The second mention of yo-yoing by a US Olympian this week.
The original source video is here https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU7-HIxD0wI/
17 Likes
what was the first?
Aidan Oldenburg, a member of the US curling team, has been seen yo-yoing between rounds at the Olympics. I made another video about that here:
10 Likes
I wonder if there is a connection. Maybe Aidan showed Alysa his yo-yo tricks.
3 Likes
Quite possibly, though I think the footage of Alysa is from before the Olympics began. Either way, I hope they got to hang out and throw yo for a bit.
1 Like
Super great for the visibility of yoyo, as would be yo-yo’s inclusion in the Olympics… it was so cool when she said it should be. However we have a looooooooong way to go imo in terms of actually having what spectators would see as valid and legitimate in a competition of that scale. Not saying it could never happen. There’s just a WORLD of difference between the specificity, predictability, and objectivity of what you see in ice skating judging (or even surfing/skateboarding) compared with how our events are judged.
Don’t get me wrong: yo-yoing’s value (to me) is NOT in its potential as a legitimate “athletic” endeavor. Honestly more than anything it’s its DEFIANCE of the quantization and predictability that something like the Olympics would require.
3 Likes
yes, she must have learned yoyoing from a man. 
and people wonder why its such a boys club around here..
5 Likes
If it was in the Olympics would it be Summer or Winter?
2 Likes
Summer probably, yoyo doesn’t work in cold weather.
he already plays, she just made a comment about it. it’s not an unreasonable assumption. why be inflammatory about something so clearly innocuous?
1 Like
Oh idk…there was “controversy” around the pairs ice dancing this year and I do think judging could be refined so that it is closer to achieving that objectivity but there is always going to be some level of subjectivity (like in figure skating) because judging style and performance just can’t be 100% objective.
This is an interesting topic to me bc it is a discussion about the mainstream appeal of yoyo and I like that discussion. I do think that comp yoyo can be dry to watch period sometimes and I also think it would go over most of the uninitiated’s heads. That is okay with me though like I was watching figure skating and there was a ton of technical things going over my head and that was fine.
For yoyo to be in the Olympics to me I think it would need practiced and tight play by play and color commenters and we only really have that in Japan. Shoutout Johnny and Tara for crushing it in the booth with figure skating to help explain the technical nuances.
I don’t really think yoyo comps would be improved with WADA testing and don’t think that imposing that on competitors would be fair so I am not really an advocate for yoyo in the Olympics any more but idk…maybe my mind will change one day.
4 Likes
I think that most people (even in the yo-yo community) that talk of yo-yos in the olympics do it jokingly. But I never understood those that seriously wanted that.
I think that yo-yos in the olympics would be one of the worst things that could happen to the hobby. It would become the laughing stock of the entire event, and would never live that down.
Let’s be real, what yo-yoers would get sent to the olympics? The names familiar to us, the top competitors. And many of those people very rarely do anything besides practice string maneuvers in a bedroom. There is a very predictable lack of time touching grass or in the weight room. And it shows. Not a lot of of olympic physiques to be found in the top levels of a skill toy hobby.
Unless its mayyybe Gentry or Shu Takada, I want you to picture your favorite yo-yoer getting laughed at by the world and tell me it was a good idea for them to get on the olympic stage. And even those two would have a real rough go of it.
–
(Yes I know curling exists. Yes it is laughed at. Yes the laughter at yo-yoing would be even harder.)
1 Like
A sleeper contest wouldn’t leave it up to the judges. I think that’s the best angle here.
1 Like
Yoyo would need to come up with a different format. Ski Mo had to do this to make if fit for TV. Short and Spectator friendly
