Jump to content

Yo-yo: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
That sounds incredibly unlikely. If someone can support it, feel free to re-ad
Reverting edit(s) by Shadow6643 (talk) to rev. 1259706633 by Tessaract2: i agree, but please follow WP:NPOV. this also isn't the place to add this info. (RW 16.1)
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Toy}}
{{About|the toy}}
{{About|the toy}}
{{Redirect|Yoyo|other uses|Yoyo (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox Toy
{{Infobox Toy
|name=Yo-yo
|name=Yo-yo
|image=[[File:Yo-yo.png|200px]]
|image = File:Yo-Yo-Plastic-Toy-Green.jpg
|type=
|type=
|inventor=
|inventor=
|country=
|country=
|company=
|company=
|from=500 [[Before Christ|BC]]
|from=440 [[Before Christ|BC]] 
|to=present
|to= present
|website=
|website=
|slogan=
|slogan=
}}
}}
[[File:Yoyo.gif|thumb|right|A demonstration, showing the downward move of a yo-yo]]
The '''yo-yo''' in its simplest form is an object consisting of an [[axle]] connected to two disks, and a length of [[twine]] (usually called a [[string]]) looped around the axle, similar to a slender [[spool]]. It is played by holding the free end of the string (usually by inserting one finger in a [[slip knot]]) allowing gravity or the force of a throw to spin the yo-yo and unwind the string, then allowing the yo-yo's spin to wind itself back to one's hand; Often called "yo-yoing". First made popular in the 1920s, yo-yoing remains a popular pastime of many generations and cultures.
A '''yo-yo''' (also spelled '''yoyo''') is a toy consisting of an [[axle]] connected to two [[cylinder|disks]], and a string looped around the axle, similar to a [[wikt:spool|spool]]. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 440 BC. The yo-yo was also called a '''bandalore''' in the 17th century.


It is played by holding the free end of the string known as the ''handle'' (by inserting one finger{{emdash}}usually the middle or ring finger{{emdash}}into a [[slip knot]]), allowing [[gravity]] (or the force of a throw and gravity) to [[spin (geometry)|spin]] the yo-yo and unwind the string (similar to how a [[pullstring]] works). The player then allows the yo-yo to wind itself back to the player's hand, exploiting its spin (and the associated [[rotational energy]]). This is often called "yo-yoing" or "playing yo-yo".
In the simplest play, the string is intended to be wound on the spool by hand; The yo-yo is thrown downwards, hits the end of the string, then winds up the string toward the hand, and finally the yo-yo is grabbed, ready to be thrown again. Many other tricks exist, most based on the basic [[sleeper (yo-yo trick)|sleeper]] trick.<ref>[http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/easy-yo-yo-tricks.htm Easy Yo-Yo Tricks], Editors of Publications International, Ltd., howstuffworks.com<br />
^ [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/advanced-yo-yo-tricks.htm Advanced Yo-Yo Tricks for Kids], Editors of Publications International, Ltd., howstuffworks.com</ref>
One of the most famous tricks on the yo-yo is "walk the dog". This is done by throwing a strong sleeper and allowing the yo-yo to roll across the floor, before tugging it back to the hand.


In the simplest play, the string is intended to be wound on the spool by hand; the yo-yo is thrown downward, hits the end of the string then winds up the string toward the hand, and finally the yo-yo is grabbed, ready to be thrown again. One of the most basic tricks is called the [[sleeper (yo-yo trick)|sleeper]], where the yo-yo spins at the end of the string for a noticeable amount of time before returning to the hand.
English historical names for the yo-yo include ''bandalore'' (from French) and ''quiz''. French historical terms include ''bandalore'', ''incroyable'', ''de Coblenz'', ''emigrette'', and ''joujou de Normandie'' (''joujou'' meaning little toy).<ref name="museum">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalyoyo.org/museum/generalhistory.htm |title=National Yo-Yo Museum, California |publisher=Nationalyoyo.org |date= |accessdate=2010-01-17 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080513174344/http://www.nationalyoyo.org/museum/generalhistory.htm |archivedate = May 13, 2008}}</ref>


== History ==
==Etymology and history==
The word yo-yo probably comes from the [[Ilocano language|Ilocano]] term yóyo, or a [[cognate]] word from the [[Filipino language|Philippines]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yo-yo|title=Definition of YO-YO|website=www.merriam-webster.com|language=en|access-date=September 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>Vanoverbergh, Morice. (1956). Iloko-English Dictionary, Catholic School Press, Baguio City. p. 370 [Translated, augmented & revised version of Carro, Andres. (1888). Vocabulario Iloco-Español. Vicaria de Agustinos de Filipinas, Intramuros, Manila]</ref>
[[File:Yo-yo player Antikensammlung Berlin F2549.jpg|thumb|Boy playing terracotta yo-yo, [[Attica|Attic]] [[kylix (drinking cup)|kylix]], ca. 440 BC, [[Antikensammlung Berlin]] (F 2549)]]


[[File:Yo-yo player Antikensammlung Berlin F2549.jpg|thumb|Boy playing with a [[terracotta]] yo-yo, [[Attica|Attic]] [[kylix (drinking cup)|kylix]], c. 440 BC, [[Antikensammlung Berlin]] (F 2549)]]
The earliest surviving yo-yo dates to 500 BC and was made using [[terra cotta]] skin disks. A [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] vase painting from this period shows a boy playing yo-yo (see right). Greek records from the period describe toys made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta (fired clay). The terra cotta disks were used to ceremonially offer the toys of youth to certain gods when a child came of age—discs of other materials were used for actual play.
[[File:1791-Yo-Yo-Bandalore.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A 1791 illustration of a woman playing with an early version of the yo-yo, which was then called a "bandalore"]]
[[File:Lady with a Yo-yo Northern India.jpg|thumb|upright|Lady with a yo-yo, Northern India (Rajasthan, Bundi or Kota), c. 1770 Opaque watercolor and gold on paper]]
A [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] vase painting from 440 BC shows a boy playing with a yo-yo (see right).<ref name="Miller2004">{{cite book|last=Miller|first=Stephen G.|author-link=Stephen G. Miller|title=Ancient Greek Athletics|url=https://archive.org/details/ancientgreekathl00mill|url-access=registration|access-date=March 19, 2013|year=2004|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=9780300115291|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ancientgreekathl00mill/page/169 169]–}}</ref> Greek records from the period describe toys made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta (fired clay).<ref name="Miller2004"/> The terra cotta disks were used to ceremonially offer the toys of youth to certain gods when a child came of age—discs of other materials were used for actual play.{{Citation needed|reason=The source listed for Greek yo-yos does not mention anything like ceremonial offerings of toys nor terra-cotta exceptionality, could not find sources for these statements.|date=April 2024}}


=== Origin of name and the american yo-yo ===
=== First yo-yo company ===
[[File:Mexican yoyos.jpg|alt=|thumb|After the yo-yo was introduced to the United States, it spread to Mexico—a pile of handmade wood Mexican yo-yos is pictured.]]
[[File:1791-Yo-Yo-Bandalore.jpg|thumb|left|A 1791 illustration of a woman playing with an early version of the yo-yo, then known as a "bandalore"]]


In 1928, [[Pedro Flores (Yo-yo manufacture)|Pedro Flores]], a [[Filipino people|Filipino]] immigrant to the United States, opened the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in [[Santa Barbara, California]].<ref name=flores>{{Citation
[[File:Lady with a Yo-yo Northern India.jpg|thumb|Lady with a Yo-yo Northern India (Rajashtan, Bundi or Kota), ca. 1770 Opaque watercolor and gold on paper]]
[[Merriam–Webster's Collegiate Dictionary|Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary]] states that the word "yo-yo" derives from the northern [[Philippine]] [[Ilokano language]] word "yóyo".

