I agree with studio 42 I think when they go to fast you can’t see what’s really happening and it all just fades together into one big blur. When you go slow and work on being fluid like Jensen Kimmit then you can see what’s actually happening and I find it easier to appreciate the skill and talent.
i think mickey has it right… you can play fast, but put on a show, and have some variety… like it was said earlier, dont stuff as much as you can into one spin if the performence and artistry suffers
Everyone is saying some really great points and thoughts. I’m working on developing my own style. Not really caring if it is the same as someone else’s or not, just what I enjoy. I also love the concept of it should be based on the trick not really the personal preference even though they are kinda molded. A zipper needs to go fast to make it look right, kwijibo to me, looks better slow and fluid like you are showcasing each jump and land and movement.
What works for me is steady and fluid with speed ups and slow downs depending on the combo and trick and even have elements within the same combo that push it faster and then slow it down.
Mark Montgomery has the onebest styles. IMO. Fast, and it looks really cool. Stuff like brain twister combos are only fun if the fast, while more technical stuff, like ladder escape for example, just looks silly when you go to fast.
Mickey is definitely a natural showman. I saw stuff of his back in 2001, he was already a showman then. He does bring the complete package to the table, just these days, that package isn’t enough to win that #1 position. I think he knows people are tired of the speed-demon moves, but he also knows he can’t eliminate that out. He’s adding ground elements and more horizontal as well. He is evolving, just not sufficiently. Still an amazing player. I’ve also seen him do horizontal slow(YouTube of course). The guy knows his stuff very well. This type of skill comes from years of dedication, practice and love of the yoyo. Then again, so are the top competitors.
As far as the blur, he’s too fast for the cameras, but then so are most of the top players these days. Speed is a required element now apparently. If you could SEE it in person, your eyes are superior to any camera. Granted, you may not be able to fully digest what you’re seeing, but you’ll see it perfectly clear.
For me, I’m amazed sometimes that I can do anything from what little I know. But, throwing for yourself, you have no rules to break, no rules to follow and no styles to worry about. And if I can get to Worlds(not as a performer), I’m gonna try to be throwing, but don’t be shocked if I don’t. It’s intense focus for me and once I get in the sound zone, I rarely break. My biggest problem is that I’m so amazed by what these performers can do just in video, seeing it live would just be a mind blower, so to speak.
If you get to join me at worlds this year Studio we will certainly be focused during show time, but after that, there is so many people throwing all over that you can’t helped but get caught up in it all. Grabbing the greats and having them show you tricks and give you pointers and ways to improve is just amazing. Seeing a hundred people in a room with yoyos flying every where is just awesome. Also to keep in line with the post and thread, you will see so many different styles.
I hope people realize that slow and fast is one thing, a combination of them is even the same, but there are so many sub genres within the speed. People who do slacks, people who do hops, people who do chops, all sorts of different styles and styles within styles and flows and flows within flows that are so awesome and you know what you like and feels right then you see this 7 year old throwing out some crazy awesome tricks and your like SON GET OVER HERE AND SHOW ME THAT AGAIN! and what is awesome is that almost everyone there is extremely happy to show you anything and everything. So trust me. If you are like me and it seems like you are, you are a perfectionist and yes our focus will be on the show, but once showtime is over and show prep is done, it will be on like donkey kong in the yoyo room haha.