A few (several?) years ago now, I met Mark Dhier of Mk1 Yoyos on the r/Throwers Discord channel. One day, he [jokingly?] asked if anyone wanted to help him with quality control and packaging on his second Contact production. Knowing full well that we didn’t live far from each other at the time, I piped up and offered my help! Mark invited my wife and I to his home to help him check ano and package the Contact. He taught us how to check for anodization flaws, vibe, and other important yoyo QC witchcraft. Then, he taught us how to fold boxes, wrap string, and package the yoyos. That evening on the drive home, all we could talk about was how much fun we’d had and how much more realistic it seemed for us to achieve the same. I started conceptualizing the name, logo/trademark, and company mission that evening! I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur with my art, TRT is my artistic outlet.
**What does a day in the life look like for you running TRT?**
Probably like many others in the boutique yoniverse, TRT is not my fulltime job. In fact, we haven’t even paid ourselves from it. All of our proceeds have either been reinvested into TRT or been invested into the “yommunity” as event sponsorships. I do my best to complete at least one TRT task daily. The busiest time is when we receive a production run and go through our quality control and packaging process. Jess (my wonderful wife) and I typically work on this together, sometimes we have help from the team. It’ll take us between 2 to 3 weeks to test, inspect, package, and inventory a production run. For all the goings on, I work on CAD, graphic design for stickers/pogs/website/packaging/engravings, blog posts for the website, web shop updates, shipping, and some social media. Jess, helps me greatly with TRT. She shares the social media work with me (she runs our TikTok and YouTube, I am the Instagram man) and she is my master of marketing, marketing yoyos to all of our amazing retailers! She also shares the accounting, inventory, and shipping work with me. Some days I just chat with the team and gather feedback on our prototypes or discuss signature designs, we currently have a few in the works. So, it’s kind of a whirlwind on a day-to-day!
**Walk me through your creative process**
I like to think my process is fairly organic, but I’ve found my groove and have turned it into a routine. When an idea for a yoyo hits, I’ll tend to ponder it for quite awhile before I move into CAD and actually start drawing it. Mark Dhier got me into this line of thinking, and that’s to settle on not just the yoyo design, but what the yoyo design is trying to achieve, what is its purpose? Once all that has been pondered, ideated, dreamt of, discussed, then buried in soft peat for several months before being exhumed and revived, I open Fusion360 and get to work. I gave FreeCAD a try, but I just didn’t gel with the workflow and found myself spending more time figuring out how to draw my line, instead of just drawing my line. I have a handful of bearing seat files that I’ve accumulated and updated over the years, so I don’t redraw those each time anymore, just grab whatever fits the design and save as. If I’m drawing the “next evolution” of an existing design, I’ll start with that file. I draw the right side of the yoyo and always start with my profile. I’ll then draw a “rough” cup and start revolving, checking mass and MOI, and then redrawing/editing until I hit the numbers I’m looking to achieve. Once the math and design looks good, I’ll render it in several different colors, float those out to the team, and then discuss any changes before we move on to prototyping. I do my best to name prototype designs, but we’ve rarely kept the prototype name for any of the actual releases. Once you get that physical creature in your hands and start flowing, the name tends to come a little more naturally. We pass prototypes around the team and I always bring them with me to club meets and events. I like to get the prototypes into as many hands as possible, I value every player’s opinions on them. So, if you ever see my shiny bald head somewhere… you should definitely bother me because I want to know what you think about my prototype! After a few months of play testing, we decide whether or not to make changes and/or proceed with quoting a production run. If the numbers line up, we pick our pantones and cut the check! Once yoyos are ordered, which is typically the longest lead time, we start ordering all of the other important accoutrements that the modern yoyoist should expect. Strings have come from Zipline for every one of our independent releases, and I intend to keep it that way! Jeremy has been amazing to work with and I truly respect what he’s doing. I admire his passion for yoyo and am always elated to get huge bundles of his glorious string! I have a self-proclaimed Pog Smith out in Nevada, this guy is the real deal! Check him out, custompogs.com. Stickers get ordered from whoever has the best deal going, I haven’t married any of these print shops, yet. Last but not least, there’s the model specific stamp for the boxes. Speaking of gift boxes, this upcoming model will be the last TRT release in our hand stamped gift boxes… we’ve been cooking something quality over the last several months to enhance our yo-experience.
