What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
The NED yoyo guys! They came to my school and left their mark by selling $10 yoyos to over half the kids. Soon everyone on the playground was learning the forward throw. The kids who could do the best tricks were like royalty. Young me decided I wanted to be the best yoyoer on the elementary school playground, and got to work!
What is your goal in the next year for yourself, personal or professional?
I have a few, but some big ones are
1.) I would like to do well in my upper division physics course load this year, as I’ll be jumping into some of the “big boy” stuff. I’m a little terrified!
2.) My shot to have my name on a medical research paper is also going to come up this year, which has been a goal of mine for 2 years. A paper I’m on is being submitted for peer review this summer. Fingers crossed!
How did you come about with the idea for Stricklin strings?
A quote from the great car maker Horacio Pagani! (“If you cannot buy it, build it”). If you’d like to hear me yap about the strings more more, you can check out my thread on them, but in short, I found myself always wanting strings that were
Softer
THICKER
Higher coil count per inch
I realized I really couldn’t get what I had in mind unless I made it myself!
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Something titanium! Just for the durability of the bearing seat. After all, this thing is going to have to last me for the rest of my life!
I would probably go for something like the Sengoku Ieyasu, or Oxygen Hyperion. Both performance beasts.
If it is going to be the only yoyo I ever use, it had better be able to handle a lot, because I know I’m going to keep trying to get better.
What’s your favorite trick?
Not really a trick, but more of an element. I have always been drawn to that thing where you spin a string around, and it untwists really fast on its own. When I was little, it was a huge mystery to me how they were done, and I knew that if I could just figure one trick with a spinny string out, I would do it all the time.
Now, I stick them in my tricks constantly!
Here is a compilation: (in chronological order, so the general trend is they get harder as you watch)
Tech stuff. I never liked the way it looked, and the effort to payoff ratio of working for weeks to get one part of the spiderweb to cross behind the other just isn’t there for me.
I suppose the reason that I never really did tech well was that my heart wasn’t in it.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
Not sure, definitely something undercut. Haven’t tried the new Sengoku Bishamonten, but from what I know, it will probably be that!
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
My Yoyofactory Shutter. It is the yoyo I used to gain most of the skill I have today. Young me worked towards my goals of mastery for many hundreds of hours on it. It was the first tool I used in a really disciplined way.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
Focusing too much on perfecting one trick for weeks, rather than moving on to a new one
What kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I’m an undergraduate student, so over half my time is devoted to academics, but when I’m not in class or studying:
I have been grabbed by aviation, I’m working towards my pilot’s license. I fly 2-3 times a week. My landings are getting smoother!
(I’d like to include a quick side note on the subject of aviation, because I don’t like the idea of coming off as an entitled kid who has tens of thousands of dollars to throw at waltzing into airplanes.
The only reason that I’m able to fly is because UC Davis has a tiny airport on their land, and has been running a micro flight school since the 40s. When I finished my pre-med studies at UC Berkeley, I submitted an application to UC Davis as an applied physics major.
As part of their acceptance, they agreed to let me skip the 2 year waitlist for flight school, and to fund ~100 hours flight hours.
So in short, I got exceptionally lucky. I will always be grateful to the universities of California for the opportunities they have given me.)
Anyway, continuing to answer the question:
Another interest of mine is the medical research I was lucky enough to be selected to assist with at Dr. Paul Sieving’s lab in UC Davis medical school. He has a fascinating background, and it has been an incredible job over the last year, a real window into how research on that level is conducted.
I am especially interested in Aerospace/aviation medicine, and look forward to attending the annual conference this May.
I play the violin (and spent most of my late preteens through high school wanting to do it as a career!)
I also try and keep up with a few topics in anthropology, especially those related to egyptology. During my time as a premed student, my medicine related major was biological anthropology. A bi-product was a solid liberal arts foundation, and exposure to the field of anthropology for a few years. I try to carry these historical interests/perspectives with me today, even when surrounded by physics and engineering material.
I am also a part time firefighter, on shift 72 hours a month.
What fictional character best fits who you are?
Gimli the dwarf (see my favorite books/movies).
Staunchly loyal, and usually approaches problems head on by bashing on them until they (hopefully) yield.
