I yoyo at work at my desk once or twice a day. It’s a call center environment with about 25-30 people in the room. I know everybody back there but I guess it still counts as throwing in public. It’s very rare that someone comments on what I’m doing. Most of the time people just ignore it.
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I became a thrower with a school friend. That’s it
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I really disagree with the whole “I don’t want people to think I’m a show-off” mindset.
First and foremost, do you really care what some strangers at the bus stop secretly think about you? I don’t wanna shatter your world or anything, but they’re already judging you anyway. For the shoes youre wearing, the way you style your hair, the model of iPhone you have, and a million other things. What’s the hang-up, that random people might be jealous that you have a talent? If anyone would look at you throwing in even the slightest negative way, those are not people you want to know.
It’s be different if you were actually trying to make a scene. But there’s a big difference between standing right in the middle of a crowd and throwing flamboyantly, and stepping off to the side and messing around to pass the time.
I usually remove myself a bit from where people are gathered, giving myself some space, and make sure to be aware of my surroundings so Ive got plenty of room. Turn around and face away if you really want to. Most of the time people don’t even notice I’m doing anything at all.
Days when I forget my yoyo i realize just how much time I waste standing around when I’d otherwise be throwing.
Throw in public, respectful of other people, and screw anyone that has a problem with it is my idea about it
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I’ve been throwing outside everyday since the weather in NYC has been A1 - most people don’t care, some will be amused and throw a compliment my way.
Just do it, man. Don’t be a baby 
Also gives you an idea of what tricks are bangers in front of non-throwers/plebians
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Absolutely. Sometimes people will approach me, always with a question or compliment. Usually leads to a five minute convo with someone cool
But if you’re not in the middle of the sidewalk making a spectacle of yourself, it’s someone approaching you on their own, not you showing off
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I usually stand on the curb to give myself an extra few inches above the ground to avoid concrete dings 
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Yeah this is pretty good
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My friend and I always go to the park/university/riverside nearby practising yoyo. Those places are full of other people doing their things, such as dancing, fishing. So it’s ok, people stare at us, but we are also staring at them.
I myself often carry an imperial shaped yoyo on my way to work, give it a throw when I am sure will not hurt the others. Quite enjoy that.
But I think playing yoyo seriously in public is challenging myself. I will do that. It will make me stronger in my heart.
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I had a great experience with this in Manitou Springs, CO this past weekend. Manitou is a really awesome kind of hippyish town that has a decent amount of street musicians and buskers. My wife and I love the place and its bohemian spirit so that’s our chosen getaway. She likes to play devil sticks and I had my yo-yo and we went to a spot just off the main sidewalk by this little fountain. We wanted to play in public and people watch and just enjoy the vibe of the town. Lots of fun comments from passers-by on the sidewalk just above us.
Then the magic - a dude came up with a couple of boxes of obvious leftover restaurant food and asked us if we wanted some food. SO AWESOME! Not only did it reinforce the generous and loving spirit of Manitou (this guy looked somewhat worse off than we felt we did that day), but that our mediocre skills were perceived as good enough to be busk-worthy - haha!
Kind of fun to be just out playing and be mistaken for buskers doing their thing. And again, I’m not that good at all!
So get out there and yoyo in public. I heard lots of comments like “I used to yoyo” or “gee that guy is good all I could ever do was walk the dog”. I bet most of you on these boards would cause spontaneous joy just by being out and throwing.
Anyway, that’s the power you have - the power to create spontaneous joy. I enjoy that as a member of the 501st as well. It’s truly magical to be able to grab that out thin air!
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I went on a school trip to New York a couple weeks ago, and spent a lot of my free time yoyoing. On subways… at parks… while crossing the street… but never found anyone else who yoyo’d 
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I own a restaurant just outside of San Antonio, and when it’s slow and I get ahead of my work, I will pull my Yoyo out at the expo stand and tinker around a little. I always get the question “ do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen a yo-yo!?” Always cracks me up.
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I yo-yo on campus quite a bit. Also in parks while my kids play.
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My dad was filming me yoyoing on a rock at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and there was about 20 people who stopped on the trail to watch, it was pretty cool.
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About 6 years ago at like midnight in an NYC subway station. Kid with long hair was throwing down like a boss. Had a bag full of different throws all player approved legit. Spoke with him, road the train with him spoke a lot more. At the following worlds competition, the one that was at House of Blues Disney Springs he was competing in I believe AP with either two Yoyos on one hand or two strings on one yo-yo,. He did an awesome set, he either got sponsored or placed that day. Can’t remember his name I think it had a “Z” in it or might have been “Tay”. Only time in 30 years that I saw someone who was obviously serious about the sport.
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My typical experience yo-yoing in public is something like this.
throw a weak, crooked breakaway
miss a trapeeze
yo-yo starts tilting
bind it just in time to get it back to my hand
observer: Wow, you’re really good!!
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It might be Ky Zizan, he debuted Double Dragon at worlds 2013, 6 years ago!
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I’ve met other yoyoers on 3 occasions, once because they saw me yoyoing and approached me, once because I saw them yoyoing and approached them, and once I was at the pool hall and saw a G2(A G2!) sitting on a table and immediately started asking around to find out whose it was 
The one that approached me was some guy in his mid-20s that had quit after HS but he said he wanted to get back into it and dig up the old yoyos in his attic after he saw me. I let him try mine and he did some basic stuff and at one point i could tell he was trying to do kwijibo and cold fusion but he couldn’t remember exactly how they went.
The one I saw yoyoing in public was actually a pair of guys that were learning unresponsive. I don’t think they were super invested in the hobby and was just learning it to learn it but we talked a bit, it blew their mind when they watched me do horizontal with their yoyos 
The one with the G2 was actually pretty good. He wasn’t as smooth but his tricks were pretty good, he was more of a slack player so very different from me. He told me about how he collected G2s and he’s on the FB BST but he’s just an occasional lurker.
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Ty Zizan was the dude! That was a remarkable performance. And from that bio on him looks like he made quite an impact during his career. Sad he wasn’t allowed to compete in AP but the man made some real sacrifices to try to further the style he invited.
Thanks @MarkD
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@Egon I know a dude who’s a member of NYYYC (New York yoyo club) that does double dragon 5A (two strings on one yoyo) he’s mad
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Haha this happened to me a few weeks ago. “Could I just watch?” Maybe I hit a trapeeze(not that I’m that great anyway).
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