Many other sources including Panati's ''Extraordinary Origins of yesterdays Things'' say that "yo-yo" was a [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] word supposedly meaning "come-come" or "return".<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060964197 Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things] by [http://www.amazon.com/s?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Charles%20Panati Charles Panati,][http://www.amazon.com/s?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Charles%20Panati Harper Paperbacks (1989) '''ISBN '''0060964197]</ref> Debate exists over whether or not the yo-yo was used as a weapon in the Philippines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa120297.htm |title=The History of the Yo-Yo |author=Mary Bellis |publisher=inventors.about.com |accessdate=2008-03-09}}</ref>
<ref>{{Citation |url=http://personal.anderson.ucla.edu/eloisa.borah/filfaqs.htm#yoyo |title=Was the Yo-Yo really a weapon? |author=Eloisa Gomez Borah |accessdate=2008-03-09}}</ref>
Lucky Meisenheimer, author of "Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos - History and Values", characterizes this as popular but fabricated.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.yo-yos.net/Yo-yo%20history.htm |title=Lucky's History of the Yo-Yo |author=Lucky Meisenheimer, M.D. |publisher=Yo-Yos.net |accessdate=2008-03-09}}</ref>
The allegation was nevertheless used in a [[Diet Mountain Dew]] ad from 2008 as part of the drink's "Surprising Facts" ad campaign.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yecWdiVFny8 |title= Diet Mountain Dew Surprising Facts – Yo-Yo Spot | accessdate=2010-04-15 |publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

In the american design, one continuous piece of string, double the desired width, is twisted around itself to produce a loop at one end which is fitted around the axle. Also termed a ''looped slip-string'', this seemingly minor modification allows for a far greater variety and sophistication of motion, thanks to increased stability and suspension of movement during free spin.

The principal distinction between the Filipino design and more primitive yo-yos is in the way the yo-yo is strung. In older (and some remaining inexpensive) yo-yo designs, the string is tied to the axle using a knot. With this technique, the yo-yo just goes back-and-forth; it returns easily, but it is impossible to make it sleep.

Surprisingly, this innovation in the string design is useful even for off-string yo-yo play, in which the yo-yo is not attached to the string at all. The looped winding ensures that the free end of the string has no bulges, splices, or other deformities, which can cause the string to jam uncontrollably in off-string play.

=== Birth of the modern yo-yo ===
James L. Haven and Charles Hettrick of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, received the first [[United States]] [[patent]] on "...an improved construction of the toy, commonly called a bandelore..." in 1866.<ref>{{US patent|59745}} dated November 20, 1866</ref>

However, the yo-yo would remain in relative obscurity until 1928 when a [[Filipino American]] named [[Pedro Flores (Yo-yo manufacture)|Pedro Flores]] opened the '''Yo-yo Manufacturing Company''' in [[Santa Barbara, California]].<ref name=flores>{{Citation
|url=http://www.nationalyoyo.org/museum/pedroflores.htm
|url=http://www.nationalyoyo.org/museum/pedroflores.htm
|title=Pedro Flores
|title=Pedro Flores
|publisher=National Yo-Yo Museum
|publisher=National Yo-Yo Museum
|accessdate=2008-02-18 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080120172822/http://www.nationalyoyo.org/museum/pedroflores.htm |archivedate = January 20, 2008}}</ref> The business started with a dozen handmade toys; by November 1929, Flores was operating two additional factories in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] and [[Hollywood]], which altogether employed 600 workers and produced 300,000 units daily.<ref name=flores />
|access-date=February 18, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080120172822/http://www.nationalyoyo.org/museum/pedroflores.htm |archive-date = January 20, 2008}}</ref> The business started with a dozen handmade toys; by November 1929, Flores was operating two additional factories in Los Angeles and Hollywood, which all together employed 600 workers and produced 300,000 units daily.<ref name=flores />


The principal distinction between the Filipino design popularized by Flores and the more traditional yo-yos is in the way the yo-yo is strung. In older (and some remaining inexpensive) yo-yo designs, the string is tied to the axle using a knot. With this technique, the yo-yo just goes back and forth; it returns easily, but it is impossible to make it sleep. In Flores's design, one continuous piece of string, double the desired length, is twisted around something to produce a loop at one end which is fitted around the axle. Also termed a ''looped slip-string'', this seemingly minor modification allows for a far greater variety and sophistication of motion, thanks to increased stability and suspension of movement during free spin.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
=== The Duncan era ===
Shortly thereafter (''ca.'' 1929), an entrepreneur named [[Donald Duncan]] recognized the potential of this new fad and purchased the Flores Yo-yo Corporation and all its assets, including the Flores name, which was transferred to the new company in 1932. Duncan's first yo-yo thereafter was the Duncan O-BOY. Duncan is reputed to have paid more than $250,000, a fortune by [[Great Depression|depression era]] standards. It turned out to be a sound investment, making many times this amount in the years to follow.


Shortly thereafter (c. 1929), entrepreneur [[Donald F. Duncan Sr.|Donald F. Duncan]] recognized the potential of this new fad and purchased the Flores yo-yo Corporation and all its assets, including the Flores name, which was transferred to the new company in 1932.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
In 1946, the [[Duncan Toys Company]] opened a yo-yo factory in [[Luck, Wisconsin]], prompting the town to dub itself 'Yo-yo Capital of the World'.


The name "Yo-yo" was registered in 1932 as a trademark by {{ill|Sam Dubiner|he|סם_דובינר|vertical-align=sup}} in Vancouver, Canada,<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=yo-yo&allowed_in_frame=0 Online Etymology Dictionary]. Etymonline.com. Retrieved on April 9, 2012.</ref> and [[Harvey Lowe]] won the first World Yo-Yo Contest in London, England.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www2.canada.com/richmondnews/news/story.html?id=e758b728-d280-4d01-8bae-deb3c3b5cb11 |title='Great ambassador' passes away |last=Hopkins |first=Michelle |date=April 19, 2009 |work=Richmond News |access-date=April 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830015953/http://www2.canada.com/richmondnews/news/story.html?id=e758b728-d280-4d01-8bae-deb3c3b5cb11 |archive-date=August 30, 2009 }}</ref> In 1932, Swedish [[Kalmartrissan]] yo-yos started to be manufactured as well.<ref name="kalmarlansmuseum">[http://www.kalmarlansmuseum.se/1/1.0.1.0/51/1/?item=art_art-s1/1592 "Kalmartrissan" och andra "trissor"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821071826/http://www.kalmarlansmuseum.se/1/1.0.1.0/51/1/?item=art_art-s1%2F1592 |date=August 21, 2010 }}, County Museum of Kalmar {{in lang|sv}}</ref><ref name="dn">"Kalmartrissan snurrar vidare", ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'' December 19, 2012 (not available in the on-line edition) {{in lang|sv}}</ref><ref name="sr">[http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=86&artikel=38136 Kalmartrissan fyller 70 år], [[Sveriges radio]], January 25, 2002, retrieved March 22, 2013 {{in lang|sv}}</ref>
The Duncan yo-yo was inducted into the [[National Toy Hall of Fame]] at [[The Strong]] in [[Rochester, New York]], in 1999.


