History
The Bare Bones was the model that made Dif-e-Yo a household name in the competitive yo-yo world. When it launched in 2005, most wide-format yo-yos were plastic — the Bare Bones proved that a full-metal throw could be wide, stable, and competition-ready at a price players could actually afford. Its satin exterior gave excellent grinding capability; the small internal groove served double duty for both weight ring retention and thumb grinds.
Sponsored player Dave “Dazzling Dave” Schulte set the AYYA Eli Hop world record of 120 consecutive hops on a Bare Bones at the 2005 World Yo-Yo Championships — an achievement that cemented the model’s status in yo-yo history. The Bare Bones became Dave’s signature throw and remained the most recognizable Dif-e-Yo model for the duration of the brand’s life.
In May 2024, two months after Frank Difeo’s death, Beyond YoYos released a tribute reissue of the Bare Bones (see Bare Bones 2024) alongside the Bimetal Cross Bones as a memorial to Frank’s legacy.