Favorite restaurant and order?
La Bonne Bouche in St. Louis. Honestly, their croissants are incredible.
Favorite movie and or book?
Movies: A Philadelphia story, The Sting, The Iron Giant, Lord of the Rings trilogy
Book: Lord of the Rings trilogy
If you could wake up tomorrow and magically have the skills from one player who and what would it be?
Honest answer: there is a player I met on the forums who is now a friend of mine who was an airforce pilot. I’d like to have his skills behind the yoke.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
I have a few:
Finally mastering boingy-boing
My first yoyo competition
Getting sponsored. The culmination of many hours of planning and practicing.
When Julio finally caved and gave the green light to an undercut Sengoku model
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
I’ve seen the community change a lot since I started. It’s grown in a lot of ways, but shrunk in the areas I used to think of as Meccas. Like Chico.
Of course, the skill level at contests in getting off the charts. This is cool to see! Sometimes I miss the days of 2013 or so when things were a little less competitive, and folks could still win with funky/cool ideas and routines that were less dialed in. But many players today are also such a joy to watch.
I have also watched the world at large get more divided in recent years, and some of this has appeared to seep into even the yoyo scene occasionally.
Where I’d want the community to go is in more of a direction of focusing on what matters, the fact that we all like to yoyo together, and less on the divisive/darker issues of today. The world outside may be in turmoil, but this community can still get together and discuss rim weight, response pads, and how the heck Mir Kim hit that horizontal 5.0 hook.
If you never picked up a yo-yo – what would life look like now?
That’s hard to say. Yoyo was my first exposure to profound motivation, and working towards goals in a disciplined way. It was great for me because it initially presented as a fun hobby for a young child (wanting to do cool tricks on the playground), but had enough depth for me to learn how to work hard, and what it felt like to want to be great at something very badly. I owe the mentality I started developing with yoyo for most of the success I’ve had thus far.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Learn to practice well! Figure out a specific element that is troubling you, and isolate it. Do it repeatedly over the course of days and weeks, and it WILL yield. Better practice leads to faster progress, and less frustration.
It is easy to plateau for years at a time (I see many folks that still have newbie looking breakaways after 5+ years of throwing), but if you are consistent (and focused!) in your practice, you will progress more than you might think, even on as little as 30 minutes a day.
Whats you want to tell the world?
I think its important not to live passively. I am well aware of how naive I am at this point, but there have been some pieces of advice I’ve gotten from folks farther along in life that really made sense to me.
When I was in fifth grade, I won an essay contest and got to speak to an astronaut. One of the things he said to me was: “Find things you love doing, and are useful to the world. And then get really good at them.”
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
Proud today to present Hunter Feuerstein!! Love that many people have the same meaningful yo-yo stories!!!
What got you into throwing, and how did you find the hobby?
I started yoyoing in the summer of 2013. My mom wanted to get me out of the house, so she signed me up for a yoyo class at our local library, which was taught by national and world champions. At first, I didn’t want to go and was pretty reluctant about it, but my mom “forced” me into it, hahaha. But from the moment I started, I was hooked. The experience of learning from such talented players made me realize how much depth and creativity there was in yoyoing, and I’ve been passionate about it ever since.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I might be a bit biased here, but I’d choose any of the yoyos I’ve had a hand in designing to perfectly suit my style—Spotlight, Spotlight Ultra, Moonlight, or the new Starlight. Each of these has been fine-tuned to match the evolution of my play, so I feel a connection with all of them.
What trick are you currently working on, and what is your all-time favorite trick?
I’m not focusing on any specific tricks right now, but I’ve been experimenting with incorporating my neck into already challenging whip elements. It’s a way to push the boundaries of what’s possible and add a new layer of complexity to my routines. As for my all-time favorite trick, that’s tough—I love anything that’s visually striking and dynamic, especially those that have taken a lot of effort to master.
What’s the most meaningful yoyo you have?
The most meaningful yoyo in my collection has to be the 888 I won just a month into yoyoing, when I was only 8 years old. I competed in a small local trick ladder contest at the library and ended up winning. That 888 was worth $130 at the time, and winning it sparked an even greater motivation in me to keep improving. Every time I see that yoyo, it brings back memories of those early days and reminds me why I love yoyoing so much.
What kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
To be honest, my life pretty much revolves around yoyoing, haha—it’s probably not the healthiest balance! But outside of yoyoing, I really enjoy learning new things, hiking, and traveling.
Favorite restaurants and order?
I’d say Popeyes. My go-to order is a chicken sandwich with no pickles, a side of fries, and Mardi Gras mustard.
Favorite movie?
Has to be Elf. It’s packed with too many memorable quotes to NOT be at the top of my list.
Best yoyo memory?
One of my best yoyo memories has to be from the 2019 World Yoyo Contest. I had practiced more than ever leading up to it, hoping to secure a spot in the finals for the first time. During the semifinals, I had a switch out, and when I got off stage, I was convinced that would prevent me from advancing. But when they announced that I had made it to the finals—with a switch!—my friends surrounded me, picked me up, and started chanting my name. It was an incredible moment that showed how supportive the yoyo community really is.
What’s your yoyo bad habit?
I have to admit, I’m super lazy when it comes to changing pads and cleaning bearings. I tend to put it off way longer than I should!
If you couldn’t yo-yo, what would you be doing?
I’d probably still be involved in content creation, but with a focus on traveling the world. Exploring new places and cultures is something that really interests me.
Advice/words of wisdom to new players?
Learn everything you possibly can, even the tricks that don’t initially interest you. Attend yoyo clubs and contests as often as possible, and soak up as much knowledge as you can from those around you. Most importantly, make sure you’re having fun! The joy you get from yoyoing is what will keep you going in the long run.
What do you want to tell the world?
Prototypes of my signature yoyo for 2025, the Starlight, available now on hunteryoyos.com! Be sure to check them out and support me on this exciting journey.
Thanks again Hunter!!!
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
Today I’m glad to present @NavarrYo with GWAY throws. Nathan has some of the coolest elements in his trick sets, and is one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure of talking with. Hope you enjoy today’s player profile!
What got you into throwing, how long have you been in the hobby?
I remember some demonstrators coming to my elementary school and showing us tricks, that was my first time seeing yo-yoing.
I don’t remember who they were or what tricks they did haha just that they were there. so if you demo’d in Washington in the late 90’s lemme know ha ha
I started learning my basics in middle school, stuff like Double or nothings, kwijibo, and maybe a hook. along with real basic 4A and 5A stuff. anything from those small CD’s that came with old Duncan hardcore series yo-yos I tried to learn. That was like 2005 or 06. then I just stopped yo-yoing when I started skateboarding a lot. I picked it back up 3 years ago and had to relearned my basics haha so I’m not sure if I should say 3 years or 19 years?
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
I usually have multiple combos in the works at the same time. I start trying to learn someone’s trick and I get stuck doing one element and I’m like “I can add that to this other element” and I fall down the rabbit hole of making multiple combos with one themed element placed somewhere in there. Its infuriating at times because I never end up learning the initial trick I wanted to learn haha
Back in the day I learned “Mexican Duck Pond” and I thought it was the raddest trick ever. was stoked on that one for a while but, now I would have to say its Junyi Lin’s “Double or nothing” Combo. I’ve torn that trick apart and put it in so many other combos haha
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time ?
All time is hard. I’ve seen and interacted with so few yoyos haha I missed the whole yoyojam era. those ones looked so rad. Duncan and now Gway have taken up the majority of the yoyos that have been in my hand ha ha
Favorite presently would between the REFRACTORY and this GWAY Proto ive been throwing around lately.
Back in the day it was the “FreeHand 2” and the “Throw Monkey” I had so many in different colors!
I have to give an honorable mention to the Duncan “WindRunner” Its the yo-yo that sparked it all back up when my old roommate just randomly had it and let me have get it off of em since I help build his computer.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
So many things! I have my hands in so many hobbies haha I love skateboarding. going to shows. Doing art both physical and digital now. I really dig filming and editing. Been making a skate edit from clips I’ve gathered over the last 10 years so I’ll leave a link to that if anyone wants to check it out! learning animation, I would love to try my hand at some kind of comedy, pc gaming. I dig FPS games, I’m always stoked on one thing or another.
