Wall of text alert (it’s positive though!)
I think the thing I love the most about yoyoing, is that you don’t need to win any contests to be considered one of the greats/legends of yoyoing.
A lot of the people who are considered the best, don’t even compete anymore or never have, they just do their thing so well, it becomes an art. That’s not to say I don’t respect or enjoy competitions, I respect and enjoy them equally.
Gentry, Evan, Shion, Zach ect. All world champions and deserve their place in the yoyo hall of fame for what they’ve done for the competitive yoyoing scene alone. They’ve proven that they’re the best at competing. We’re all happy to agree that there’s other things you can do to become a legend and I think that’s an incredible aspect of our community.
Steve Brown isn’t particularly known for his competing anymore but he’s still considered a yoyoing legend because he does so much for us. Still, if you look at his history, you’ll definitely be rewarded with some competition tutu goodness.
Andre Boulay invests a lot of time, money and energy into supporting yoyoers and without him, many brands that also support yoyoers wouldn’t be able to do what they can do now to give back to the community. He taught an entire generation how to yoyo and instead of just cashing in on that, he continues to give every part of himself back.
Although Jensen is a world champion, it’s not really what comes to mind when you think of him now. It’s the same as what you think of when you think of Charles and Tyler. They all innovate with their performance and show us that yoyoing is a something that can be honed and perfected until yoyoing becomes a language. A way to speak to people that’s more than just some metal on a string.
Colin and the Scales crew are all amazing, not just because they compete so well, but because they spend so much of their time giving the value of their experience to the future of the community. Teaching kids how to become better at competing so they can, one day, join this line up of incredible people and take over.
These are just a few examples. I’m sure you have your own and I’d love to hear them. I’ve left out a lot for the sake of not writing an entire book here.
We’re so lucky to have such a large and diverse yoyo hall of fame that encompasses more than who clicks the best. It’s really exciting to see who’ll get there next, even if it’s not official and there’s no medal for it. It’s so good to know that it’s possible to just do your thing so well, you can transcend competition and become a great for who you are,. It’s such a positive message to send to people inside and outside of our ‘hobby’. It really is becoming a way of life that’s a real positive impact on us all.
As I said, there’s many people I’ve not recognised here as I’ve just given a few examples. Show those people some love.
