Have you ever felt like you’ve gone unrecognized for something you’ve done that you thought was great? Perhaps it was the extra effort you put into a school assignment, or the time you went above and beyond the call of duty at work or left an extra special something for a significant other. And yet for some reason everyone seems to just proceed with their lives, unphased like nothing ever happened. If there was one likeness to this in the world of yo-yoing, without a doubt it would be the Skyline, the unsung hero of YoYoFactory. Christmas has paid off early for me once again, and I get the treat of reviewing what is described as a “combination of the stability that the G5’s rim weight provides, and the smoothness of the 888” (loosely quoted from the YoYoExpert.com product description). Could it really live up to the high bar set by such a promising description? I was sure ready to find out; the Skyline awaits!
The Inspection
“Breathtaking” is the first word that comes to mind when I think back to the first time I saw my blue Skyline. Sure, there’s no elaborate splash finish or radically new, unorthodox shape to this yo-yo, but what is there was more than enough to make an effective statement for me. The immaculate beadblasted blue finish is silky smooth to the touch and absolutely beautiful (I do have a weak spot for a rich, deep blue finish, as any followers of my reviews have surely caught onto by now :P), and the tasteful city night skyline laser engraving inside the cup is perfect in portraying an image of coolness and high class.
To get an idea of the Skyline’s shape, imagine if the G5, DV888, and 888 all had an estranged lovechild together and you’ve got the picture. It has a highwall design much like the DV888 and later model 888s, and the walls are left unblasted to lessen string wear. Bonus points awarded. The wings are sloped somewhere in between that of the 888 and DV888, coming to the protruding rims, a feature borrowed from the G5, although not nearly as obtrusive. Top it all off with the YoYoFactory hubstack system, and you’ve got yourself a Skyline!
Inspecting the guts, passing over the standard YYF SPEC size C bearing, I was surprised to find a shorter DV888 sized axle where I was expecting to find a much longer 888 sized one. Hopefully this wouldn’t hinder the stability, but more on that later. The K-Pads were of course a familiar warm welcome for me, but I was surprised to see that they didn’t actually lay flush with the inner walls; they actually stuck out a bit to just below the height of the bearing seat. Interesting. Usually you’d expect to see every effort to eliminate response on a yo-yo like this.
At this point, things were just getting too irresistible. So much in fact that I completely glossed over the fact that there was no name card included in the packaging, just as it was amiss on my 888 (did they stop including these?). No time to worry over small details like this right now though; time to slap on the Alchemy string, and give this thing a throw!
The First Throw
I wound up and gave the Skyline my usual medium-strength sleeper, and I was immediately pleased with what lay in wait. It flowed smoothly all the way down the string and slept just as promised—888 smooth (maybe with just a hair more vibe, at most enough to give you a firm indication of your remaining spin time), even with the stock SPEC still in place! To clarify, this is the first positive experience I’ve had with a SPEC bearing. The one that came in my DV888 crapped out on me within 24 hours and the one in my 888 was a dud from the start, so this was very pleasing to find, as they’re very good bearings when they actually decide to work. Binding it back was something I could only describe as solid: tight, snappy, no slippage, and it slapped firmly back into my palm. Everything checks out so far, so after a quick swap to a Center Trac Bearing, it’s onto the test we go!
The Test
Describing the play of the Skyline is not an easy task. Incredible? Spectacular? I’m not sure if there really is a word in the English language to describe how great this yo-yo plays. OK, I’m going a bit overboard here, but it really is an amazing throw, combining most of the features I love about the 888 with everything I missed from the DV888. It’s not a floater by any means, but the heavy rims offset the center weight provided by the hubstacks to give it a just-right weight distribution. Again, it’s not a floater, but it’s nowhere near a boat anchor on a string either, still leaving plenty of hangtime for midair string maneuvers and lacerations. It’s once again something I can only describe as solid.
Weighing in at 65 grams, the Skyline is a tad heavier than the 888, and slightly lighter than the DV888, but on the string those rims really seem to bring out every ounce. It’s right in that sweet spot for weight too, so couple that with the (DV)888/G5 fused shape, and you’ve got a colossal player that will play as quick and flashy or as slow and stylish as you want it to. With the solid feel that the weight provides, you really feel like you are in complete control of this yo-yo at all times, as it smoothly navigates through any maneuver you throw at it with utmost certainty.
To revisit stability, I’d say the shorter axle did not hinder the Skylines stability in any way. Admittedly, on a bad throw you can expect some wobble, as with just about any heavily rim-weighted H-shaped yo-yo, but once in play for a few seconds it levels out nicely and returns to hot-knife-through-butter smoothness. The high walls add yet an extra element of stability. If you somehow manage to tilt this one mid-play (which is not an easy task unless you start off with a crooked throw), correcting the tilt is effective and quick to respond without sacrificing too much spin. Even on my string tension adjusting techniques, such as that from split bottom mount, the Skyline remains steadfast and solid where other yo-yos would easily tilt as soon as the string hit the sides. I do feel like the highwall design does have its drawback, though. If it does end up tilted during play, you’ll definitely know it, as the relatively sharp edge of the wall produces somewhat of a scraping (although perhaps less abrasive) feeling while in contact with the string. Don’t worry though. I have yet to experience a problem with string wear even with this factor in play. It just feels slightly uncomfortable when it happens.
