Hey Folks,
It’s been a couple years now since I’ve thrown, now I’m hooked again. Some of you may remember me as YAKtastic from Theyo forum years ago (probably not, it’s okay). To make a long story short as I entered high school I found something a little more addicting then yoyoing and invested all my time, spent all my money, and stopped all my hobbies to pursue it. Eventually after some odd years that path had run it’s course but even after stopping i was left with debts. As I was digging through my old home looking for things to sell I found my yoyos and a month later I haven’t put them down.
I have made a couple observations looking around on the forums on how things have changed in the yoyoing world since I’ve been gone and figured I’d write a little about them because I find them very exciting and interesting. Some of these changes were slow evolutions and if you’ve been continually keeping track of yoyoing you may not have gotten the chance to appreciate them as I have. Maybe you have and would enjoy reminiscing, or maybe I’m egotistic falsely thinking I have good insight. (Probably the latter)
-When I stopped was around the time the first G5 was released. The first yoyo that had the “H” shape to my knowledge. As exciting as this shape was, plently of people thought this shape to be a gimmick. Now, I noticed the majority of yoyos are designed with this shape. Granted, some more subtle than others, but overall this seems the be the new staple shape, and for good reason. Physics wise this seems to make sense.
-Good God these rookies are good. I remember scrolling the the video sections at Theyo and got bored within the first 15 seconds. Scrolling the video section now I am finding inspiration from people throwing noticebly less time than me. I assume partial credit is the amazing guides YoyoExpert has made, and various other people who have graciously taken their time to make video guides to more underground tricks and styles. Thank you by the way for people who post both tutorial and freestyle videos. It takes a lot of courage for a young kid to put his new skills out there, and so many have made great videos.
-It seems the whole speed and technical tricks used to dominate freestyles, but I see some buttery smooth innovating freestyles actually placing in competition. I figured at 2009 all the yoyo tricks had already been made and yoyoing wouldn’t get better. I could not have been more wrong. I can’t watch a single video without noticing new tricks and techniques. My head is just swarming with inspiration from watching both rookies and pros.
What I really want to say is THANK YOU. for taking this simple thing and keep pushing it’s limits. It shows incredible ingenuity and persistence. I know what your saying. Hey IdleHands(Luke)! Stop acting like some experienced yoyoer who has been around for it all when really your still young and weren’t even there in the beginning of competion yoyoing. This is true, I was never that good in the first place or ever was that active in the yoyoing community, but I am just so amazed at the mindblowing leaps yoyoing has made over the last couple years. Thank you, both new and experienced, young and old, for inspiring me to pick up a yoyo instead of a drink or a drug. I’ll see you at VA states! if i’m not working…
