The Wooly Marmot was always one of those sought after yoyos I dreamed of having when I began yoyoing. I remember making a list of yoyos I wanted, this yoyo always being near the top of that list. Once Yoyoexpert restocked these wonderful gems, I knew I had to have one. I ripped open my mail box on Monday, and a whole new love for Canada was spawned in my soul (and my hands.) This is my review of the CLYW Wooly Marmot.
Specs
Diameter: 50.2mm
Width: 40.6mm
Weight: 66g
Bearing: Size C (Large)
Response: Flowable Silicone (Stock)
Price: $114.99
First Impressions
The Wooly Marmot comes packaged in the trademark CLYW brown box. No fancy artwork with this run, just a little sketch of the marmot character with mammoth tusks. As I lifted the lid to the box, I got sunburn from the awesome glory of my 28 Stories Wooly Marmot :o. It was wrapped in some brown tissue paper- esque material and included a single piece of yellow polyester string. I lifted the yoyo out of the box to examine the fine details. The first thing I noticed was how flawless the anodize job was. Not a single masking error or scuff. Just perfect blue and silver acid wash with red splash finish; resembling a blood splattered sky. The next thing I noticed was the feeling of the the surface finish. This is probably the best finish I have felt on a yoyo, better than my 888x! Shape is nothing incredibly odd but has a twist with a subtle angle on the rims and wall. The most striking feature the of Wooly Marmot’s shape is the inner cup. The spike surrounded by sharp angular cuts gives a truly wicked look to the yoyo and perfectly matches it’s big brother, the Peak.
Play
In two words, floaty and fast! My gosh this thing was a godsend in my eyes! Right out of the box, unresponsive. Dry large bearing, flowable silicone response, undersized, lightweight, my kind of throwdown machine!!! It handled every trick I threw at it, and didn’t try to fight back when I tried to push it. The grinding surface is THE BEST I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED!!! It has a wonderful soft touch to it that just glides across your skin. One thing I noticed about the Wooly Marmot was it’s prominent “bouncy” feel to it. It had a gravitational pull to fast moving hop tricks, similar to Jensen Kimmitt’s style. Considering this yoyo as being his signature model, I can see why this was his weapon of choice. One thing to point out, this run was a gram heavier than the first run. At 66 grams, it still retains it’s floaty presence on the string and fast pace. As my first Caribou Lodge edition to my collection, I can say that this beats most of my YoYoFactory collection. That’s saying something in my opinion.
Pros And Cons
Pros: Fast, floaty feel. Great surface finish. Dead smooth. Great IRG. Extremely comfortable in the hand.
Cons: Can a be a little tilty, not too bad. Spikes aren’t quite sharp enough for matador style tricks. High sellout rate 
Final Thoughts
I must say, this could be my new favorite throw, favorite manufacturer even. CLYW did the job with a great undersized throw with some real playing power. Yoyoexpert still has a few in stock so I highly recommend pickin one up if you have the cash. All in all, one amazing yoyo.
(pics coming soon)