In 1933, yo-yos were banned in [[Syria]], because many locals superstitiously blamed the use of them for a severe drought.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= YO&ndash;YO BANNED IN SYRIA|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48418581|work= Barrier Miner|location= Sydney, Australia|date= January 23, 1933|access-date= July 8, 2018}}</ref>
=== 1960s resurgence ===
Declining sales after the [[World War II|Second World War]] prompted Duncan to launch a comeback campaign for his trademarked "Yo-Yo" in 1962 with a series of [[television]] [[advertising|advertisements]]. The media blitz was met with unprecedented success; thanks in great part to the introduction of the Duncan Butterfly, the yo-yo was more accessible to the beginner than ever.


In 1946, the [[Duncan Toys Company]] opened a yo-yo factory in [[Luck, Wisconsin]]. The Duncan yo-yo was inducted into the [[National Toy Hall of Fame]] at [[The Strong]] in [[Rochester, New York]], in 1999.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
This success would be short-lived, however, and in a landmark [[trademark]] case in 1965, a federal court's appeals ruled in favor of the Royal Tops Company, determining that ''yo-yo'' had become a part of common speech and that Duncan no longer had exclusive rights to the term. As a result of the expenses incurred by this legal battle as well as other financial pressures, the Duncan family sold the company name and associated trademarks in 1968 to [[Flambeau, Inc]], who had manufactured Duncan's plastic models since 1955. {{as of|2011}}, Flambeau Plastics continues to run the company.


=== The rise of the ball bearing ===
=== 1960s resurgence ===
Declining sales after [[World War II]] prompted Duncan to launch a comeback campaign for his trademarked "Yo-Yo" in 1962 with a series of television [[advertising|advertisements]].{{cn|date=October 2024}}
[[File:Metallyoyos.jpg|thumb|left|Modern yo-yos.]]


In a trademark case in 1965, a federal court of appeal ruled in favor of the Royal Tops Company, determining that ''yo-yo'' had become a part of common speech and that Duncan no longer had exclusive rights to the term.<ref name="names">{{cite web |url= https://www.genericides.org/trademark/yo-yo|title= Has yo-yo become a generic trademark? |access-date= March 2, 2021 |website= genericides.org |date= March 31, 2020 }}</ref> As a result of the expenses incurred by this legal battle as well as other financial pressures, the Duncan family sold the company name and associated trademarks in 1968 to Flambeau, Inc, which had manufactured Duncan's plastic models since 1955.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} {{as of|2020}}, Flambeau Plastics continued to run the company.<ref>[https://www.flambeau.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Flambeau-Corporate-Brochure-English-Sept2020.pdf Flambeau Corporate Brochure], flambeau.com</ref>
The 1970s and 1980s saw a number of innovations in yo-yo technology, primarily dealing with the connection between the string and the axle. In 1978, dentist and yo-yo celebrity [[Tom Kuhn]] patented the “No Jive 3-in-1” yo-yo, creating the world's first "take-apart" yo-yo, which enabled yo-yo players to change the axle.
[[File:Metallyoyos.jpg|thumb|left|Modern yo-yos, some made of both aluminium and stainless steel]]


=== Rise of the ball bearing ===
In 1980, [[Michael Caffrey]] patented what would later become the Yomega Brain, a yo-yo with a centrifugal clutch transaxle. Designed with a free-spinning plastic sleeve linkage, "The Brain" could spin much longer than previous fixed-axle designs.<ref>{{US patent|4332102}} Filed October 27, 1980; Issued June 1, 1982</ref> In addition, the axle was "clutched" with spring-loaded weights which would pull away from the axle at higher speeds and grab again at lower speeds. The result is an automatic return of the yo-yo when speed drops below a given threshold.
As popularity spread through the 1970s and 1980s, there were a number of innovations in yo-yo technology, primarily regarding the connection between the string and the axle. In 1979, dentist and yo-yo celebrity [[Tom Kuhn]] patented the "No Jive 3-in-1" yo-yo, creating the world's first "take-apart" yo-yo, which enabled yo-yo players to change the axle.{{cn|date=October 2024}}


Swedish bearing company [[SKF]] briefly manufactured novelty yo-yos with [[ball bearings]] in 1984. In 1990, Kuhn introduced the SB-2 yo-yo that had an aluminum transaxle, making it the first successful ball-bearing yo-yo.<ref>[http://www.retroplanet.com/blog/retro-archives/classic-toys/the-yo-yo/ Classic Toys: The Yo-Yo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003185659/http://www.retroplanet.com/blog/retro-archives/classic-toys/the-yo-yo/ |date=October 3, 2011 }}. Retro Planet (May 12, 2009). Retrieved on April 9, 2012.</ref> The SB2 was originally offered only in a natural silver color, but as time went on, it became available in many different colors, with various decorative embellishments.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
Swedish bearing company [[SKF]] briefly manufactured novelty yo-yos with [[ball bearings]] in 1984.


[[File:TomKuhnSB2YoYos.jpg|thumb|Tom Kuhn SB2 ball-bearing yoyos: left, original model from the early 1990s; right, a modern colored offering.]]
Tom Kuhn introduced the SB-2 yo-yo that had an aluminum transaxle, making it the first successful ball-bearing yo-yo.<ref>http://www.retroplanet.com/blog/retro-archives/classic-toys/the-yo-yo/</ref>


[[File:TomKuhnSB2Case.jpg|thumb|Tom Kuhn leather case for SB2 yoyo, 1990s.]]
In all transaxle yo-yos, ball bearings significantly reduce friction when the yo-yo is spinning, enabling longer and more complex tricks. Subsequent yo-yoers used this ability to their advantage, creating new tricks that had not been possible with fixed-axle designs.


In all transaxle yo-yos, ball bearings significantly reduce friction when the yo-yo is spinning, enabling longer and more complex tricks. Subsequent yo-yo players used this ability to their advantage, creating new tricks that had not been possible with fixed-axle designs.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
=== 1990s technological renaissance ===
The 1990s saw a resurgence of the popularity of the yo-yo and yo-yo culture.


There are many new types of ball bearings in the market which deviate from the original design and/or material of the standard [[stainless steel]] ball bearing. For example, a certain type of bearing has an inward facing curved surface, to prevent the string from rubbing on the sides of the yo-yo, which would cause unwanted friction when performing intricate string tricks. Other manufacturers replicate this with a similar inwardly curved surface, but use minor modifications. Some high-end bearings use [[ceramic composite]]s in the balls of the bearing, to reduce internal friction, again making for a smoother spinning yo-yo. Precious materials such as ruby have also been used as a material in prototype ball bearings for its properties such as extreme hardness.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BjKxSvcHh9L/|title=Wolf Yoyo Works on Instagram: "Just testing out #wolfyoyoworks Amarok with a 1 of 1 ruby bearing, you saw it here first! What is your favourite bearing type?"|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> The material was first tested in a prototype bearing made by Wolf Yoyo Works in May 2018.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
Continued development of yo-yo technology is evident in the widespread sale of the [[Yomega]] Brain, based on Michael Caffrey's design, and the Playmaxx Pro-yo, a take-apart fixed axle yo-yo.


