My Tribute to Ryan "Harry Houdini" Monson

If you haven’t already, be sure to check YoyoJam Files’ recent fan feature on Ryan Monson, also known as “Harry Houdini.” He was an amazing player as well as a stand-up guy. RIP man.

http://yyjfiles.blogspot.com/2012/04/fan-feature-ryan-houdini-monson-his.html

Thanks for all guys’ support lately too on my blog, I appreciate all the submissions, and I love it the more you send in! Spread the love for YYJ.

Anyways, til later, love in, peace out.

  • Johnny Narum
6 Likes

that was really good…i feel quieted.

i had just started yo yoin’, when houdini passed away. his online tutorials taught me how to yo yo - and i had just started comin’ to the boards and such.

though i did not know houdini personally or online very well - i remember the day the announcement made, and how much of a shock and loss was felt.

thanks for the post…i really like that story.

mgodinez

cloudy…

I heard about this fellow a few years back when I was surfing on youtube about binding (I think it might have actually been the first tutorial I saw) and then I found the sad news.

That insta-callus video was quite humorous; It might just have made my day! Haha…

I must say, he was quite the fellow on the skill sense of yo-ing…I remember watching some of his things back in 2004, before I even really started yo-ing. Cool guy, even though I never met him. He really seemed to enjoy the sport a lot.

1 Like

Thanks for posting this because in all seriousness his memory NEEDS to live on. Ryan was a great kid, I just know it somehow and someway. Sure he was shy when it came to contests but he was still overall a good kid and contributed to the community.

I remember he was hard working on Dif-spinners, and his online tutorials, it brought about a new age in yoyoing due to the bind technique tutorial.

Thank Ryan for everything, and thank you John for posting this.

At my age(57) I have known alot of people that just memories now… But some folks just stand out as leaving the Planet Earth sooner than expected. Ryan is right at the front of my brain as a guy that checked out wayyyyyyyyyyyy ahead of schedule. I Always think good thoughts for his family; hoping they can pass each day with some enjoyment in their own lives; remembering the great times they had during Ryans’ life and knowing soo many of us also miss the kid… His legacy is the help he gave to the yoyo community and the videos we can rewatch until we eventually check out… I like to think;; think anyways; that I am part of the YoyoPuzzle. And if you ever messed with putting together a Puzzle; even one with 2500 pieces or more; you know that every piece is important in some way. The corner of a building. A piece of Grass. A little part of the blue sky. All the parts come together to form something complete. On this simple Planet; we have a WorldWide YoyoPuzzle. Especially with the evolution of the ‘internet connection’. Soo many people that will most likely never actually meet in person still get to know each other; from a distance. But on the Internet; it’s almost like we are 10 feet away. Sharing, laughing, teasing, learning, arguing. Trying to outsmart each other, etc. But all the time becoming friends to one degree or another. We have a bond or sorts. A common Ground. An understanding. Mostly we are all better for what we go through. Even if some are just passing through the Yoyo scene; they are better for it.

Ryan was an Amazing yoer and an Amazing person. It is said that 'there is a replacement for everyone. This is not the first time or the last time I will disagree with some old phrase. But that is just what I am gonna do about that one. Because in my view; there is No 'Replacement for Houdini. We still have a WorldWide YoyoPuzzle. And even though the World goes on and the YoyoCrowd marches on; the Puzzle is missing a very special piece. His name is Ryan ‘Houdini’ Monson.

It is said that,’ As long as someone, anyone; remembers you or speaks your name; you are not forgotten. Forgetting Ryan won’t happen any time soon or anytime ever. He was that kinda guy. That’s all…
~ Mo Chavez, San Pedro, California

R

3 Likes

I don’t know Harry at all, as I was introduced to modern yoyoing 5 years after he passed. But I read a lot about him when I was doing ‘research’ to keep myself relevant to the times. He must have impacted a lot of people to have this legacy carried on.

I am pretty sure he’s really happy, wherever he is right now.