Goodmorning, I was talking about yo-yoing with a friend of mine, that was a pro skater in the 90’. He is a yoer as well.
I always saw a lot of contact points between skate and yo-yo, I think they are both a “tricks” worlds, but there is a huge difference, something skate got and yo-yo haven’t: A Philosophy.
Skateboard world had always a philosophy, a “way to live”, a kind of “been a skateborder”.
Unfortunatly you can’t be a yoer, you just can use a yo-yo. Why?
I wanna say, I don’t like the “philosophy” behind the skate world, I don’t like drugs and alcool as well, and I think skate is 80% auto-distruction but I must admit that somethig in skate works, something that in yo-yo really didn’t.
So, what do you think?
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I’ve always felt the difference between yoyoing and other popular hobbies (skating, video games, sports, movie buffing) is the fact that they are popular. Skating has calmed down a lot like it did in the early 90s but this point may hold up. With those there is a persona that you can picture a common idea.
Skater: torn jeans tee shirt cap
Video games: …you know
Sports: jersey, cap, maybe painted face.
If you wanted to you could present yourself in public as any of these without showing that you do any of them. Yoyoing doesn’t have that because as much as I call yoyoing a hobby I could also call it a FETISH. Not many people are into it but those who are, are REALLY into it. People are surprised by it. Some find it weird. We have to actually look for our hobby. It’s not everywhere. And not only that but we have such a spectrum of people that can’t be fit into a generic kind.
I’m going to stop here because I’m now realizing this idea is a little more abstract than I originally thought. And I’m having trouble articulating what I’m trying to get across.
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I think there are a lot of yoyoers that are ignito. Based on some people here, the hobby cuts through all ages and income levels so the kid in baggy clothing as well as the guy in a suit in line with me at a coffee shop could very well be a thrower and they may be thinking “I wish I wasn’t the only person around here obssessed with yoyos”
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Damn, you are right guys. But can you understand that been a stereotype is equal to promote that kind of hobby/discipline?
I mean, if the yoer could be as Steve Brown in the 90’, like, brend t-shirt, strings on the belt and yoyo in hand, maybe today we (yoers) would be 10 times more. Right?
Cool stuff usually grow fast in number, why yoyo players number has this recess right now?
I mean, sterotypes are often a bad thing, but sometimes they could be useful.
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Skating is communal; you gotta go outside in the open air or indoors at a park when it’s too cold. There are always people around when it comes to skating spots and/or parks.
Throwing can be done in the comfort of your home…yes you can throw outside but it’s not mandatory the way it is with skateboarding.
This is where the difference in “lifestyle” arises - call your homies to go and skate because it’s more fun with a group, especially when you just shoot the s*** out in public and get into juvenile trouble. Skateboarding has been mainlined recently, it’s not as rebellious or “other” the way it was in the 90s - I’ve seen mom’s wearing Tharsher tees and Grandpa’s wearing old skools
Skate culture has leaked into fashion culture as well as pop culture. Yoyoing hasn’t done any of this, Yoyo companies only make screen printed t shirts. I think once we get to the peak of throw technology the industry will be able to focus more on the “branding” or “lifestyle” of throwing. Doesn’t help either that it’s nearly impossible to find a local yoyo shop as opposed to your local skate shop.
I think if throwing became more communal, having dedicated spaces to practice/share tips/friendly competition a “lifestyle” would be more present within the community. I just got back into it after a decade long hiatus and I had never seen someone throw in public within that 10 year gap (I live in NYC) they’re similar but skateboarding is ever present today - you kinda have to dig a little to find anything yoyo related.
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We can never know how many throwers are out there. They may just be throwing and not wanting to be on a forum or advertising they throw. They just do it and buy new yoyos once in awhile and they’re happy with that.
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Vans (sneakers) used to indicate you were a skater /surfer or punk rock. Now every other 13-17 year old I see has Vans on. Same with all the kiddies and their Thrasher shirts. I talk to them at work sometimes and they have no connection to the skater world.
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I think Carhartt is synonymous with the yo-yo community. Champion. Lol
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Carhartt is workwear - it’s synonymous with skating culture as well, everything has been appropriated - but I don’t think of yoyoing when I wear my Carhartt jacket lmao
It’s more instructive to compare yo-yos with other “skill toy” hobbies … I don’t think it directly compares to skateboarding in terms of being a legit sporting activity, etc.
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Skateboarding, BMX, biking, Batman. Stamp collecting, bird watching, yoyoing, young boy in a Batman costume.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think the way to promote yoyoing is this.
Create a philosophy, a culture that identifies a discipline.
Why in your opinion, yoyo is recessed in the last years?
I wear carhartt - that’s why im saying it
Sorry guys, why carhartt should be a yoyo clothes?
Every time I try a horizontal trick I think “this time for sure!”
then I mess up and dive to the floor trying to avoid being knocked out
by my Horizon… so I guess my philosophy of yo’ing is that you have to be a
little insane to keep doing it. Works for me.
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You have to consider where it comes from I think.
Skateboarding developed from the surf subculture of California in the 60’s. Although it’s evolved its own vibe, it never lost that edge of youthful rebellion - doing stuff their parents didn’t want or which society didn’t value.
Yo-yoing developed as a kids’ toy. It was marketed on playgrounds and in drug stores, literally by older guys wearing cardigans. Don’t get me wrong - I have the HIGHEST respect for those demonstrators, but whenever we try to inject some “edge” into it, it’s cool… but it’s not an inherent characteristic.
That stuff is more like how we assimilate and how we “brand” ourselves than a unifying philosophy though. I sometimes think yo-yoers (lol we can’t even agree on what to call “someone who yo-yo’s”) should be more relaxed and flow-oriented as a subculture. Like we literally deal with hits & misses, ups & downs, constantly - but we seem as stressed out and anxious as anyone else. For a little while in the 70’s/80’s (esp w Tom Kuhn), it seemed like “yo-yo philosophy” was centered around using a toy to achieve that more enlightened State of Yo, but that took a backseat as yo-yoing became more contest-driven.
But yeah, TL;DR - maybe having a yoyo on a holster (or the tell-tale ring faded into our jeans pocket) and a permanent case of string-burn is the best we can do. I think it’s ok.
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“Do you dip??”
No, that’s a yo-yo in my pocket
“oh…” (backs away slowly)
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Again! First laugh of the day from a yoyo forum!!!
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I think if civilians see us throwing a handful of times a year seeds can be planted. Maybe they, or one of those people will see a yoyo in a store or online and remember us throwing and buy a yoyo.
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in my opinion even cubers have there own stereo type
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