About Ann Connolly
Ann Connolly (now Ann Bubák) is an American 1A yo-yo player from Washington, D.C. She emerged as a competitive presence during the early-2000s resurgence of the sport, becoming one of the most recognized female players globally through a combination of competitive performance, content creation, and community outreach. A long-standing YoYoFactory team member, she has competed at the World Yo-Yo Contest, European Yo-Yo Championship, and various national and regional events over more than a decade.
Connolly’s competitive career includes wins at the 2011 California State Yo-Yo Championships and the 2011 Russia Yo-Yo Contest (RYYC). She placed 5th in the Women’s Division at the 2017 World Yo-Yo Contest and reached the Women’s Division finals at WYYC 2019 in Cleveland. She built a significant audience through tutorial content on YoYoTricks.com and her personal YouTube channel, producing trick tutorials, YoYoFactory product reviews, and competition travel vlogs.
Her signature output with YoYoFactory spans roughly 2010 to the present, with colorway editions on models including the SuperStar, Avant Garde (EYYC 2012 edition), Shutter, Czech Point Pivot, Sage, Replay Pro, and Canon. In February 2024, she released the Ann Bubák KnockOut Series—comprising the Uppercut and KO in collaboration with YoYoFactory and YoYoExpert—marking her first signature series under her married name. She has lived in Prague, Czech Republic for several years, a connection reflected in her Czech Point Pivot colorway name.
Beyond competition, Connolly has toured internationally to teach yo-yo to children and participated in cross-community events linking yo-yo and kendama players. She is known for a distinctive trick vocabulary—including “Hot Tamale,” “Magic Trick,” “Cheese Whip,” and “Cannoli”—that emphasizes personality and approachability alongside technical skill.