=== Modern yo-yo ===
In 1990, Tom Kuhn released the SB-2 yo-yo (short for Silver Bullet 2), a high-performance ball bearing transaxle made with aluminum. This marked a major breakthrough for the modern yo-yo, as it was the first ball bearing yo-yo that actually worked. This ensured extremely long spin times and the ability to return as well. This yo-yo, (along with his many other accomplishments in the yo-yo world), eventually brought him the title "Father of the modern yo-yo," receiving the "Donald F. Duncan Family Award for Industry Excellence" in 1998. He was the first to receive this award.
The era following the yo-yo boom of the late 1990s is often referred to as the "modern" era of yo-yo. The modern era of yo-yo is characterized by markedly more complicated and sophisticated yo-yo techniques than came before in addition to a plethora of different yo-yo designs created to serve various niche purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advanced Yo-Yos |url=https://shop.yoyoexpert.com/collections/advanced-yo-yos |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=YoYoExpert}}</ref> This increased complexity of yo-yo play was allowed by the introduction of the ball-bearing technology to yo-yos, which enabled yo-yos to spin much longer than was previously possible. This, in addition to the advent of the bind technique and unresponsive yo-yoing<ref>{{Citation |title=What is Unresponsive Yoyoing? Unresponsive Yoyo Trick Introduction |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8pmieoAi4I |language=en |access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Yoyo Bind Theory – The Truth Behind What Makes Binds Work. |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogLZveJmKyw |language=en |access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref> equipped yo-yo players with an essentially limitless amount of freedom, with which they were able to create myriad yo-yo tricks and techniques.


In the wake of this revolution that took place in yo-yo, a landscape of yo-yo competitions tailored towards this modern style of yo-yo play emerged. One example of such competitions is the [[World Yo-Yo Contest]]. Outside of the competition scene, yo-yo players regularly share videos of their yo-yo tricks on the Internet; a common place players do so is on [[Instagram]], using the [[hashtag]] "#trickcircle".<ref>{{Cite web |title=#trickcircle hashtag on Instagram • Photos and Videos |url=https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/trickcircle/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> Some yo-yo players have also found modest success outside the yo-yo community, going viral on [[TikTok]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=TikTok, @Angel2Up |url=https://www.tiktok.com/@angel2up |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=www.tiktok.com}}</ref> gaining significant YouTube followings,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Brandon Vu – YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBrandonVuYoyo |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> or being featured guests on television programs.<ref>{{Citation |title=Yo-Yo World Champion Gentry Stein Teaches Steve Harvey A Few Tricks |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VF_OmZ1kyU |language=en |access-date=2022-07-16}}</ref>
In the late 1990s, Yomega partnered with HPK Marketing and helped fuel the yo-yo boom that spread across the globe. From this partnership, Team High Performance was born, a group of skilled demonstrators that toured the world. In this period, Yomegas were heavily marketed in Japan, where [[Bandai]] produced several yo-yos under the Yomega name which were sometimes different from those sold in the US.


== Techniques ==
At the turn of the century, 1999–2000, Yomega partnered with McDonald's and distributed a large number of Yomega X-Brain and Firestorm yo-yos at outlets throughout the US.
<!--[[Yo-yo trick]] redirects directly here.-->


=== Sleeping ===
Another development around this time included the use of different materials such as billet machined Aluminum as seen in the ‘Dif-e-Yo’ Range.
<!--[[Sleeper (a yo-yo trick)]] redirects directly here.-->
The sleeper is one of the most common yo-yo throws and is the basis for nearly all yo-yo throws other than [[#Looping (2A)|looping]]. Keeping a yo-yo spinning while remaining at the end of its uncoiled string is known as sleeping. While the yo-yo is in the "sleeping" state at the end of the string, one can then execute tricks like "walk the dog", "the elevator", "around the world", or the slightly more complex "rock the baby".


The essence of the throw is that one throws the yo-yo with a very pronounced wrist action so that when the yo-yo reaches the end of the string it spins in place rather than rolling back up the string to the thrower's hand. Most modern yo-yos have a transaxle or [[ball bearing]] to assist this, but if it is a fixed axle yo-yo, the tension must be loose enough to allow this. The two main ways to do this are (1), allow the yo-yo to sit at the bottom of the string to unwind, or (2) perform lariat or UFO to loosen the tension. When one decides to end the "sleeping" state, one merely jerks the wrist and the yo-yo "catches" the string and rolls back up to the hand. Ball-bearing yo-yos with a "butterfly" shape, primarily used for string tricks, frequently have a low response or are completely unresponsive, requiring a "bind" for the yo-yo to return.
== Contemporary yo-yo culture ==
=== Online Community ===
Many yo-yo enthusiasts are members of the online yo-yo community. Using social media sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and yo-yo store forums, players discuss news topics, trade tricks, and trade yo-yo collectables. The most popular forums are attached to yo-yo stores such as [http://www.YoYoNation.com YoYoNation.com], [http://www.YoYoExpert.com YoYoExpert.com], and [http://www.YoYoGuy.com YoYoGuy.com] (not to exclude [http://www.reddit.com/r/throwers reddit.com/r/throwers]). Many yo-yo manufactures also have their own blogs or forums such as [http://www.YoYoFactory.com YoYoFactory.com], [http://www.OneDropDesigns.com OneDropDesigns.com], [http://www.Yo-Yo.com Yo-Yo.com] and [http://www.Yomega.com Yomega.com]. Recently there has also been a rise of personal news and review blogs on the subject of yo-yos. A popular yo-yo culture website is [http://www.YoYoSkills.com YoYoSkills.com], a personal blog dedicated to collecting and publishing news pertinent to the yo-yo community


In competition, mastery of sleeping is the basis for the 1A division. Inexpensive fixed-axle yo-yos usually spin between 10 and 20 seconds, while the expensive ball bearing yo-yos can spin about 1–4 minutes depending on the throw.<ref>[http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/yo-yo-basics2.htm Yo-Yo Basics], [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com howstuffworks.com].</ref> {{as of|2010}}, the world record sleep times were 3:51.54 minutes for fixed-axle and 21:15.17 minutes for transaxle yo-yos.<ref>[http://ayya.org/ American Yo-Yo Association] website.</ref> In 2012, the transaxle yo-yo sleep time record was broken by the C3YoyoDesign BTH, with a time of 30:28.30 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Museum of Yo-Yo History |url=http://www.yoyomuseum.com/museum_view.php?action=view&subaction=exhibit&exhibitid=2151 |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=www.yoyomuseum.com}}</ref> A traditional sleeper throw is employed to start frontstyle combinations, whereas a sideways sleeper, or "breakaway" is used to start sidestyle combinations.
=== Yo-yo contests ===
[[File:Us yoyo national 2a.jpg|thumb|john Ando, a 2A (double looping) division finalist at the 2004 US nationals in [[Chico, California]].]]
A yo-yo competition normally consists of two parts, a set of ''compulsory tricks'' and a ''freestyle'', where points are scored for each and the winner is the yo-yoer who scores the most points. Compulsory tricks (also known as a trick ladder) are a set of tricks that have been chosen before the contest, and the competitor must successfully complete each trick on their first or second attempt to score points. The freestyle is when the yo-ist performs a routine to their choice of music in front of a panel of judges, and is judged based on difficulty of the tricks, synchronization with the music and artistic performance.