Favorite foods?
Pizza! I have very simple taste and you can find pizza everywhere haha
Favorite movie?
oh man that’s tough. I’ve been watching too many movies the last few years it’s hard to remember them all, plus the list is always changing “Where Evil Lurks” was a rad Argentinian horror! “Pulse” 2001 Japanese version felt very Silent Hill-ish to me and I loved it, I really enjoyed “THE HOLDOVERS”
My good homie Cody Lightning made a film called “Hey, Viktor!” about being the child star in “Smoke Signals” it looks fun as hell and i really wanna see it. Please go check it out!
But it all depends on my mood. that being said “Inglorious bastards” and “SLC PUNK” can always get a play hands down.
What’s a song that you feel perfectly encapsulates your personality?
That’s so hard to narrow down. Haha A Playlist would be needed I’m sure in a lot of people’s cases.
My lady had gotten me into “Destroy Boys” pretty gnarly.
One song I keep going back too is “Shadow” I come from a pretty rough home life and area so I had to build defenses. Having a face that looks less then approuchable along with not ever showing that you are sad or bothered by stuff going on around you was the norm. But I was really just the biggest cry baby and full emotion on the inside.
I love how the song is heavy and hard on the outside but emotion filled and vulnerable the more you listen. But you could say that with so many of their songs. So good. Check em out. “DESTROY BOYS”
What does yo-yo mean for you?
Yo-yo means a sense of community for me. being able to give and take with others and get a glimpse of your own interest from another perspective is so beneficial towards the end of my Competitive skate “Career” I ended up breaking my left leg and then severely rolling my ankle on my right leg. I ended up falling into a really gnarly depression. I felt really isolated. In my own head I had lost my sense of community because I wasn’t comfortable relearning and skating in front of my friends. At this time I was living in Seattle and If you’re familiar with Northwest skateboarding then you’ll know that there are a lot of heavy hitting transition skaters, my friends included. I was just too insecure and intimated so I widthdrew. pretty much stopped skating cold turkey. I spent so much time alone, bummed out and not talking to people. yo-yoing sparked that motivation to try and relearn my basics which lead to looking more tricks up online, seeing the community, making an Instagram to post my progress and interacting with people who also liked yo-yo. That does wonders for your mental. it felt like a community again. and that felt like skateboarding again. yo-yoing helped pull me out of a hole i dug for myself. I read Steve Brown’s interview (and I was and still am a huge fan. seeing this punk rock yo-yoer throwing down really peaked my interest as a young Hispanic punk kid) and he said “Let it be as much or as little as you need, and don’t be afraid to let it wax and wane in your life.” and that’s what I was able to do with it. I was at a point of my life where I wasn’t skating and I had to work hard to not just find a job but keep a job. so I fit yo-yoing into any free time i had. I was excited to come home to a hobby again. to learn something new everyday, and everything was new to me so i had a lot to look through. Yo-yoing gave me ambition again and ambition is a powerful motivator.
Best yoyo memory?
I don’t have many memories with yo-yoing yet haha been making them lately! When I was young I taught my friends how to catch an off string yoyo and we would just launch them at each other from across the school fields
I remember looking yo-yo stuff up when I picked it back up and seeing all this things I missed over the last like 10+ years and I was blown away, all the yo-yos and so many companies! Duncan and Yomega were all I knew. I was familiar with friction stickers not silicone pads. I was so over stimulated with excitement. I got obsessed right away. The memory of seeing how much there was to take in just gave me so much joy.
I remember when I was first posting stuff on Instagram I made friends with my buddy John or “bindtime”. he was my first “yo-yo friend” he asked me to help him with a trick and I had to film a pov to get my point across but I had no GoPro at the time so my GF, being the most supportive person ever agrees to get on a milkcrate and hold my phone in front of my face from behind and aim it at my hands so i can film a tip video for my buddy haha I don’t remember how long it took but I wasn’t as nearly as consistent as i am now haha. He doesn’t throw much anymore but he pops up from time to time and it always make me smile. and it was early on in my gf and ours’s relationship and it showed me how sweet and supportive she is. its a rad memory.
