me. I was finally making my mark in a way and not just existing without purpose. This song is a reminder that having no goal makes me feel empty and leads to just being sad and lonely. I took a step away from my comfort zone and from my solitude. I am very lucky to have the friends and support system that I do. I’m glad that I can acknowledge my abilities, even if not fully yet.
Favorite restaurant and order?
Buffalo Wild Wings. My favorite order is Mango Habanero boneless wings with a root beer(or margarita) and a side of fries.
Favorite movie and or Book?
I actually don’t watch too many movies. My favorite movie that I can think of is “A Silent Voice.” My favorite shows are “Code Geass,” “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime,” and “Violet Evergarden.”
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
Yoyoing to me, is proof that I’m capable of achieving what I want through dedication. Yoyoing gives me self confidence, something to look forward to, courage and purpose. It has given me amazing friends and a place of belonging in a community that is so supportive.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby?
My favorite memory is when I heard my name called during the results announcement for the semi final round at the 2024 world yoyo contest. It determined who was making finals. I still remember the pressure in the room as everyone there was on the absolute edge of their seats waiting to hear the names of either themselves or of those they wanted to make it through. I could feel and hear my heartbeat as I stood there listening closely in anticipation of my name potentially being called. One by one, the country and the name until I heard: “United States, Marc Zuno,” and then just a wave of emotion washed over me. Mostly happiness and excitement. I was flooded by my friends in a big celebratory circle. All my friends and acquaintances cheered loudly. I was hugged, patted on the back, high fived, everything. I got a picture with my sponsor as well and it is one of my favorite pictures because I look and am genuinely happy in the photo. I called my mom after the announcements were finished. All the relief set in at that moment on the phone call with my mother and I just cried tears of joy. I was officially - placement wise - in the world’s top 20 1A yoyoers.
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
It’s hard to say. I wasn’t heavily into the community until I started getting results in competitions recently. If I think really hard about it - to me it seems - people seem to value the scoring system more now than they did in the past. Especially the new generation of up and coming yoyoers. They seem especially interested in how clicking works. Clicking isn’t all there is to a routine of course, but it is essential knowledge for throwers looking to get real results. I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all for them to learn that either. Honestly, I would have loved to know how clicking worked way earlier on. I wonder if I would have had a lot of success if I had that knowledge back when I was competing in 2015-2018. Information on how clicking works is way more accessible now compared to back then. I also want to note that not everyone wants to compete and they just like to yoyo. That is completely fine. At the end of the day, yoyo is for fun. If you’re not having fun with it, then there’s no point in doing it.
If you never picked up a yo-yo - what would things look like now?
I actually have no idea. Since I grew up yoyoing, it shaped so much about me and created relationships/dynamics that I just would not have had if I weren’t a yoyoer. I made many acquaintances(that didn’t yoyo) when I was younger simply because I knew how to yoyo and was pretty alright at it. They’d take interest and ask questions. I was able to make a few genuine connections outside of yoyo because of it. I think it would have been a lot harder for me to socialize if I didn’t have yoyo in my life. I’ve always been a pretty shy person. Yoyo opened opportunities for me to talk to more people, and especially more now that I’m legitimately in the community. If I didn’t yoyo, I can’t say with confidence that I’d have another hobby that I would have gone pro in. I stuck with yoyo because I felt I had a talent for it. After sticking with it for so long, I can’t find it in me to stop, and I genuinely don’t want to stop.
Advice/words of wisdom to new players?
Do not be afraid to ask for help. I was in a rut for years because I was too nervous/scared to just reach out and ask for help.
What do you want to tell the world?
No matter your ethnicity, background, orientation, identity or physical appearance. You are valid. You are capable of achieving what you want to. As long as what you are after - or who you want to be - is not causing harm to anyone, it is not a problem. Anyone who doesn’t support you, will just have to deal with it. Do not be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Be tolerant, be respectful and do not be afraid to be your authentic self. And for any hobby out there - yoyo or not - have fun with it. Stay safe everyone. If you read this far, I truly appreciate it. Thank you.