**What’s your favorite memory running TRT?**
Oi, there’s so many! How can I pick only one? If I have to pick, though, it’s gotta be this last US Nationals out in Philadelphia. This was my first time at a Nationals event and it was simply wild! I got to meet so many more faces of yo, learned new tricks, and picked up some excellent new yoyos, along with getting to catch up with several familiar faces of yo, too! We even had a couple kids running around with our Scrub yoyos, getting them signed like they were team signed baseballs. One kid kept coming up to our table to show me the latest signature, then I’d point out another famous player and he’d run off to meet them. There were so many kids buzzing about the Scrub that Mark D. coined the term “Scrubonites” that weekend to describe our band of followers. The most adorable was this little girl who made it her mission to not only get signatures on her yoyo, but she also had to collect one of each of our pogs! This was so cool to me, because our pogs are all limited edition and this was the first time someone told me they were actually collecting them! Funniest part about that little girl, was that she didn’t realize who I was until the end of the event. She thought I was just some guy working the table, not the actual yoyo designing human. When she was told, the look on her face was priceless! We also made the final decision to offer sponsorship to Adam Reeder during this event, and we’re beyond elated to have him on the team. Oh, and Eric’s DNA on weird things contest was a riot! I almost had it on that big ol’ Brontosaurus!
**What’s your favorite release to date?**
Tough call between the Bathysphere and Cenote. Bathysphere is incredibly special to me, being our first collaboration and our largest/most popular release to date. This was also the first time I really worked on custom packaging, which was a ton of work, but the results were more than worth it. I hope Mark and I get to work together on another collaboration one day! Cenote is our next most popular, numbers wise. We took our biggest financial risk to date with the second run, and it was either going to make us or break us. Working with our favorite tattoo artist and friend, Vanessa Harper, we had so much fun creating the limited art series. I also got to share Cenote with so many great players at Nats, hearing their overwhelmingly positive feedback on it was incredible. The most amazing thing about Cenote, though, was that my favorite player gave it a rave review on his Youtube channel, thank you Takatsu-san!!! I could have probably died happy that day, talk about a yo-chievment that I never had though about before and that has been so important to me. All that said, I think it’s the Cenote!
**What’s your next release and why should we be excited for it?**
Our next release is coming up next Friday, March 28th… it’s the Sago!!! This is our first bimetal yoyo, and it is an absolute banger. Just say go, because Sago simply exudes speed, stability, and fun to the max. There’s a ton of comp focused bimetals out there, and in my experience most play the same way, Sago is different. Despite being incredibly rim weighted, the overall weight of the design allows for easy and fast directional changes. However, if you really just like ridiculously powerful yoyos, there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s a special edition of the Sago with heavier brass rims included with this release, the King Sago! Oh, and… oh my sweet goodness gracious… this release also includes our first ever Unknown collaborative edition! Hyyype!!!
**What’s in store for TRT in the future?**
When we first started, my goal was to have our yoyos retail at YoYoExpert and in Japan. Those were my two biggest milestones and what seemed impossible at the time. I feel like we’ve finally made a name for ourselves and cemented our spot in the yommunity, and having achieved my original dream goals… I’ve been working on a larger list! Most recently, we embarked on the journey of custom packaging for all of our future releases. Manufacturing recently finished and they’re on their way across the Pacific, we’re expecting them to arrive in time for our next-next release. Speaking of, I hope y’all like turtles as much as we do! We’re also planning our first crowd-funded release, which will also be our first tug-responsive model. And my current ultimate goal, apart from making TRT my full time job, is to make $5 yoyos. I had a dream that I walked into our local Target… and there it was, on the shelf right next to the Duncan yoyos, a selection of Turner Return Tops! So, probably not in the next 3 years, but maybe in the next 7 to 10 years I want to journey into injection molding and worldwide retail. Maybe after that I’ll have to get one of our yoyos launched into space or something, but right now that’s the biggest dream I’ve dreamt!
**If you could go back and do one thing differently what would that be?**
Easy. I’d have done the Buoy! very differently. I ordered too many prototypes, with fancy expensive anodization, and we ordered way too many for production! Being a nobody from nowhere as a new boutique company was way more difficult to perpetuate than I could have ever anticipated. I oftentimes wonder if we’d have been better off as a mystery company with no face reveal! I also would have reached out to retailers first, before trying to direct release on our own. That hindered our growth early on, thinking we’d somehow just sell 100+ Buoy!’s direct was beyond foolish. I know now that retail sales are even more important than our direct sales. By a large margin. Our retailers bring our products to more people than we could ever hope to reach via social media and forums, apart from all of the good they do for our yommunity in their own unique ways!
