Every serious yoyo player is likely to face this dilemma:
You will be smashing out a colossal combo either in private or in public, and someone will ask you this: ‘Can you walk the dog?’
In the mind of the person asking the question, it seems relevant and harmless, but for the modern yoyo player, it is problematic.
So what do you do? Do you:
Explain that you can’t because you will damage your yoyo? This will make you sound like a precious douche in their eyes no matter how thoroughly you explain it.
Do you say yes, hold back your tears and silently salute your Genesis as it grinds down to pixie dust?
OR
Simply lie and say that you don’t know how to? This will make every uncle born in the 1950’s look (or at least feel) like they’ve got one up on you in their yoyo ‘skillz’…
Carry a plastic. Not only does it give you something to walk the dog with, it also gives them something to try on while you throw your precious genesis.
I simply explain that “Walking The Dog” is very harmful to a new aluminum Yoyo, and will do it great cosmetic harm.
I then show them the same concept by performing an Arm Grind. That usually does the job.
I thought it was a vinyl tile floor. But no, it was actual ceramic tile.
When I heard the telltale sound, I did it for like 2 seconds and then did my bind. No damage done! WHEW.
The guy at the counter who had asked also said to his colleagues, “I want to be that guy when I grow up. Batman t-shirt. Yoyos. Guitar. He’s got everything I could ever want!” (we had spoken previously and he knew I was a guitar player).
I generally simply say “I can, but I won’t.” I don’t care what people think, if they continue to ask I may explain how it can damage the yoyo, a lot of times I just leave it open ended though haha. I take great care of my belongings, yoyos included, not going to damage one of my yoyos just to make someone happy for a few seconds. Go walk your own dog!
Whereas if I can make someone happy for a few seconds, I don’t mind a bit of superficial damage to a material possession. Unless that person is a tool. But they usually aren’t.
I’d be lying if I said I just bust it out for whoever asks, whenever they ask, though. If they’re just saying it because they know that trick and aren’t seemingly really all that interested in yoyo I will do a finger grind or do the “honest” thing (except I don’t tell them the price of the yoyo… it’s too weird for yuggles to grasp…) and say it just doesn’t work well on the surface (concrete, ashphalt or whatever it is).
If it’s someone who’s bright-eyed with wonder, though, I will usually look around for a nearby surface that’s not TOoooo bad for the yoyo!
haha thats pretty scary buddy XD…thank the throwlord that it was okieday. i get asked pretty much once a week about walkin the dog…i just dont do it, and make sure that im yoyoing over something like concrete so i can just say it doesnt work on concrete XD.its metal and it’ll “slow it down and ding te throw” so they wont ask me the 2nd and 3rd time. and maybe the 4th or 5th
