Yo-yo competitions have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. If you compare a US national championship routine from 1998 …
(also, props to @JeiCheetah who I think put up this 1998 video and so many others!)
… to one in 2008 …
… and then compare to a 2018 US nationals routine today, of course (I’ll assume you’ve seen your own routine, 
)
Given that evolution, what do you think yo-yo competitions will look like in 2028? How should they change?
Maybe it will be more performance wise instead of mostly tricks
Truthfully, I don’t think that yoyo skill has gotten much crazier since ~2013. For example, in 2013 Ryosuke Iwasawa hit the first 4.5 hook, and it’s still the highest hook anyone can hit today. In terms of skill, I wouldn’t say we peaked but we’ve definitely leveled off a bit in my opinion, and a lot of this has to do with the fact that yoyo design isn’t necessarily being pushed to far since ~2010. If anything, competitive play will evolve based on the judging system, because players will always be incentivized to create routines based on the current system. It’s hard to say exactly which direction the system will push players, but I sure hope it becomes more based on innovation, creativity, and showmanship.