Getting asked to join GWAY is a new rad memory! Much love to E-man, Sean and Ume for having my back! All my Teammates are rad!
If you couldn’t yo-yo what would you be doing?
I feel like I would have focused my attention to one of my many other hobbies (maybe my art) but I don’t think I would feel as satisfied. Idk. yo-yoing hits all right buttons for me. each aspect of yoyoing does something different for me. I would probably stream again. I liked making gaming content before I found yo-yoing.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Well as I’m finishing this up we ended up having to say goodbye to our cat “Rini” which is taking a toll on us emotionally. but we have each other thru it. So I would like to tell anyone who is going through any rough part in life that its not permanent. you will grow bigger and stronger in time. the yoyo community has rad people who are willing to lend an ear (myself included) you are not alone. and i wish you all happiness.
I got more community based stuff I wanna incorporate in the future. I wanna say thanks for all the support!
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
My first yoyo was a typical up and down wood one my dad gave me. I was 7 years old. When I was around 12 there was a dude named Fast Eddy that came to our highschool to do a campaign (Like those anti-bullying ones). Everyone in my school was hooked on it for about a month or two, including myself. Afterwards, my cousin sent me this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYkGL30HPwI I was in such awe that someone could yoyo like that, and it was the first time I saw unresponsive yoyoing. After that I begged my mom enough and finally got a yellow Yoyojam Kickside and a green Spinfaktor HG and the rest is history.
What inspired you to create Luftverk?
It’s kind of a long story but on my website I have a writeup about how it all started ported from the old website. It’s kind of a hidden page now, so heres the link. Essentially I was an Engineering student and thought it would be cool to create my own yoyo out of Titanium originally in Canada. Huge failure haha – but worked out in the end. https://luftverk.com/pages/the-story
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Luftverk Plastic Fulvia or Offset Outlier + (Very Biased, I know haha)
What trick are you working on currently?
I stopped learning new tricks from 2018 so I had this huge gap where all my tricks were super outdated. but the Yoyotoronto crew (Jacky, Evan, Yejune, ect.) have all taught me new meta combos so thats kind of what I try to do now to stay relevant. Learning the newer tricks also helps with how I design products since I can test them myself easier to understand how customers are using my products. Theres a tension hook I always miss that Im trying to get consistant at, you can see it on the Luftverk IG page: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-FRHCiyD6O/?hl=en
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Ive been trying to land a 3.5 hook for the better part of 3 years. At 31 years old, I think Im just too old for those kinds of movements lol. My arms hurt after the last time I tried it, and kind of gave up haha.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time?
Very biased, but either 000 or Evora more so of how they remind me of where I was in life when I was designing them then their play characteristics. Non Luftverk yoyos – Both The End and OG Peak I watched drop online as a kid, and back then I didnt have the 100$ to buy. So those will always remain core memories and grail yoyos of mine.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
Maybe my Paul Escolar FH1. I visited him in SF and we hung out in his room where we decided to do a collaboration of Paul Escolar the month before he passed away. I think the way Duncan made such a beautiful homage to him was really special so I am glad I had the chance to purchase one.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
People think Im weird but I never leave string on my yoyos. I rotate one string to every yoyo I will use, so when someone comes over they have to get a string and put it on to try anything lol. Does anyone else do this or is it just me? Please let me know Im not crazy hahaha.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
My life is mostly Drifting, Business and currently studying Japanese.
What fictional character best fits who you are?
Man I don’t really watch much fictional shows to be honest. Im a pretty boring person haha.
Favorite restaurant and order?
Probably Kura in Japan – people will hate on me but it’s so cheap and I’m a sucker for a good deal and saving money. Back in Canada though we would go to Korean restaurants a lot, theres one called Daldongnae thats really good, check it out if you are in Toronto.
Favorite movie and or Book?
That’s a hard one, movie wise probably Back to the Future since I used to watch it a lot with my dad when I was young.