=== Mounts, transitions, and dismounts ===
The [[World Yo-Yo Contest]] is held every year in Orlando, Florida and is hosted by [http://www.YoYoGuy.com YoYoGuy.com] during early August or late July.<ref>{{cite web|author=By admin |url=http://nationalyoyo.org/ |title=Home of the National Yo-Yo Contest, National Yo-Yo Museum and National Yo-Yo League |publisher=National Yo-Yo |date=2010-04-27 |accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref> This contest takes the winners from national yo-yo contests around the world and pits them against each other. Japanese players in particular have risen to the top of the yo-yo world. The eleven-time, double-handed world champion Shinji Saito—considered the best in the world—is Japanese.<ref>Tzeng, Grace. [http://www.asianweek.com/2008/09/05/toy-story-gravity-defying-yo-yo-tricks-on-display-at-california-state-yo-yo-championships/ "Toy Story: Gravity-defying yo-yo tricks on display at California State Yo-Yo Championships"]. [[AsianWeek]]. Retrieved on 8 September 2008.</ref> Countries such as the United States, Brazil, Japan and the UK hold competitions at the national and regional levels. In addition, national yo-yo contests, without regionals, are held every year by Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Australia.
Yo-yo tricks in which the yo-yo comes to be sitting a string are called mounts. Transitions are employed to move from one mount to another. Frontstyle mounts include the under and over mounts, as well as the split bottom mount. Sidestyle mounts include the man on the flying trapeze. Combinations can be produced by transitioning from one mount to another in various ways.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1A Tricks by Mount |url=https://www.mryoyothrower.com/mount |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=Mr. Yoyothrower |language=en-US}}</ref>


Combinations which can repeat indefinitely are called "repeaters".<ref>{{Cite web |last=B |first=Adam |date=2014-04-18 |title=How to do the Zipper yoyo trick |url=https://yoyotricks.com/yoyo-tricks/zipper/14568/ |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=YoYoTricks.com |language=en}}</ref>
The [http://www.yoyoopen.com/ International Yo-Yo Open] was held annually in August at South Street Seaport in New York City from 2007 to 2009, but is "on hiatus" in 2010. This contest is hosted by YoYoNation.com and aims to showcase the best yo-yo players in the world. In the inaugural 2007 contest, there were over 8,500 people in attendance and the event received almost 30 million media impressions. Besides US contests, European contests are becoming better and better. Hungary and the Czech Republic are the leaders of European yoyoing. In Prague (Czech Rep.) the [http://www.yoyo-europe.eu/contest.htm european championship] is held, and in Sopron(Hungary) the [http://sopron.myyb.eu/en/ Sopron International Yo-Yo Contest] Hosted by [http://www.sleeper.hu/ sleeper.hu]


=== Loops and Regens ===
The ''[[TV Times]]'' world yo-yo championship was held in the United Kingdom in 1974 with heats across the United Kingdom and a final in London in 1975, the championship was sponsored by the Louis Marx toy company with the 'Lumar' brand of yo-yo. The competition was judged by a celebrity panel in each city and also Lumar demonstrator and European yo-yo champion Don Robertson. The winner of the final was [[Simon Harris]] (intermediate category). The championship was not repeated.
Loops are yoyo tricks that consist of the yoyo looping around the throw hand.


A certain class of looping tricks, regens, are tricks that add spin to a yoyo without having to return it to the throwing hand. Because regens switch between frontstyle and sidestyle, they are frequently used to transition between frontstyle and sidestyle combinations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=B |first=Adam |date=2018-03-23 |title=Learn Regenerations to add spin to yoyo |url=https://yoyotricks.com/yoyo-tricks/regenerations/1011/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=YoYoTricks.com |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Us yoyo national 1a.jpg|left|thumb|1A (string tricks) division finalist, Augie Fash, at the 2004 US nationals in [[Chico, California]].]]


=== Contest divisions ===
=== Tricks which adjust string tension ===
Certain tricks, such as the UFO and Sidewinder, can alter the string tension, making it looser or tighter, thereby altering the response of the yo-yo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=String-Adjust |url=https://yoyotricks.com/tag/string-adjust/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=YoYoTricks.com |language=en}}</ref> This also allows for a certain type of trick called slack tricks to be completed with greater ease.
Currently there are nine yo-yo divisions to compete in:
* 1A-The player uses a long sleeping yo-yo to perform string tricks which usually require the manipulation of the string.
* 2A-The player uses two yo-yos simultaneously to perform reciprocating or looping tricks. This tends to be the most visually entertaining style with some players incorporating acrobatics into their routines.
* 3A-The player uses two long spinning yo-yos to perform tricks that involve manipulation of the string.
* 4A-The player uses an ''offstring'' yo-yo, often releasing the yo-yo into the air and attempting to catch it on the string.
* 5A-The player uses a yo-yo with a counterweight on the other end of the string rather than having it attached to a finger.
* AP-This is Artistic Performance where the yoist uses any type of yo-yo or other prop in order to perform a freestyle.
* CB-This is the Combined Division held only at the world competition, where players have to compete and demonstrate skill in multiple styles.
*1S-The player must perform 25 string tricks to the regulation standards and can only miss one trick.
*2S-The player must perform 25 looping tricks to regulation standards and can only miss one trick.


=== Yo-yo notation ===
Competitors usually bring a number of yo-yos to the performance stage with them to allow for mid-routine replacements in the case of knots/jams (common with string tricks), string breakage (common with looping tricks), or drops (common with offstring tricks).
Several methods of notating yo-yo tricks have been formulated, including a system described Mark Mcbride in his work about yo-yo theory, the Yonomicon.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McBride |first=Mark |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VO7ZPAAACAAJ |title=The Yonomicon: An Enlightened Tome of Yoyo Tricks |date=October 1998 |publisher=Magnolia Publishing, Incorporated |isbn=978-0-941463-01-0 |language=en}}</ref> This system is similar to Ross Levine's "Modern Yoyo Notation".<ref>{{Citation |title=Modern Yoyo Notation and Learning Yoyo Triquetras and Antispins |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85hAtJmDkyk |access-date=2024-02-25 |language=en}}</ref> Modern yo-yo notation is designed to be ambidextrous, further eschewing terms like "clockwise" and "counterclockwise".


