I got back into yoyo-ing primarily because my 11yo daughter expressed an interest. Since she’s autistic, it hasn’t exactly been easy to share moments with her over the years. So now we throw together. No need to talk, which can make her uncomfortable, we can just share space and throw. It’s not one moment, I know, but they are my most meaningful moments.
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Yea, maybe… that’s why I asked.
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Maybe he hiked so much that he became a yoyo
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I would say back in 2005. The 2005 National yoyo Contest was approaching… I get this call from Bob Malowney in Chico. He asks me if I would be attending Nats? I told him I didn’t know yet.
He said he would really like to have me make the trip. Because they were doing some updates to the National Yoyo Museum. And because I had some serious Modding experience; I might be able to help them identify exactly what was going on with some of the Custom yoyos they had received for possible placement in the Museum. But had not come with complete details about their construction.
Although I had already been hot rodding yoyos for years; I never really thought of myself as a forensic yoyo detective; lol.
I told my girl about Bobs’ phone call. She told me that I may very well be correct in not being as useful as someone else; for the task. But she said, ‘If Bob thinks you can help out; then go on up and make yourself useful…
So… I make it up to Chico and check in at the Museum and Bob tells me he will get back with me.
So I go about making the rounds and enjoying the festivities.
The Friday activities passed by. Early Saturday morning; I go down to the Birdinhand Store; and everybody was super busy. So I went across to the park… Hours later and National Yoyo Contest was over.
That evening at the Manzanita Hall; they held the annual Awards Banquet Dinner. I sat with my Team Yoyojam homies. We were pretty close to the front stage. I sat at the very inside end chair; so I could take pics of everybody that would receive an Award that evening.
As the recipients went up to the podium and returned to their tables; I would take their pictures.
My little camera was running out of power and I was seriously messing with it; hoping it would last just enough for the final Awards.
Well; I heard Bob talking; but not paying too close of attention; lol. As I was fiddling with my camera; Valerie came over and tapped me on the shoulder. Huh? What’s up? She said Bob wants you up there at the podium. Huh?
I kinda did a 360. And I noticed people smiling but nobody was saying anything that I remember.
Like I was dreaming.
I looked towards the stage and Bob was signaling me forward.
So as I get within touching distance; he hands me this Trophy and says, ‘Hold this… turn around and smile’. I glance down and see my name on the front. I turn around and see a whole room full of standing smiling clapping people and flashes going off in my face.
I sat back down and thought about what the heck happened? It happened so fast.
I looked up the Awards in my Program. It said the National Achievement Award is bestowed on an individual that contributes to the advancement of Yoyo.
On the 500 mile drive back home; I actually had the Eagle Trophy strapped in with the seatbelt; lol. No broken Trophy on the menu; haha.
So… in the dark… later that night; I make it to the front door. 17 steps up to the top. My girl opens the door. What do you have there; she asks?
They presented me with this Award for my contributions to yoyos🤓
She says, ‘Well; that’s nice. Anyways; tomorrow is trash day. So would you go put that eagle in the washroom so the cats don’t mess with it. And then take out the trash; please.
Yes dear. Affirmative on da trash…
Dream… fantasy… reality…
Dream = going to Nats
Fantasy = winning anything
Reality - back home taking out the trash
I didn’t yet realize what an honor it was until I saw the others that had received the Award. And all those that have received it since. I am honored to be in such good company.
And all these years later; on trash can night; I pass my Award on the way down to the curb. And on the way back into the house.
Yup🙂
PS… Bob didn’t really need my help with anything up at the National Yoyo Museum. He just wanted to have me there in person; to receive the Award. You don’t have to be present to get something. He just thought it would be more fun if I was there. He was right.
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you just bombarded me with words.
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my is may first hook a had been practicing for days it was a trick way above my level at the time but when I landed it, I freaked out.
also my first contest witch was nats this year it was the first time I had ever seen another yoyoer it was awesome
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Thanks Mo. that’s a great story.
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Recently, my most meaningful yoyo moment was when I saw the excitement and wonder on my little brother’s friends faces when he whipped out a braintwister when I went to pick him up from daycare. He’s 7 and has been working diligently all summer on learning how to play unresponsive and I just can’t get over how happy it makes me to see him enjoying himself, and passing on that joy to others around him.
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First time catching a yoyo correctly back whith my first yoyo, a duncan butterfly I picked up like 3 years ago. As a first yoyo, it was pretty difficult to get started lol
Actually there are a few more.