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
I think the community is really special, and I have a theory that it is what causes someone to just play with yoyos vs someone who becomes a yoyoer. They join that community, film videos, go to contests. I think that is something I maybe took for granted since for me it happened organically. It taught me so many relevant skills to make me who I am today, and even though I don’t yoyo as much as I did as a kid (literally every waking hour haha) It gave me fundamental skills that I still use in my life even today. If I were to sum it up, maybe it would mean community and also personal skill development like perseverance, dedication and how to deal with failure.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
When I was yoyoing and playing video games with my friend Adam and a bat flew into his house and we spent literally 2 hours trying to get a bat out of his house. We were 14.
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
I don’t even know how to explain how small it was back then. When I started there was only one other person in my city who played with yoyos (My buddy Adam). When I went to worlds in 2008, it felt like how big a regionals was now. Another thing thats different coming from a manufacturing perspective is that yoyos are way more commoditized now. Back then yoyos really sucked so I would have to modify them with a lathe to get them to play right. Now a days you can really get any yoyo and it plays great out of the box.
It would be cool for modern string trick yoyoing to become a staple toy much like a rubik’s cube or juggling. I think it’s getting there, but when I was younger people thought of yoyo as wood and walk the dog. Now people think of yoyoing as DNA – which to me is in the right direction.
If you never picked up a yo-yo – what would things look like now?
Probably still drifting or cars.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Focus on making friends in the community – I wish I did that earlier. I would just yoyo alone in my bedroom before there was social media, and I wish I had the opportunity to talk to people as easily as you can now with Instagram and stuff. I’d probably be a way better yoyoer.
Advice to veteran players?
Gatekeeping yoyoing sucks.
Whats you want to tell the world?
Be kind to others and have fun in life – find what you love and go for it!
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
What got you into throwing, how did you find the hobby?
It’s pretty serendipitous! My wife and I watched the season of America’s Got Talent where Shu Takada performed. Soon after, I was looking for Christmas gifts at Target. I saw the Butterfly XTs and decided to buy one on a whim. It was only 5$ and that Shu performance was fresh in my mind. I’ve played everyday since then hah! I very nearly didn’t find yoyo to be honest. It seems very lucky to me now…for things to line up how they did. We haven’t watched AGT since then and if it wasn’t nearly Christmas time, I wouldn’t have walked down that aisle. I was also in dire need of a new hobby so things just fell into place at the right moment. I’m incredibly grateful that things did unfold the way they did!
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
Easily Hades. It has specs completely outside of the norm and I love it. It just feels really good to play to me and fits my hands perfectly. I love that it forces me to play 1A with intention, because if I don’t, the yoyo is so heavy I slow way down. I like almost all other yoyos also, but Hades is the one that always ends up in my hand.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
Not really a specific trick, but right now I’m focusing on getting together a clean two minutes of 3A for the Ante Yoyo Cup online competition in November! I participated in the 1A sport division last year and it was hard, but I improved a ton from that experience. I’m using this as a way to help me focus on 3A and a tool to help me improve. Putting together a full performance is also just fun! Trying not to stray too far from prepping for that right now because two minute of 3A is hard! Hah! I’m a bit nervous!
Ooof…all time favorite trick is difficult…I think I have to go with Coro Coro! It’s just such a cool looking and satisfying trick with so much room to explore fun transitions in and out.
What’s the most meaningful yoyo you have in your collection?
I’m not too sentimental about yoyos themselves, but the pair of Hades I use for 3A means a lot to me. I love that all the scuffs, scrapes, and dings on them remind me of the effort and time I’ve put in to learning the style.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
I am very much a “one hobby to obsess over” type of person but I also love spending time with my wife our wonderful puppy—Millie!
What’s your “day” job?
I’m a graphic designer! Graphic design is pretty broad, I’ll add that I’m less of a design and illustrate a logo designer and more of a layout all the information on pages for a book type of designer.
What’s your favorite restaurants and order?
Hmmm this is hard hah! Coalfire Pizza in Chicago has fantastic pizzas baked in a wood fire brick oven. I especially like the pepperoni ricotta—sauce, mozzarella, exceptionally good pepperoni, and big dollops of ricotta cheese on top. Any pizza is good for me, but thin crust baked in a wood fired oven is hard to beat.
Favorite movie or TV show?
Without a doubt—Gladiator.
