# Where do you see yo-yo competitions & judging in 10 years?

**URL:** <https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/where-do-you-see-yo-yo-competitions-judging-in-10-years/291238>\
**Category:** Evan Nagao\
**Created:** [July 31, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/where-do-you-see-yo-yo-competitions-judging-in-10-years/291238 "2018-07-31T21:46:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/codinghorror/32/8052_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/codinghorror)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 9:46pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/where-do-you-see-yo-yo-competitions-judging-in-10-years/291238/1 "2018-07-31T21:46:39Z")

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Yo-yo competitions have changed dramatically in the last 20 years. If you compare a US national championship routine from 1998 …

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/0/0/4/0041fffa1a7f03276b6b9ccd8f5d6c2727c4bd0e.jpeg "1998 National Yoyo Contest 1A 4th David Gonzales") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLpXhyptpHg)

(also, props to @JeiCheetah who I _think_ put up this 1998 video and so many others!)

… to one in 2008 …

[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/e/1/7/e172ce1a59832289fdac0cf0a07aacc5944ec208.jpeg "National yo yo contest 2008 1A 1st Eric Koloski") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2iPDU6CUUM)

… 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?

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**Author:** ![EmberFlaze808](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@EmberFlaze808](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/EmberFlaze808)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 10:35pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/where-do-you-see-yo-yo-competitions-judging-in-10-years/291238/2 "2018-07-31T22:35:42Z")

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Maybe it will be more performance wise instead of mostly tricks

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**Author:** ![Evan\_Nagao](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/evan_nagao/32/20047_2.png) [@Evan\_Nagao](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Evan_Nagao)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/where-do-you-see-yo-yo-competitions-judging-in-10-years/291238/3 "2018-07-31T23:23:29Z")

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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.