**What do you think sets your company apart from others?**
I think we have a few things going for us that sets apart from most. We have consistently manufactured with FPM, which we believe produces the highest quality for the cost. We also really enjoy working with Wendy, you rock! Including quality accessories is certainly not unique in the yoniverse either, but again, we consistently include Zipline strings with each release because they are the best in the world. I could buy bulk bags of poly string at cost for way less, but I love Zipline strings and I’m pretty sure most of you do, too! Have I mentioned our limited edition pogs? I love collecting things, not just yoyos. So, including fun things like the pogs brings me a ton of joy. All of this, and I believe we maintain a relatively low price for what we offer. Apart from quality tops & accessories for reasonable prices, I believe our tops generally follow the same philosophy of fun. Our designs mostly revolve around lighter than average overall weights and I always focus on achieving this magical “float” feeling on strings. Competition is important, the latest meta is fire, but those are not the only facets to the hobby. We’ll continue to do our best to keep it fun, that I can guarantee!
**Any advice to aspiring companies/creators?**
This is the best advice that I have the most difficult time following: plan it all in advance. Spend a few more weeks tweaking that drawing, show it to a trusted yo-gineer with experience for help. Their feedback will be invaluable! Or hire someone to draw your CAD if you aren’t the technical type. Order the MOQ (minimum order quantity) with either solid color ano or raw to save money on prototypes. Play and share those prototypes for at least 3 if not 6 months. Plan the theme, name, art, accessories, packaging, advertising, and marketing before you order that production run. Reach out to retailers with renderings to gauge interest in the design prior to production, too. Don’t forget shipping supplies! Oh yeah, and plan out where you’re going to layout your hundreds of yoyos to do quality control, inspections, packaging and then storage. I’m always trying to re-organize my yo-storage!
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
When I was a kid, my dad had a few yoyos and messed around with them. I remember he had a Proyo Roadster which has long been lost to time. My first yoyo was probably some cheap light up thing you get at an arcade but the one I remember was my raider.
As many have, I eventually got serious in my career and instead of messing with toys I focused on work. While on a vacation in ocean city I was in a kite shop and kept eyeing a raider like the one I had as a kid. My wife (fiancé at the time) nudged me to get it and from there the spark was made and my rediscovery of yoyo had started.
That was around 2016 and by 2018 I started fining online stuff initially Yo tricks then YYE. I eventually after lurking for a while joined the community and inserted myself into various groups and here, we are today.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
That’s hard. I have an eclectic variety of yoyos at my disposal but I always fall back to picking up a raider or some other looping yoyo. If I had my pick, it would be a pair of something lp or loop ups probably.
What trick are you working on currently and what is your all time favorite trick?
Shoot the moon is my favorite trick. I enjoy being able to throw a yoyo and do a trick with one hand. What am I working on? I’ve been quietly working on KWIJIBO but its been slow with all this Fixed axle/modern responsive/anti banger stuff to participate in.
What’s your favorite yo-yo of all time
I absolutely love my wildwoods Gnomad in pink Spectra-ply. It’s just such a darn good wood yoyo and I sure do love wood.
Trick that gives you the hardest time?
Kick Flips!!! I can do them maybe once out of 20 tries and it always feels like I both won big when I do get it but I also lucked out because I have no idea how I got it.
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
Yoyo’s that are gifts are my most cherished. My wife got me a Spinstar for Christmas one year and I refuse to let it go regardless of how silly it is because it was from her. She also got me a zipline honey badger which she stalked the drop for which was so cool of her. I think the honey badger is my most meaningful yoyo in that regard.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Gardening is a core part of who I am. I had a blog a long time ago when blogs where cool about my tomato gardening and love to grow cool plants or just a bunch of produce to share with friends’ family and neighbors. Currently I have a plan to convert the drainage ditch the county doesn’t maintain next to my house into a pumpkin patch and am hoping I corrected the PH issues enough to properly grow sunflowers this year.
Favorite restaurant and order?
Isn’t the meme answer chilis? I love Mexican food, there’s a small hole in the wall place in Manassas called Molcajete Moya and I usually order Enchiladas.
Favorite movie and or Book?
Jurassic Park is hands down my favorite book and movie. I watched the VHS till the tape broke then taped it back together and kept watching it till DVDs where a thing.
What does yo-yo mean for you. Expression, technical, art, sports
For me yoyo is relaxation and connection. It’s a hobby I use to connect to other people and it’s a way for me to take my mind off my day to day when needed.