If there was one song that you say fits your mood and personality perfectly, what would it be?
Very hard to pick one, but I think I will have to go with KILL DEM by Jamie XX it has good vibes and a yapping vocal line hah! Just a feel good song that embodies the vibes I try to embody.
What’s your best yo-yo memory?
I think it has to be worlds 2024! It was the first contest I attended and it was just really nice to be there to witness the performances and meet so many of the friends I’ve made online, in person!
What’s your yoyo bad habit?
I loooooove learning new tricks but I don’t always spend enough time with them to really smooth them out and make them look the way I would like. I don’t mind too much because I have a lot of fun playing the way I do, but sometimes I’ll post a trick on instagram, do it again the next day, and kick myself for not sleeping on it and getting a better take.
If you could wake up tomorrow and have any skill set from another player what would it be?
I think it would have to be Hajime Miura’s 3A skills! He’s the best! I have so many theoretical tricks that I don’t yet have the skills to execute. With his skills, I could make them a reality!
What’s the most expensive or rare yoyo you have?
ASTer is the most expensive yoyo I have. I’m not too much of a collector and I’m relatively new compared to the other players you have interviewed, so nothing in my collection is all that rare really.
If you never found yo-yo what would you be doing instead?
I really don’t know! I’m certain I would have found another hobby to obsess over, because that’s just something I have always done…but none of them have felt as perfect for me as yoyo!
How has the community changed from what it used to be, and where do you think it will end up?
This one is a little hard for me to answer because I started playing at the end of 2022 and didn’t find the community until a bit after that. The one thing I’ve noticed is more and more players deciding to try 3A! 3A is a style I think looks amazing and is super fun. For where yoyo will end up…I’m not sure but I hope that the X divisions will grow, especially in the US, and I think we can get them there!
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Have fun yo! Try to focus on enjoying the journey. As a new player, or any player, it can be hard to avoid comparing yourself to people that have been playing yoyo forever and that can be disheartening. In my experience, if you just keep playing, you’ll definitely see improvement. The main thing I want yoyo to be for people is fun! Yoyo is a “skill toy” though so it makes sense for people to want to improve. Improving is fun! If someone’s goal is to improve, I do have some advice.
Learn a lot of tricks! They don’t all need to get to perfectly smooth and beautiful, it is good to get some tricks you like the best to that point, but learning tricks itself is a skill and doing it a lot, will make the act of learning easier. It’s just nice to expand the yocabulary. You’ll find new ways to interact with the yoyo and string and that can inspire new ideas and things to try. There is also a cool snowballing effect where things become familiar and elements are recognize from trick to trick.
Finding the Trick-a-Week thread last year and starting to participate was my gateway to the yoyo community and following along absolutely helped me improve and push out of my comfort zone. Everyone should check it out!
I also think that if people want to improve and playing everyday is a way to make that happen, it’s very important to avoid burn out. Yoyo can be hard and getting too frustrated isn’t good for motivation. Some things that have helped me stay excited to play and motivated are to avoid always trying to push yourself. Sometimes it’s nice to step back and learn something easier because it’s simply fun to learn new tricks. Often, there is still a lot of good yocabulary to pick up too. Also switch up styles! 1a is definitely fun but trying out 5A, 0A etc. can be a great way to stay excited while keeping things light and fun. Learning other styles will help people progress in all the other styles as well. I cannot overstate how much playing 3a has helped my plane control.
What do you want to tell the world?
Play yoyo! Hah! I just really love it for a million reasons and I think many people that don’t yet play would also really enjoy it. If anyone wants to follow me on my yoyo journey, you can find my tricks on instagram @gtdkhenry.
Player Profiles is a series of articles/interviews dedicated to spotlighting the vibrant and diverse community of yo-yo enthusiasts. Each article delves into the unique stories of players from different backgrounds, showcasing their journeys, skills, and contributions to the yo-yo world. The series aims to highlight the passion and creativity that drive these individuals, offering readers an inside look at their personal experiences, favorite tricks, and the impact yo-yoing has had on their lives. Whether they’re seasoned competitors or inspiring newcomers, these profiles celebrate the people who make the yo-yo community so dynamic and inclusive.