== Styles ==
Top 3 Players as of 2011:
(results Taken From the World Yo-Yo Contest)
1st. Marcus Koh
2nd. Sebastian Brock
3rd. Gentry Stein


=== Popular Literature ===
=== Unresponsive (1A) ===
<!--[[Unresponsive (yo-yo)]] and [[String tricks (yo-yo)]] redirect directly here.-->
David Sutherland's comic children's story ''Alma and the Magic Yo-Yo'' is based on an imaginary yoyo competition, the Hollywood Yoyo Universathon.<ref>{{cite book|author=David Sutherland|title=Alma and the Magic Yo-Yo|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=ygxMAAAACAAJ|year=1999|publisher=Mammoth|isbn=978-0-7497-3780-1}}</ref>
Eventually, wider string gaps and silicone response systems led to the innovation of unresponsive yoyoing, otherwise known as 1A. Traditional yoyos (responsive) would return to the hand when one would tug on the string, but unresponsive yoyos behave a little differently. Instead of returning to the hand when one tugs on the string, one has to perform a trick called a "bind" where the string is doubled over inside the string gap to increase friction on the response system. This has brought about innovation of many different kinds of tricks involving leaving slack in the string, as this would have caused a responsive yoyo to return to the hand. This style of yoyoing is the most popular and the most common, and the most yoyo tricks are done with 1A yoyos.


=== Looping (2A) ===
2010 World Yo-Yo Contest Results for 1A
<!--[[Looping (yo-yo)]] and [[Looping (yo-yo trick)]] redirect directly here.-->
1st. Jensen Kimmitt
Looping is a yo-yo technique which emphasizes keeping the body of two yo-yos, one on each hand, in constant motion, with or without sleeping.<ref>[http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040417/bob9.asp Science News, Week of April 17, 2004; Vol. 165, No. 16, p. 250] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420082752/http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040417/bob9.asp |date=April 20, 2008 }}</ref>
2nd. Hiroyuki Suzuki aka Mickey
3rd. Christopher Chia


Yo-yos optimized for looping have weight concentrated in their centers so they may easily rotate about the string's axis without their mass contributing to resistance due to a gyroscopic effect.
2011 World Yo-Yo Contest Results for 1A
1st. Marcus Koh
2nd. Sebastian Brock
3rd. Gentry Stein


In yo-yo competitions, looping both to the inside and outside of the hand with the yo-yo plays a strong role in the 2A division. Sometimes the yoyos would wrap around arms, legs, or necks.
== Yo-yo techniques ==
=== Sleeping ===
{{details|Sleeper (yo-yo trick)}}
Keeping a yo-yo spinning while remaining at the end of its uncoiled string is known as '''[[sleeper (yo-yo trick)|sleeping]]'''. Sleeping is the basis for nearly all yo-yo tricks other than looping, the player first putting the yo-yo in a "sleep" before throwing the yo-yo around using its string. Most modern yo-yos have a transaxle or ball bearing to assist this, but if it is a fixed axle yo-yo, the tension must be loose enough to allow this. The two main ways to do this are (1), allow the yo-yo to sit at the bottom of the string to unwind, or (2) perform lariat or UFO to loosen the tension [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PjCBMrTc48 (see yo-yo basics for video demonstration of throw down, sleeper, and UFO using a responsive yo-yo).]


Also known as two hands looping freestyle.
In competition, mastery of sleeping is the basis for the 1A division. Inexpensive fixed-axle yo-yos usually spin between 10–20 seconds, while expensive ball bearing yo-yos (such as the dark magic) can spin about 1–4 minutes depending on the throw <ref>[http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/yo-yo-basics2.htm Yo-Yo Basics], [http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com howstuffworks.com].</ref> {{as of|2010}}, the world record sleep times were 3m51.540s for fixed-axle and 21m15.170s for transaxle yo-yos.<ref>[http://ayya.org/ American Yo-Yo Association] website.</ref>


=== Looping ===
=== Two handed string tricks (3A) ===
Two handed or 3A style play involves doing string tricks with two flared bearing yo-yos. Popularized and pioneered by Mark McBride, the first modern Triple A trick appeared in Fiend Magazine and was called the Velvet Rolls. The different mounts in this style are referred to as houses (e.g. "Kink House").
'''Looping''' is a yo-yo technique which emphasizes keeping the body of the yo-yo in constant motion, without sleeping.<ref>[http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040417/bob9.asp Science News, Week of April 17, 2004; Vol. 165, No. 16, p. 250]{{dead link|date=January 2010|url=http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040417/bob9.asp}}</ref>


Photos from as early as the late 1950s show early yo-yo demonstrators performing very basic 3A tricks, such as a Sleeper with one hand, and a Trapeze with the other. While 3A as a concept has existed for many years, it was not until the debut of Velvet Rolls, coupled with the rise of unresponsive yoyo play, that development began on what is currently considered Triple A. This is the most complex style and is the most likely to obtain knots, dings, and clangs.
Yo-yos optimized for looping have weight concentrated in their centers so they may easily rotate about the string's axis without their mass contributing to a resistance due to a gyroscopic effect.


In competition, two handed string tricks have the 3A division.
In yo-yo competitions, looping plays a strong role in the 2A division. Looping both to the inside and outside of the hand with the yo-yo.


=== Off-string ===
=== Off-string (4A) ===
In the "off-string" technique, the yo-yo's string is not tied directly to the yo-yo's axle, and the yo-yo is usually launched into the air by performing a "forward pass" to be caught again on the string.
In the "off-string" technique, the yo-yo's string is not tied directly to the yo-yo's axle, and the yo-yo is usually launched into the air by performing a "forward pass" to be caught again on the string. However, some players can 'throw down' off-string yo-yos and catch it on the string just as it leaves the end of the string by pivoting the string around a finger as it unwinds, so that the yo-yo is caught on the string. This is exactly the opposite of a "forward pass", but with the same result.
However, some players can 'throw down' off-string yo-yos and catch it on the string just as it leaves the end of the string by pivoting the string around a finger as it unwinds, so that the yo-yo is caught on the string. This is exactly the opposite of a "forward pass", but with the same result.


Yo-yos optimized for off-string tricks have flared designs, like the butterfly shape, which makes it easier to land on the string, and often have soft rubber rings on the edges, so minimum damage is inflicted on the yo-yo, the player, or anyone who happens to be standing nearby, should a trick go wrong.
Yo-yos optimized for off-string tricks have flared designs, like the butterfly shape, which makes it easier to land on the string, and often have soft rubber rings on the edges, so minimum damage is inflicted on the yo-yo, the player, or anyone who happens to be standing nearby, should a trick go wrong. There are also tricks which involve the use of two off-string yoyos at the same time, thrown with the same hand, this is known as "soloham".


Yo-yo competitions have the 4A division for off-string tricks.
Yo-yo competitions have the 4A division for off-string tricks.


=== Freehand ===
=== Freehand (5A) ===
In '''freehand'''(5A) tricks, the yo-yo's string is not tied to the player's hand, instead ending in a counterweight. The counterweight is then thrown from hand to hand and used as an additional element in the trick.
In freehand tricks, the yo-yo's string is not tied to the player's hand, instead ending in a counterweight. The counterweight is then thrown from hand to hand and used as an additional element in the trick.


Developed in 1999 by [[Steve Brown (yo-yo player)|Steve Brown]], as of 2008 freehand is considered to be the fastest-growing style of yo-yo play. Steve Brown was awarded a patent on his freehand yo-yo system, which was assigned to Flambeau Products ([[Duncan Toys Company|Duncan's]] parent company).
Developed in 1999 by [[Steve Brown (yo-yo player)|Steve Brown]], as of 2008 freehand is considered to be the fastest-growing style of yo-yo play. Steve Brown was awarded a patent on his freehand yo-yo system, which was assigned to Flambeau Products ([[Duncan Toys Company|Duncan's]] parent company). Duncan patented the counterweight, and no one was able to design a unique weight.<ref>{{US patent|6371824}} Filed March 28, 2000</ref> However, since March 28, 2020, the patent has expired.