It’s also been a sense of community for me in the online side of the hobby where I have met amazing people and shared experiences in a way I don’t get often in my day-to-day life.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
My yoyo clubs (being a part of yoyo boomer club has been a delight and watching my own club DMV throw grow has been an adventure.
What’s it been like to watch the growth of the community
The biggest thing I’ve been a part of and watched grow in real time has been my local club DMV Throwers. We have quickly grown from 4 folks showing up in the park a year ago to a dozen to 30 people showing up monthly in the library auditorium and giving away yoyos to new players that stop by every time.
Being able to show someone how to throw a yoyo and give them advice and encouragement is fantastic and a big part of my enjoyment in the hobby. I’ve also watched our local area go from 1 club in a 50-mile radius of DC to three over the last few months and am so supportive of the expanded access to a local club for folks farther north and south of us.
If you couldn’t yo-yo what would you be doing?
Maybe paintball still or more bike riding. Idk, yoyo is a big part of my life at this time but it’s not my whole life. My kids take that spot and everything else is secondary so if I couldn’t yoyo, I would fill that gap with some other hobby. Maybe pickleball.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players
Don’t sweat the small stuff. Your bearings are probably fine. Your string choice doesn’t matter and your skills can only be compared to your past self.
Theres always a new shiny toy and someone better than you out there so just pace yourself and enjoy the hobby for whatever you get out of it and don’t try to fit your enjoyment into other people’s definition of what the hobby is.
What’s your Yo-yo bad habit
I will borrow your yoyo make an axle knot without realizing and return it with said knot… I will also apologize a dozen times for doing so.
What movie or book character best fits who you are?
I used to be told I looked like Wayne knight specifically in his role in Seinfeld as Newman. What movie character do I act most like. Probably Marlin from finding nemo.
What do you want to tell the world
Spread the love of the hobby, Be good to others and accept people for who they are and be who you are without exception. Give good and you will get good in the end.
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?
Yoyoing was introduced to me by my friend Jake Bullock. We went to school together from grades 1-5, and after I moved away I made periodic returns to Kutztown to hang out. I remember one summer I went to visit Jake, and he showed me some videos of then world champ Johnnie DelValle, and I almost couldn’t believe the things he was doing were possible.
The most complex yoyo trick I’d ever seen before that was “rock the baby.” I thought he must be some sort of child prodigy, but then Jake showed me a few tricks and I realized anyone can learn. Jake had a YoYoJam Hitman that he let me try, but it was unresponsive, so I spent the rest of the afternoon practicing binding the yoyo just so I could get it to return to my hand. After that, I was hooked.
What is your goal in 2025 for yourself? Yo-yo or not!
I plan to learn a couple of basic looping tricks with my dominant hand. Even just being able to consistently do 5-10 repetitions of hop the fence and inside loops would be a solid achievement. Although 3A, 4A, and 5A are all unique styles of yoyoing, I can do a bit of each because they’re still string tricks. Looping feels entirely strange to me.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
I’m not too picky. I’d probably pick the Anti-Yo “Bapezilla.” I love the color combination, and I have small hands, so I find small yo-yos more comfortable. Smaller yo-yos also fit better in my pocket, so it’s more convenient to bring them with me if I want.
What trick are you working on currently?
I’ve been working on learning some old chopsticks repeater tricks by Jason Lee. If you’ve never seen his video The Fidget then I highly recommend you check it out on YouTube. The video quality is absolutely terrible compared to what we have now, but the tricks are still impressive, especially when you take into consideration the yoyo he’s using.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
It definitely has to be “seasick.” I find the motion uncomfortable, and I’m always paranoid that the yoyo will hit me in the head. That tense feeling prevents me from executing the trick how I’d really like it to look.
What’s the most meaningful or favorite throw you have?
I started yoyoing in early 2004 and stopped around 2010. I still stayed in touch with Jake though, and last Fall he sent me a white & silver prototype of the newest yoyo he was making, the “Dunk LX.”
Even though I hadn’t been yoyoing for nearly 15 years, once I threw it down, it felt like almost no time had passed at all. I hadn’t really planned to start yoyoing again, but I’ve been doing it every day since I got that yoyo.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
I leave them laying around the house. Usually when I untie a yoyo from my finger, I place it on the nearest horizontal surface. In a way it’s nice, because then when I want to pick up a yoyo, there’s almost always one within arm’s reach. It does make the house look a bit messy though.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Anything that’s entertainment. Movies, music, video games, etc. I’m a big fan of NFL football. When the weather is nice, my family and I like to go hiking at one of the nearby state or national parks.
