Karthik Devaraj doesn’t take breaks between Worlds runs, he takes notes. Fresh off last year’s competition and already dreaming up his next trick set, Karthik teamed back up with “alternatives” for UNLOCK, the brand’s first tri-material competition yo-yo and the natural next step after the bi-metal KEY. This isn’t a small tweak to a proven shape, it’s a ground-up build for where Karthik’s game is headed next.
Months of refinement went into getting the feel exactly right, and it shows. UNLOCK is powerful through long combos, locked-in stable on tech tricks, and forgiving enough to trust on stage when the pressure’s on. Tri-material yo-yos have a reputation for turning “unplayable” after one bad ding, so “alternatives” put serious engineering into durability here, keeping UNLOCK smooth and solid throw after throw instead of developing those dreaded vibes the moment it takes a hit.
This is Karthik’s yo-yo built for Karthik’s tricks, designed alongside him with one goal in mind: another Singapore title. For advanced and competition players chasing that same level, UNLOCK is ready to back you up.
Some yo-yos ask you to relearn everything. re:inertia doesn’t. The third release in “alternatives”’ Inertia lineup, re:inertia takes the DNA of the OG Inertia and CAPPED and reworks it into something sharper: a bi-material build pairing an undersized 6061 aluminum body with a D-bearing seat, refined down to a compact 51mm diameter.
That smaller footprint doesn’t cost this yo-yo any of its power. re:inertia stays fast and nimble through technical combos while still feeling planted and stable, the kind of balance that’s tough to nail on a D-bearing throw. The polycarbonate caps carry over the signature Inertia shape but curve inward this time, concaved specifically to give finger spinners a real resting point to work with instead of a flat guess.
“alternatives” set a high bar for this one, wanting a D-bearing release that felt perfect before it ever saw daylight, and re:inertia is the result of that standard. It’s a throw for players who want compact and unresponsive play without giving up finger spin tricks, and one the team is genuinely excited to finally put in your hands. Go find out what 51mm of refined can do.