In yo-yo competitions, counterweight yo-yos are emphasized in the 5A division.
In yo-yo competitions, counterweight yo-yos are emphasized in the 5A division.


== Yo-yo shapes ==
=== Modern Responsive (0A) ===
Modern responsive yo-yo can be thought of as 2A with a single yoyo, but differs from 2A in the fact that it, like 1A, has access to tricks involving the use of the free hand. Unlike 1A, modern responsive deliberately abstains from tricks that involve sleeping, frequently replacing mounts with stalls.<ref>{{Citation |title=Kyle Nations's tips for modern responsive yo-yoing |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFhFgULrfU |access-date=2024-03-01 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=PopCast Yo-Yo Vlog #16: Modern Responsive Yo-Yo Tricks |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwZp2j_Om8U |access-date=2024-03-01 |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Classicyoyoshape.jpg|thumb|Imperial Yo-Yo Shape]]
[[File:Technicprofile.jpg|thumb|Modified Yo-Yo Shape]]
[[File:Butterfly design yoyo 0655.jpg|thumb|Butterfly-shaped yo-yo]]


== Physical mechanism ==
Yo-yo bodies come in a number of form factors or "silhouettes," each designed with specific advantages in mind. However, there are three popular configurations.
When the yo-yo is first released, the gravity (and the throw) give it [[translational kinetic energy]] and necessarily, since the string must unwind, much of this energy is converted into [[rotational kinetic energy]] establishing the free movement of the yo-yo, and causing it to spin rapidly. As the yo-yo unwinds downward, it also converts [[gravitational potential energy|potential energy from gravity]] to translational energy in its rotation to overcome gravity all the way back up to the hand.


Because the [[sense of rotation|sense of spinning]] does not change during the whole move, the string winds up in the opposite direction upon the return of the yo-yo. If the shaft of the yo-yo is connected to the string with a loop, there may not be enough [[friction]]al force to overcome the weight of the yo-yo, which is necessary to begin winding up the string. In this case, the yo-yo will continue to spin in the loop at the end of the string (or ''sleep''), just being slightly braked by the small dynamic friction, instead of returning. However, if the string is jerked slightly up, or the hand is lowered, the slack created in the string will allow it to begin winding around the shaft, thereby increasing friction and allowing it to catch as the static friction force rises above the gravitation force holding the yo-yo at the bottom of the string, making the yo-yo wind up the string returning to the hand.
=== Imperial ===
The Imperial shape is often considered the original yo-yo shape, and is very commonly recognized. It is sometimes called a sculpted design. The shape's design is helpful in performing looping tricks. It was first produced by Pedro Flores, who is also the first person to mass-produce yo-yo.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://inventors.about.com/od/hispanicinventors/a/Pedro_Flores.htm |title=Pedro Flores – History of the Yo-Yo and Pedro Flores |publisher=Inventors.about.com |date=1930-07-22 |accessdate=2010-01-17}}</ref> Duncan bought the rights to the design in 1929.


Patents have been issued to create more complicated mechanisms to allow tension control and an adjustable mechanism.<ref>{{US patent|6331132}} Filed July 27, 1999; Issued December 18, 2001</ref><ref>{{US patent|7192330}} Filed October 29, 1999; Issued December 19, 2000</ref>
=== Modified ===
The modified shape is a very popular design for looping style tricks. This shape is also known as a flywheel or modern shape. It usually has a hollowed face (sometimes covered with paper or plastic) with extra material left in the rim. The modified shape yo-yo is also used for string tricks because of the long spin times due to its shape.


== Purported use as weapons ==
=== Butterfly ===
There is no sound historical evidence that yo-yos were ever used as weapons; the notion is believed to have been a [[Gimmick|marketing gimmick]] disseminated by [[Duncan Toys Company|Duncan]] yo-yo demonstrators in the early years of the company.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goto-Jones |first=Chris |date=2015-04-09 |title=The High-Stakes World of High-End Yo Yos |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/04/the-yo-yo-effect/389868/ |access-date=2022-07-16 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> Regardless, the notion that yo-yos can be used as weapons persists to this day in [[pop culture]], as in the Chinese television series ''[[Blazing Teens]]'', and in the Japanese ''[[Guilty Gear]]'' franchise by the character [[Bridget (Guilty Gear)|Bridget]] (whose giant yo-yo's movements were a considerable challenge to animate).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.siliconera.com/all-about-guilty-gear-with-creator-daisuke-ishiwatari/ | title=All About Guilty Gear With Creator Daisuke Ishiwatari | date=May 6, 2011 | publisher=Siliconera | access-date=August 8, 2022}}</ref> The popular sandbox adventure game [[Terraria]] features many yo-yo weapons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yoyos |url=https://terraria.wiki.gg/wiki/Yoyos |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Terraria Wiki |language=en}}</ref>
Duncan released its first wooden butterfly yo-yo. Wayne Lundberg, the inventor, was one of the demonstrators.<ref>[http://offstringsuperheroeshistory.blogspot.com/2008/10/past-and-future-off-string-yo-yo-play.html Team Offstring Superheroes], October 17, 2008.</ref> The butterfly looks a bit like the separated halves of a standard yo-yo that have been reconnected back-to-back. The wider string gap to make it easier to catch the yo-yo body on the string. Although the butterfly shape is good for 'string tricks,' it is not good for 'looping' tricks, because the winged shape of the body does not allow it to easily flip while looping. This shape is similar to a small [[Diabolo]], sometimes called a Chinese yo-yo.


=== Newer shapes ===
== See also ==
{{Portal|Toys|Games}}
Introduced to the "yo-yoing community" only within the past few years, many yo-yos are being produced with wide-gaps, H-shapes, and dimples. Wide-gap yo-yos are not exclusive to any one yo-yo manufacturer and as their name suggests, have a wider gap. The wide gap allows more layers of string to be stacked in the yo-yo, and tricks using string slack or lacerations. The drawback for this shape is that the yo-yo does not return to the player's hand unless bound through the use of a front or under mount. H-shaped yo-yos are much like the butterfly-shaped, but the center (toward the bearing/axle) is offset to a smaller diameter to add to circumferential weight and allow for easy "grinding" tricks. Utilizing the technology of a golf ball, dimples are found in Roo-Yo (Italian yo-yo manufacturer) yo-yos and reduce air friction.
*[[Chinese yo-yo]]
*[[Eskimo yo-yo]]
*[[Yo-yo balloon]]
*[[Spinning top|Top]]


=== Other shapes ===
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
There are, of course, many other shapes. Other less popular shapes are: Humphrey, Ball, Slimline, Russell Style (Bulge Face), Puck, Satellite, Coaster and Riveted Disk.<ref>Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos, 1999</ref>


=== Weight distribution ===
== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
Each silhouette may have more weight distributed at either the center of the yo-yo or the edge. More weight towards the rim will make the yo-yo more stable for string tricks; more weight towards the center will make the yo-yo easier to turn and therefore better for looping tricks.
{{commons category|Yo-yos}}
*[http://www.yoyowiki.org/wiki/Yo-yo_Tricks Index of yo-yo tricks]


{{Juggling}}
Heavier yo-yos will have more angular momentum when spinning at a given speed, and thus will spin freely for a longer period.

