“This is the Aluminum 6061 version of the El MiJo which was made out of Aluminum 7075. El MiJo was our first throw under the slim line category which was released in December 2021 with great success and acceptance by the yoyo community. This time, we wanted to maintain the original shape and dimensions of El MiJo and just make it 3 gr lighter.
The use of a less dense aluminum not only brings the weight down by 3 gr, but also slightly moves the weight distribution towards the centre increasing the RPM theoretically.
We are adding an extra layer of playability by including an extra D-bearing of 4 mm wide. Similarly like the 7075 version, El MiJo 6061 comes with an 8 mm axle that can be used with all the configurations. However, we included a 10 mm axle to use it with the 5 mm wide bearing in order to ensure a good connection between the two discs.”
“This is a project we have had on the back burner for a long time and finally it is coming to life! El MiJo (pronounced ‘me’-‘ho’) is our first under the slim line category.
The Project:
We love exploring new concepts to incorporate in our throws whilst maintaining the classic yoyo fundamentals. For this project, we wanted to bring out the shape and playability of a classic yoyo. A yoyo that could be easily tossed in your pocket but at the same time, a yoyo that is capable of being played in different ways.
The design of this throw required considerable customization and multiple rounds of prototyping to get the results we were looking for. Due to its specialized dimensions and structure, we needed to get its weight distribution and internal wall design just right. Having a narrow width and moving weight towards the outer diameter of the yoyo required meticulous calculation as well as designing and positioning the caps just right.
El MiJo has custom-made silicone pads with big side walls to ensure an effective response system. The dimensions of the response pad system also required several trials and testings before choosing the one that performed the best.
This yoyo can hold different D bearing sizes to play either unresponsive or responsive, and at the same time, el Mijo can be played as a ‘fixie’ by using our uniquely engineered accessory. El MiJo comes with two axles: an 8 mm axle and a 10 mm axle. Although the 8 mm axle can be used with all the configurations, we included a 10 mm axle to use it with the wider bearing in order to ensure a good connection between the two discs.
For extra fun, we designed el MiJo with a finger spin nub that is hard to resist experimenting with! This finger nub has become a challenge amongst the ZGRT team to see who can hook into it the way you would with a cup shaped wider yoyo. Along the way, we have found very creative ways to lock into it, and when you do, el MiJo spins beautifully!
El MiJo is smooth as silk and extremely fun to play with. Its shape is extremely comfortable in the hand due to its size and rounded edges. It also feels super nice to hold which makes it hard to put down! The weight of this throw is in the 58 gr range depending on the type of bearing you choose. Amongst the different weights we tried out with the prototypes, this weight was the one that allowed us to have a light yoyo but not so light that it compromised spin time.
The Name:
El MiJo tells the story of a person who had a secret code he used to use with his brother to play yo-yo. His brother decided to leave this physical world but before leaving, his brother inspired him to do more with yoyos. His brother believed one day this person could be more involved in the yoyo community and even get sponsored. His brother’s visions are slowly becoming a reality.
More than a name, MiJo is a code that brings inspiration to do as many things as you want, a code that reminds you that life has its own way of making things happen, a code that is capable to bring moments back to life and a reminder to believe in yourself and to never give up. A code that reminds you to let nothing hold you down!
(Dedicated to Mike Minond and his brother Jonathan.)”
“One of the main characteristics of the first version of Basilisk was its traditional V-shape with a hint of U-shape that allowed moving some weight towards the rims and, at the same time, reduced friction between the string and cup.
The new Basilisk-D keeps such characteristic and its incredible finger spin capability. The dimensions of the finger spin hub and the shape remain identical. The two additional features we added this time are stainless steel rims and size D bearing.
One of the additional benefits that the stainless steel rims bring is having a wider cup area which facilitates finger spinning even more.”
“A full-size Step Round yo-yo that pursues a standard balance within the #UNBRANDED lineup.
The body is as thin as possible, while the rim is as thick as possible. With an aggressive design comparable to titanium yo-yos, it achieves an otherworldly balance that combines the maneuverability of a monometal yo-yo with the spinning power of a bimetal yo-yo.”
“One of the metals that we were missing was Titanium and, as previous projects, we wanted to bring something unique in terms of shape and design.
We chose an H shape for our first titanium yoyo, but we worked very diligently to have a stylized r-H-ino shape. The H shape is known to be powerful and to bring incredible stability into a yoyo. That was a key element to use with titanium because with Ti walls can be thinner than walls using other alloys and weight can be easily pushed to the rims.
The weight distribution of this throw is phenomenal which is a sign of using Titanium properly. When it comes to playability, the Rhino gives enough spin time and stability to perform complicated and technical tricks which were part of the the desired and expected outcomes as we moved almost half of its weight towards the rims. The Rhino also plays very nimble for an H shape yoyo and one of the reasons of that is due to the 64g weight.
This year we have been playing around and enjoying D bearings so much. I can say this is our D-bearing year and what a way to release a Titanium throw using this type of bearing. To my knowledge this might be the second D-bearing Ti throw so far. One of the things we like about D bearings is the capability to bind the yoyo at lower RPM. This feature is very cool as it gives you a little bit of extra time to finish your routine or trick even though the yoyo is at its final spinning time. The dimensions of the pads are exclusively for D-bearing size. They have the same outer diameter as a regular C-bearing size pad, but the inner diameter is 1 mm smaller. This response system assures great bindings in conjunction with the D bearing.
The stylized design of The Rhino was a challenging task to get accomplished. One one hand, we were looking to incorporate as much details as possible to give this throw a rhino personality. This was not an easy task to do. We worked with several manufacturers and the details we wanted on this throw were very challenging for them to machine in Titanium due to the rigidness of this metal. Some manufacturers just could not do it. But we did not give up, we kept trying until we were able to make this happen.
For the finish, we wanted to go just raw to enhance the rhino personality this throw already has.
This project took us several months to design, to prototype, to test and to fine tuning all the details. “