What song best fits your personality?
I can’t think of a singular song that fits my personality, but I love the punk rock genre as a whole. I find it calming, ironically, because any feelings of frustration that I have are channeled through the fast-paced music. It’s very cathartic.
Favorite restaurant and order?
I don’t have a favorite restaurant, but I do have a favorite order. Every time I eat at a new Mexican restaurant, I always order carne asada tacos. If I visit a second time, then I’ll usually order tacos al pastor. I love getting classic taco recipes and comparing them from one restaurant to another.
Favorite movie and or Book?
My favorite movie is Goodfellas(1990), and accordingly, my favorite book is “Wiseguy” which is the book the movie was based on. I’ve always had an affinity for gangster movies. They offer an interesting insight into the minds and lifestyles of people that I will (hopefully) never interact with.
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
Different things at different times. When I was younger, yoyoing mostly meant hanging out with friends. It provided a central reason for all of us to meet up. Now that I’m older, it’s more about serenity. I’m prone to ruminating on the past and planning for the future, but yoyoing grounds me in the present moment, which gives me feelings of peace and calm. Something about watching and controlling so much physics happening in such a small area makes it very compelling.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
There are so many that it’s really hard to choose a favorite. All of them center around one contest or another. I won’t expand upon a specific memory, but going to the world yoyo contest in Orlando for the first time was an unforgettable experience.
I remember the Rosen Plaza Hotel being the biggest building I’d ever seen in person at the time, hanging around the hotel for 3 days, seeing yoyoers on every floor, attending various events and workshops, watching people take the stage, staying up into the early hours of the morning to see what shenanigans would take place…it was great.
If you could start over again, what would you do differently?
I had such a good time that I’m not sure I’d do anything differently. I suppose that I wish I’d been a little more outgoing back then. I was a very introverted person, so I usually only hung out with the same group of people at every contest.
What’s your biggest accomplishment yo-yo or not?
My biggest yoyo related accomplishment is simply sticking with it for so long. I’ve always had a tendency to start new hobbies and then put them down after a couple weeks or months, before I ever actually get good at them. Yoyoing is the only hobby I can think of that I consistently did for years.
How has the community changed since you started and where do you want it to go?
I’ve been away from yoyoing for so long and only just recently started again, so I don’t feel qualified to say much about the community. It looks like people are a lot more competitive now.
Competitions were always a part of yoyoing, but back in the early 2000’s it felt to me like the contests were almost just designed as a reason for everyone to get together. People went on stage and did their tricks, and the score almost seemed like an after thought. Now when I see people compete, I can tell they’ve put a lot of thought into how they can maximize points scored.
If you never picked up a yo-yo – what would things look like now?
I think I would have a much smaller world view. I went to so many different states to attend yoyo contests, which helped shape my views on traveling and made me more self reliant.
Also, despite being an introvert, I still met a lot of new people from all over the country and even other parts of the world. Those are experiences most people don’t get until they’re much older.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Just do whatever is fun for you. Don’t feel like you have to do what everyone else is doing.
Whats you want to tell the world?
It sounds cheesy, and it’s not only related to yoyoing, but be kind to each other. The world would be a much better place if everyone was a bit more compassionate.
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?
A family friend gifted me a Yomega Brain for Christmas in 1998. Up until that point, I thought yoyos just went up and down. I had no idea they could “sleep”. The family friend showed me how the brain could not only sleep, but it came back automatically. I became obsessed. I threw sleeper after sleeper, trying my hardest to make each one longer than the last. Then I scoured the “trick book” that came with the brain and learned every trick in it, except brain twister. That was a trick for the pros. There was no way I would EVER be able to do it, and I was totally cool with that. Completely content with my rock-the-babies and around-the-worlds.
Then, in 7th grade (1999/2000), we had a skill toy demonstration come to our school. They showed us juggling, hacky sack, and of course, yoyo. I was enthralled. The demonstrators were incredible. And they did this amazing trick that I knew I had to master, “the man on the flying trapeze”. By now, I had accumulated a couple more yoyos, so I ran home and dug out my best one, a glow in the dark Fireball with translucent red caps. I spent HOURS trying to get trapeze. I had no concept of a breakaway, so I was attempting it from a forward pass. I finally got it to land on the string once or twice, enough that I was able to show my mom. I was stoked, to say the least.