Landing a 2.0 hook was big for me. It was my first dip into higher, flashier hooks. Nailing the reverse bs and the bs to ninja vanish combo was a trick I’ve wanted to learn for a while and I got it down earlier this year 
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Probably doing Skin The Gerbil for the first time.
For context, I’m not particularly skilled at things that require coordination and grace lol. So I knew I was coming into the hobby with a bit of a handicap. But struggling to even land a Trapeze (even while I was learning things like Pop N’ Fresh on front style) while watching people make posts of the infinitely greater progress they made in a matter of weeks really did a number on me some days.
But then, one day, I landed it! And I practiced just being able to land Trapeze then transition to Brother and back until one day, I decided to give Skin The Gerbil (which had always seemed beyond my reach) a shot. And I actually learned it in relatively short order.
I don’t know why, but Skin The Gerbil was the trick that made me feel like I was finally getting it. I wasn’t (and still am not) nearly as good as the people I see in Insta or Reddit or YouTube. And I still sometimes get down on myself about the slow progress I make. But somehow that feeling of elation and accomplishment with learning Skin The Gerbil has managed to stay with me and feel like, “yeah, okay, this is something I can do and can feel good about enjoying without just feeling like I suck.”
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Probably seeing Rick Wyatt again at Worlds this year. He came to my mall in Orleans, Ontario (ikr) in 1997 or 1998, with Ooch, and blew my mind with his skills as the 12-year old I was. This year I got to tell him that I did some shows for Yomega in the mid-2000s promoting the Hyperwarp, where in '97 I would have never been able to guess that I would have been repping Yomega years later - and I bet he would have been even more surprised if I told him back then that I would haha. That or Dazzling Dave’s comments to me at Worlds. Actually let’s just say Worlds 2019 was my favourite yo-yo memory lol. Or receiving a OD Kraken randomly from a 5-star anon.
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i was gonna comment and say my first trapeze and i was like “i’m so original 
” then i read what @skitrz said and was utterly disappointed (no it’s ok lol) but yeah my first trapeze it was insane
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Awesome story… I totally get it.I started playing with tops and yoyos as kid. Maybe 6 or 7. I remember nailing some of the top tricks. Like the top version of your yo yo trapeze. I had a yoyo trapeze succeed on my first effort as the 10th and final trick in a California Duncan yoyo championship contest. I was 15. Cut school. Stole the folks car and went to the contest with my Duncan Butterfly yo yo. I was the only unaccompanied by an adult contestant. I heard the chatter. Why are you letting him enter without personal adult supervision. Even now I laugh at that. Kids had yoyo gym bags. Sweaters filled with patches from previous contest wins and placements. Their mothers did not approve of me and my white tank top and jeans. Crap I hope I didn’t smoke a cigarette in front of them. To make a long story longer. Came down to me and white patch filled sweater kid who had a different yoyo for every trick. Trapeze was the final trick. They put me up first. Boom I nailed it. Up came sweater kid with Mom yacking his ear with some nonsense. Sweater choked. I won. Got a bicycle, a tv or something, promises of other stuff and a big duncan trophy. Said thank you took the bike, trophy and future promises of other gifts and left. Probably 1971. I did need to get the car home before things went terribly wrong. That’s all I got. What I remember is still pretty cool to me though, and I’m like 223 years old.
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i also just did my first injection today!! it was SUPER satisfying! special thanks to @JWaugh for teaching me how to yoyo sending me the beloved N12 and teaching me the injection 
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I should film a tut for it maybe?
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It happened last night. I’ve only been doing this for like 2 months. i can’t do any amazing tricks or anything. Just basics. I’ve been learning on a YYF Whip and Kitty Strings. I’m perusing BST and buy a Yopro Photon. I want to see what a “REAL” yoyo is like! Unresponsive, fat string, metal, and HEAVY! I love it. I can’t DO anything, but it’s OBVIOUS what the difference is.
So, I’m sick of winding it! GAH! Start watching some videos of Snap starts and binds and such. Ok. I think I got it. Pull the spring tight, thumb in the groove, and bob is your mother’s brother, right?
Wrong. SO wrong. The thing flies back and hits me in the nose. Blood and pain. My wife is like “wtf just happened?” I’m grabbing paper towels and ice.
My nose hurts as I type this. That little yoyo taught me something. I learned that I can’t WAIT to learn more!
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