The feature of the Skyline that really won me over, though, is the response. To speak subjectively, I personally like to feel the string contact the response all the way until the yo-yo reaches the very bottom of the string. With the gap measuring in just below the 5 mm mark, and the aforementioned slightly protruding pads, the Skyline completely delivers on this demand, even with my slippery Alchemy string. Even with the slightly narrower gap, on sliding string maneuvers, I did not experience a hint of snag, and slacks, whips, lacerations and suicides perform flawlessly. For me personally, the Skyline has the perfect level of response, providing complete unresponsiveness (would you expect anything less? :P) with a pleasing descent on a throw and consistently tight binds even at low RPMs. Even Gyroscopic Flops and trick binds such as Mickey binds, flying frontstyle binds, and Plastic Whip binds are a breeze to pull off compared to the larger gap on the 888.
Grinding on the Skyline is everything one could expect from a sleek beadblasted finish. They stay well-controlled and smooth through the duration of the grind without losing too much spin. It even outperforms my 888, even though it feels like the 888’s finish would be smoother when examining it at rest. I couldn’t, however, see myself doing all too much in the area of thumb grinds on this one. With the shape of the cup and the inner grinding ring, there is a narrower opening than on the Classic 888, making thumb grinds during stacked play a bit frustrating. Even without the hubstacks, though, there is only a slight lip on the inner ring, so a midair catch on a thumb grind can be difficult at times.
And speaking of hubstacks, admittedly they do lose their luster after that initial excited “new toy” phase passes. On my Skyline, the stacks take on a bit of vibe when you use them, which is nothing I wouldn’t expect or hold against it. While the normal hubstacks are less functional than they seem on paper, I would be interested to see how the Skyline will perform with long stacks (with and without tip tops) and Z-Stacks. It seems like it would be stable enough, but I could very well be proved wrong. As for unstacked play, I don’t personally recommend it on the Skyline. I think this yo-yo needs the hubstacks on to balance out the rim weight. A lot of people will probably really like it this way, but I find it becomes a bit too light and speedy for my personal taste. It also seems to sacrifice some stability with the stacks removed, but those with strong straight throws preferring faster play are sure to be pleased.
Ultimately, I would see the Skyline has what I’d describe as a near-perfect balance of features. It packs all of the punch of heavy rims, has a very balanced response system, and remains very comfort-conscious. On the way down, expect a smooth descent to the bottom of the string. During play, you’ll be warmly greeted with smooth, quick play with only a healthy hair of vibe, and enough dependability to navigate through any whips, slacks, hops, or labyrinth of string you decide to put it through. And upon return, you should be pleased to find a tight bind and a comfortable catch with the absence of any sharp edges.
Specs and Techs
Alright kids, it’s time for everyone’s favorite part of the review! Let’s see what yoyoexpert.com lists for specs on the YoYoFactory Skyline:
Diameter: 50.40 mm / 1.98 inches
Width: 39.77 mm / 1.57 inches
Response System: Large Skinny K-Pad
Weight: 65 grams
Bearing Size: Size C
To sum it all up, the Skyline fits nicely in the undersized category, but maintains a comfortable grip. The width is balanced nicely to offer a wide catch zone radius while remaining aerodynamic allowing fast play. K-Pads, as always, support completely unresponsive play with tight consistent binds. Weight is midrange and very well distributed, concentrated mainly on the rims, but not to the point where it will turn against you if your throw is less than perfect. And of course, the popular size C SPEC bearing is the icing on the cake, allowing for long spins and the ability to swap out for any other of the vast array of alternative size C bearings out there (Konkave, Center Trac, etc).
Unlisted specs:
Rounded H-shape makes for a comfortable hold, and an even more comfortable catch.
4.9 mm fixed gap is a perfect balance to provide more than enough room for string piles while fitting right in that sweet spot to provide a perfect level of response.
Beadblasted finish allows for smooth, long spinning grinds and is just plain pleasing to the touch.
Highwall design adds extra stability and makes tilt corrections a breeze.
Slight lip on inner grinding ring helps for thumb grinds from a trapeze, but not so much for midair catches.
Hubstacks open new doors for expanded trick opportunities.
The Final Word
YoYoFactory’s Skyline has proven itself an incredible all-around player that just begs to be thrown, offering tons to basically any playing style. $120 is certainly a fair price for this work of art on a string, and I’m very surprised that, while it does have its line of devoted followers, the Skyline has not earned itself more rave reviews or spots in more players’ main-throw rotations as it’s safely and comfortably at the top of mine. It’s truly the unsung hero of YoYoFactory. An advanced player would surely be missing out without taking this one for a spin. So go ahead. Check out the Skyline, and enjoy the view.