This was all back before the internet was in everyone’s pocket. You had to learn tricks from the books that came with your yoyos or from friends. Eventually, I lost my yoyos and other hobbies like skateboarding and video games took priority.
20 years later, in March 2020, the very beginning of the pandemic, I’m watching Pewdiepie with my girl, and he pulls out none other than his childhood fireball. I had just received a call that work would be closed for at least 2 weeks (it ended up being like 3 months) due to Covid. Knowing we’d need some entertainment, I asked my girl to order us both a fireball.
The fireballs came. I was beyond stoked to find that I could still perform every single trick from my childhood. What I was even more stoked to discover, was how every problem I had that day seemed nonexistent when I threw the yoyo. I had rediscovered my favorite meditation, although, I didn’t realize it was meditation.
I knew if I wanted to get better, I was going to need a better yoyo. So I got online and ordered a nice “butterfly” shaped yoyo with a slim bearing and a wide bearing, and started watching tutorials. That’s when I knew, for sure, that this was something I wanted to commit some serious time and energy to.
What is your goal in 2025 for yourself? Yo-yo or not
Man, I have so many… To keep posting videos. To get more people interested in the hobby. I’m really hoping to start a local yoyo club, if I can get enough interest.
If you could only have one yo-yo for the rest of your life what would it be?
That’s an impossible question to answer! If I had to pick just one, it would have to be something that plays well in different setups. I really need something that can do unresponsive and responsive/fixie. I think the G2xYYBC Workhorse fits the bill. It is genuinely my favorite responsive throw at the moment, and it plays well with a blank, if you’re feeling fixie, or add a wide bearing and some weight rings and you got yourself a fantastic little slimline unresponsive.
I shudder to imagine being stuck with only one yoyo, but yeah, if I HAD to, Workhorse is the one.
What trick are you working on currently?
I’m not working on any specific trick, but I’m always trying to figure out new ways to incorporate fixie tricks into my unresponsive play. I’ve really been enjoying varials lately and how to do them from different mounts/stalls.
What’s the trick that gives you the hardest time?
Rancid milk. I really need to take the time to learn it all the way through
What’s your favorite trick?
I don’t know if I have a single favorite trick. Picking favorites was never my strong suit, as it changes all the time. I really enjoy towers and triangles though. And stalls and flips. And whips and slacks…
Oh! Wait! Yuuki slack! Yuuki slack is my favorite trick. I can’t do it very well, but it is just the coolest looking trick, imo.
My favorite yoyo of all time is The End II, Flying lemon, Cenote, Isthmus, Bathysphere, Operator, Workhorse, Blood Cell, Bolt XP, Duncan Wheel (fixed axle)… the list goes on
What’s the most meaningful throw you have?
Right now, I think I would call my Spinworthy purple heart unresponsive my most meaningful throw.
What’s your worst habit with yo-yos?
Not learning other people’s tricks. I used to watch tutorials and learn other peoples tricks, but once I had enough base knowledge and skill to start discovering tricks on my own, tutorials became tedious and difficult to give my attention to. Hence why I can’t do rancid milk lol.
What’s kind of things are you into outside of yo-yos?
Most of my free time outside of yoyo goes to dadding these days, but I really enjoy playing music (guitar and drums, mostly) and writing songs, bushcraft, skateboarding, wood carving, art in general, mountain biking, bmx, target shooting, throwing knives…. There’s probably more that I can’t think of.
Hmmmm I can’t remember the name of the restaurant, but it’s a little Italian place in Burlington, Wisconsin. They have the best lasagna I have ever tried in my life. I’d have to say that’s my favorite restaurant and order.
Of course, you can’t go wrong with pizza
Favorite movie and or Book?
Movie: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- the first one Book: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
What does yo-yo’ing mean to you?
One word: Community
Yoyoing is fun, but the community is what makes it really special to me.
What’s your favorite memory from your time in the hobby ?
Right now? Probably when I got the message from Bruce that they wanted me to join Team TRT.
There are many other great memories and I can’t wait to see the ones I have yet to make!
How has the community changed since you started? Where do you want it to go?
I’ve only been a part of the community for a few years, so I wouldn’t say it’s changed much in that time. It seems like the community is growing though, and obviously, we all want that. I’d like to see more people discover their love for this wonderful little toy.
If you never picked up a yo-yo – what would things look like now?
