I recently picked up a few of these for nostalgia’s sake.
Back in 2000, I was in middle school and threw Yomega Brains with a few friends in my neighborhood. There was a local store in Altoona, IA, called Julia’s Hobbies. We used to make regular trips over there on our GT and Dyno bicycles to browse the selection and see if she had any new, exciting yoyos.
One day, there was a badass-looking metal throw called a Yomega Wing Force. At $40, it seemed absurdly expensive. There it sat, in a plastic case on a red, velvet-looking base. The fact that it was metal seemed especially cool. I pestered my parents until they forked over the cash, and it turned out that a few of my friends did the same. I don’t know what happened to mine over the years, but I remember taking it over to my father’s house every other weekend and playing with it non-stop. So many great memories!
I got back into yoyos a few years ago when I went to speak at a trade show and noticed a vendor handing them out at their booth. They were cheap copies of the Yomega Brain, but I took one home and it reignited the joy that I felt nearly twenty years ago. I decided to see if any hobby communities existed online. You might imagine my surprise when I discovered /r/throwers and this forum. I immediately ordered a Recess First Base after some research, and in the meantime, I picked up a cheap Duncan Butterfly at Walmart since the string on my knockoff Brain was nearly destroyed and nobody in town sold string.
Recently, I scored a few old Yomega Wing Forces through eBay. They obviously don’t play as well as modern yoyos, but they sure do bring back the memories. Here’s some photos if you’re interested.
Dude…you just punched me full force right in the nostalgia gut. Not because of the Wing Force exactly, but those summer bike rides to the local toy store (on our chrome GT Dynos/Diamondbacks) which was several miles away. They sold “exotic yoyos” there, being yoyos other than Duncan that you’d find at Walgreens. We always headed off to the store throughout the summer to see if they had anything new as that’s where I bought my Fireball (which was an adventure in itself, waiting for restock). There was one day I had actually gone to the shopping center with my dad and I had just about enough money saved up for the Yomega Raider they had, needed some financial assistance from him and convinced him to spot me the extra cash. I never did see the Wing Force over there but the Raider came in that same style of case…giving it a premium look.
I still have my Raider from the 90s, albeit a tad faded and different bearing/spacers as the original bearing/spacers are long gone…yoyo had unscrewed mid trick and pieces got lost out in the yard.
Sadly, this toy shop is long gone and closed in the late 90s/early 2000’s. Last visit there I bought a Yomega Brain, in which I also still have today. I miss that place, was something different than your typical findings at Toys R Us, Walmart, or Target.
HA! Heck yes, I spent all my birthday money plus a generous donation from Dad to nab this. I was probably 12 years old? I’ve got so many hours on this thing, and I remember like feeling like such a baller because I could pull off 3 full reps of Atomic Bomb. Lots of memories connected to this one. For sure my most nostalgic throw. I managed to keep track of it for all these years, although I’m pretty sure Mom was keeping it in a shoebox in the basement from the ages of 16-23.
I got back into yo-yos in college as a distraction when I quit smoking cigarettes, and now I bust out the yo-yo when I need a break at the office.
i got one a couple years back myself. same as you they were expensive and i was a poor teenager when they came out. McBride used these in a video for velvet rolls (3a). its not bad for some 0a stuff. when people call 40 mm slimline, i can’t help but laugh. No, THIS is Slimline.
Different Yomega, similar story. I grew up in central CT, and I think it was 1997, I would walk/ride my bike “downtown” (the handful of stores around the town green) and go to the comic book/CD/general nerdery-type store. Not sure what prompted me, I had no yo-yo influence around me, probably that I loved the color and it seemed cool, but there was a Yomega Saber Raider and I plunked down the cash for it.
I tried to use it as I walked home, classic newbie, palm down, dribble drop style. I got inside and my Mom interrupted me to say there’s a better way to do that. I scoffed, she threw it correctly, and got that nice spin.
I only really learned a couple of tricks as it followed me to college, various living places around southern New England, and eventually abroad for a couple years, getting use here or there. I have no idea how I haven’t lost it yet; the Saber Raider continues on, graphics long worn, steady, smooth spinning.
