About Nathan Martsolf
Nathan “Nate” Martsolf is a yoyo player and community educator based in the Columbus, Ohio area, originally from Butler, Pennsylvania. He first picked up a yoyo as a child but set it aside as a teenager, believing he had exhausted the possibilities of the hobby. Around 2009, a modest Christmas gift from his brother-in-law reignited his interest; he turned to online forums and video platforms to learn, and within a few years had developed a distinctive artistic 1A style built on long consecutive routines — thumb grinds, finger spins, gyroscopic flops, and self-originated tricks such as “dizzy baby,” a rapid yoyo-flipping move reminiscent of a rope jumper.
In 2012 Martsolf relocated to Columbus and reached out to Jacob “Jake” Gross, founder of G Squared Yoyos in North Canton, Ohio, requesting sponsorship. Gross agreed after reviewing his videos, and Martsolf has remained a G Squared affiliate since. That same year he organized Columbus’s first dedicated yoyo club meeting at the Bexley Public Library. He later collaborated with ZipLine Strings on a signature string specification, the Prestige White — a polyester/nylon hybrid optimized for an immediately smooth, “worn-in” feel right from the first throw — distributed through YoYoTricks.com.
Martsolf’s public identity has been that of a performer-educator rather than a competitive contender. Through YouTube tutorials, reviews, and in-person demonstrations, he has consistently focused on bringing new players into the hobby. G Squared owner Jake Gross has noted that Martsolf is someone who “goes out of his way to help bring new people into the (yo-yo) community.” He remains active as of 2025.
In Their Own Words
From a 2014 YoYoNews profile and ZipLine Strings collaboration notes.
On creative possibility: “The potential for new tricks is limitless. I’m constantly creating new things.”
On his signature string spec: “Laid back, smooth, and having that ‘worn in’ feel, right from the jump.”