Bleak-I can’t picture life without yoyo. I’ve found so many amazing friends and learned so much about myself through this hobby. I like to think I would pick up a yoyo in every possible timeline.
Advice/ words of wisdom to new players?
Don’t compare yourself to anyone except yourself. If you’re worried about who is better than you, you’ll drive yourself crazy. If you just try to get better than you were yesterday, progress comes naturally.
Whats you want to tell the world?
You’re perfect. Every “mistake” is just a lesson to be learned. There are no mistakes. Everything you do, every choice you make, leads you to where you’re going. Treat everyone with respect and kindness. We’re all struggling in one way or another, so give each other a break. The world will be a better place when we all realize that.
I love you ALL and I’m here for anyone that needs me. Just reach out. I will always do everything I can to help anyone I can
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.
Back with another Company Profile!! Hope you all enjoy!!
How did the idea for Yoyofriends come about?
Hi, This is Yiyang Wang (Philip) from yoyofriends. I joined yoyofriends in 2018 and since then the idea of yoyofriends changed a lot. Right now yoyofriends has the manufacturing side located in ShenZhen,China. The player side is located all around the world, with me being the leader based in Texas, USA. Since yoyofriends was created before I joined, I asked manufacturing side about the origin.
Yoyofriends started in 2016. The boss/founder back in the days personally talked to the OEM customers about yoyos and various products. Once he met a customer refusing to work with him/the company because the customer thinks the products made in China are of very low quality and just not up to par. He then took that to heart and decided to found yoyofriends, aiming at high quality products and designs.
Now my side of the story. I was a competitive yoyoer till 2018. My favorite yoyoer is Marcus Koh and I follow his journey closely from turning point to Auldey then starting his own company, ThrowRevolution. I am also heavily inspired by the show Blazing Teens when I was little, and I think it would be so cool to run a yoyo team. I actually decided to retire from the yoyoing scene in 2018 after my 3rd place finish at the South Central Regional yoyo contest. One of my friends who designs yoyos, Danny Yu, contacted me about fpm wanting yoyo players on their team. I have no idea what fpm is back in the days, but after a couple months, I stumbled on the video of Brandon Vu using the yoyofriends Hummingbird.
I then realized it was actually yoyofriends! I then got in contact with them. This began a long journey of partnership to where we are now. I first started helping them test yoyos. Then sponsoring players. I remember the first player who joined after me, I drove about an hour to meet with him and his parents at a Panera bread. I then learned more about designs and ideas and now fully oversee most of yoyofriends’ operations. I think it is in 2019/2020 when I changed the motto for yoyofriends to manufacturer and players united. Changing how yoyofriends is now a collaboration of sponsored yoyo players all around the world, valuing every player’s input. Everything design, name and colorways goes through the players combined with one of the best yoyo manufacturers in the world.
What does a day in the life look like for you running Yoyofriends?
Everyday for me is pretty different. I set up a rule about posting every other day on the yoyofriends instagram page, (I think yoyofriends facebook and twitter are similar). I would contact the manu teams and the player what to post, whether it’s a promotional photo or a trick circle from one of our players. I directly run the yoyofriends instagram. I am also the main contact for yoyofriends on reddit and discord, so I would see if there are stories I need to share, and customers that need to be helped. I always think about more yoyo ideas all the time, that will probably become a yoyofriends yoyo eventually. I write the yoyofriends story on most of the yoyofriends’ yoyo. I keep a lookout on potential yoyo players that would be a good fit for team yoyofriends. I also am always thinking of logo and name ideas for the yoyos greenlit for production. I also talk to the yoyofriends players if they need yoyos or accessories. Testing out prototypes and working along with the players and manu team on what to change and finalize if the yoyo is good for production.
Walk me through your creative process
My creative process is different all the time. I think Peregrine and the Overclock was some ideas I thought of back in 2018 when I was in a car with my friend talking about yoyo designs. Most yoyos now start with an idea, purpose and goal. I think of what is missing in our lineup, a fingerspin yoyo? A yoyo for speed or acceleration? An all out comp yoyo that would benefit our yoyo players on stage? I then think of a general shape and construction and present it to the manu team. The manu team will then contact me to have a rough draft of the yoyo. I then send every design and idea to the yoyofriends player team and ask about opinions and changes. I look at our player performance and input as well. I think Yahoo wants a wider yoyo, so we immediately started the 53mm monometal comp yoyo project just for him. When a player gets a signature yoyo, I would interview them and use my expertise and knowledge to guide them to make the perfect yoyo for them. As for naming, I take a lot of inspiration from everyday stuff like shows and video games. The particle series started with Naruto going Baryon mode. We named some of yoyos taking inspiration from video games like Destiny 2 and Horizon Forbidden West and many more.
What’s your favorite memory of running Yoyofriends?
I have a lot of great memories for yoyofriends, there are too many to choose a favorite. I would say one of my favorites on the retail side is getting into yoyoexpert. I am a long time yoyoexpert fan and it was really awesome to talk to Andre at Nats and write stories to finally get into yoyoexpert. For yoyo side, I would say the peregrine. Back in the days some yoyofriends designs are not made in house and hummingbird was so great, we cannot stand up nor surpass it for a very long time. Peregrine was the first time I think with me being the lead designer and the boss being the main designer to finally have a product that stand up to the hummingbird. It also set up the high standards and quality we have today. For the player side, I would say watching James Heder placing 2nd in the Florida State yoyo contest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XstN7THOMmQ I am sure my favorite yoyofriends memories is yet to come.
What’s your favorite release to date?
I would say the Peregrine series and the Ultracut. Peregrine as I mentioned above finally stood up to the performance of the Hummingbird coming from in house yoyo designs. The ultracut is one of my favorite monometal and can comfortably do well on the modern competitive stage. I am super proud we can achieve this unprecedented performance at this price. https://shop.yoyoexpert.com/products/peregrine-x-yoyo-by-yoyofriends?variant=44314282459326 https://shop.yoyoexpert.com/products/ultracut-yo-yo-by-yoyofriends?variant=44688646144190
What’s your next release and what makes it so exciting?
Our next release will be a high performance budget plastic yoyo called Rio. Named after the 2011 musical adventure comedy film. It is our highest performing plastic yoyo yet. The shape is based on the yoyofriends Dove and AoE, we then increased the width, weight and weight distribution by changing the metal spacer to plastic seating. Then moving the saved weight to the rims. The result is by far our best performing plastic in just about every aspect. It plays almost like a competitive mono metal yoyo. On top of that it can fingerspin well too, because we based the center cup loosely on the yoyofriends Strand. I seriously think it is one of the best plastic in terms of performance and quality, all at a low cost of around 25 dollars.
What’s in store for Yoyofriends in the future?
Tons of new releases. We have about 10-15 ongoing projects. A lot of player signatures are coming to suit their specific needs on the competitive stage. The players are also preparing for the upcoming PNWR and US National yoyo contest, we hope some players will reach 1A finals at US nats.
If you could go back and do one thing differently what would that be?
I would say to be more open minded. I sometimes have a lot of ideological differences with the manu team in the earlier days. I think eventually we all sorted it out as the chemistry got better. I wish I am more open to what they say and their decisions earlier and respect what they are coming from as well.
What do you think sets your company apart from others?
First, I think fpm plays a huge role. Since yoyofriends is based on fpm, all our yoyos are manufactured there. I think fpm is one of the best yoyo manufacture quality wise. I actually have OCD in terms of yoyo vibe and smoothness and I am so glad yoyofriends yoyos have one of the best, if not the best quality in the scene. They really use yoyofriends as a platform to push the limit on weight distributions and materials, ranging from crazy SS rim designs to Damascus, Copper, Magnesium, Brass and even tungsten. We can also keep the price fairly low as well while providing the highest quality. I also think the manu team really listens to us players. Every single design, naming, etc are double checked by the entire yoyofriends’ play members. Around 80 percent of our lineup are ideas from the sponsored yoyo player. The manu team really let me, the players run the show and give us so much power. Especially signature yoyo where players have basically full control on the design, construction, naming, colorways etc. Even if it is not a signature, we will take feedback from the players and make yoyos that suit them better on stage. We will do whatever it takes to make the player’s dream yoyo and ideas come true. I am also very fluent in both Chinese and English, so I can communicate perfectly with the players and the manu team, ironing out every single detail for a smooth operation. The boss also treats me with the utmost respect and is very open in terms of ideas, what to do and even criticisms. I also want to give a special shout out to the contacts I communicate with everyday on the manu team, they are some of the nicest people to work with ever.
Any advice to aspiring companies/creators?
I don’t have much to say as I know companies are run differently and I respect that. The only thing I want to highlight is to find a couple anchor players that really care about the company. For yoyofriends I think that would be me, Tony Sung and Tomoki Toyama. We together help yoyofriends reach new heights around the world, whether it’s promoting, designing etc