== Body ==
[[File:Two yo-yos.jpg|thumb|Two high-tech yo-yos, both take-apart models using the "modified" perimeter weighted body. The Veriflex on the left uses a ball bearing transaxle, with rubber O-rings to allow a variable string gap. The Playmaxx Pro-yo uses a replaceable wooden unit that acts as wooden axle and friction pad.]]
Most modern yo-yos are made from a '''"take-apart"''' design, designed to be taken easily apart and reassembled by the player. This design was first created by Tom Kuhn. This enables the replacement of yo-yo components, including the string, renewable friction sources, or even trans-axle components.

In order to increase spin times, extra weight was added to the outermost portion of the yo-yo. The first to do this was Dale Oliver (Spintastics Skill Toys, Inc) with the addition of steel rings when he brought out the Tigershark yo-yo early in 1998.

Some take-apart designs allow the player to reconfigure the yo-yo's halves. In the Tom Kuhn No Jive 3-In-1, the halves may be attached in three different configurations, resulting in a traditional, butterfly, or "pagoda" silhouette. In the Yo-yo Factory FlyMaster, the body has two different "shells" to convert to and from an off-string yo-yo.

Another innovation to the yo-yo is the ability to adjust the gap between the two halves of the yo-yo, in order to increase or decrease response. In most designs, this is accomplished by twisting the yo-yo halves, but some designs (such as the Tom Kuhn Silver Bullet) can be disassembled for adjustment without twisting. This second option eliminates the possibility of the yo-yo coming out of adjustment during play.
* John Jerome McAvoy, Jr. was awarded patents for the '''gap-adjustable yo-yo''': patent #5389029 on February 14, 1995, and #6066024 on May 23, 2000.<ref>{{US patent|6066024}} Filed August 4, 1998; Issued May 23, 2000</ref><ref>{{US patent|5389029}} Filed April 27, 1993; Issued February 14, 1995</ref>
* In 1998, HSPIN launched the Handquake series of yo-yos, which sported an adjustable gap by using shims of 0.1-0.5mm thickness. By adding or removing shims, the gap could be widened or shrunk by +/- 1mm.
* Harry Baier (creator of the "Mondial" yo-yo) and the Flambeau Products Company (owner of Duncan) were awarded patent #6162109 on December 19, 2000 for a gap-adjustable yo-yo which has discrete positions for specific gap widths. This patent was first implemented in the CameYo Mondial before being bought by Duncan.<ref>{{US patent|6162109}} Filed October 29, 1999; Issued December 19, 2000</ref>
* YoYoFactory's productline of Speed Dial yo-yo's feature "Fully Adjustable Starburst Technology" which allow the gap to be adjusted using a dial on the yo-yo. This allows for a more discrete response setting that stays the same after the yo-yo is taken apart and put back together.<ref>www.YoYoSkills.com/hans-interview.html - Interview with Hans Van Dan Elzen, YoYoFactory</ref>

=== Axle/bearing differentiation ===
[[File:Yomega brain.jpg|thumb|A Yomega Brain]]
The basic innovation since the 1990s is the '''transaxle''', a system where the string is not directly connected to the axle that connects the two halves of the yo-yo.
* '''Fixed''' axle yo-yos are represented by the original yo-yo design popularized in the first half of the 20th century, where the axle is directly connected to the string and halves of the yo-yo body. In order to enable the throwing of a "sleeper", the player must ensure the string is not wound too tightly around the axle, because it must freely spin in order to accomplish this move. Yo-yos designed for "looping" tricks tend to be fixed-axle yo-yos.
** Some more exotic fixed-axle yo-yos have axles made from low-friction materials such as ceramic alloys—this allows for easier "sleeping," which is essential for string tricks.
* The majority of trick yo-yos sold are '''Bearing transaxle''' yo-yos. In these transaxle yo-yos the string is not connected to the axle directly, but rather it is wrapped about a [[ballrace]] bearing. The bearing, in turn, surrounds the true axle of the yo-yo. In this way, the body of the yo-yo may spin freely about the string's point of contact.
** There are transaxle systems which do not use a ball bearing, such as the Duncan ProFire and Yomega Fireball. These use a low-friction metal or plastic collar around the axle.
* The '''clutch transaxle''', innovated by Yomega with the Yomega Brain, is a transaxle that can be engaged or disengaged.
** the Yomega Brain is a '''centrifugal clutch transaxle'''-- when spinning at a sufficiently high speed, counterweights inside the yo-yo body disengage the axle, automatically allowing the yo-yo to "sleep." Conversely, when the speed slows below the threshold, the yo-yo will return automatically.
** Other clutch transaxles feature a manual switch which can engage or disengage the axle.

=== Friction sources ===
With the innovation of the transaxle, the notion of a yo-yo's '''response''' has become important to players. The "response" is a qualitative estimate of how easily the yo-yo will exit a "sleep" and return to the hand of the player.
* A '''starburst''' is a series of bumps molded onto the inner surface of each half of the yo-yo. The bumps form a star pattern, radiating out from the axle that protrudes into the yo-yo's gap where it can snag upon the string. Because the starburst is an integral part of the yo-yo body, the yo-yo's responsiveness cannot be easily adjusted. Depending upon the material the yo-yo is made from, some starbursts can last the life of the yo-yo, but on many plastic yo-yos, the friction between the string and the yo-yo can eventually wear away the starburst.
* A '''Reverse starburst''' is an arrayed pattern of grooves or recesses that are engraved or molded into the inner faces of the yo-yo. Because they do not protrude into the gap, they are claimed to offer a smoother response system that is less likely to wear away due to string friction. Reverse stabursts were invented and patented by the Playmaxx company.<ref>{{US patent|5813897}} Filed May 8, 1997; Issued September 29, 1998</ref>
* An '''O-ring''' response system is a rubber ring embedded in a recessed groove in the inside side wall of each half of the yo-yo body, surrounding the axle. Because it is made of a weaker material than the body, it wears down and is designed to be replaceable.
* '''[[Silicone]]''', like the O-ring, is a rubber component recessed into the side of the yo-yo around the axle. However, using silicone results in a far less responsive yo-yo than would a rubber O-ring, and so silicone is typically used in higher level unresponsive play.
* '''Friction stickers''', popularized by Duncan, are O-shaped stickers that affix to the inside wall of each half of the yo-yo body, and are slightly tacky to the touch. They are made to be replaceable. Many brands of friction stickers are now produced. Each give a unique feeling to the yo-yo. They are commonly made out of silicone, rubber, or a cloth material.
* '''Brake Pads''', the friction sticker's predecessor, are made of cork rubber and the first patented sticker response system.<ref>{{US patent|6155903}} Filed September 13, 1999; Issued December 5, 2000</ref> It was used mainly in the Turbo Bumble Bee and other Playmaxx ball bearing products. The Playmaxx company was later renamed Proyo and was bought by Duncan. Duncan still produces some of the models using brake pads.
* '''Hybrid''', a combination of O-ring and Starburst, O-ring and a friction sticker, starburst and a friction sticker, and so on. This is mostly found in butterfly shaped yo-yos. Mostly used by Yoyojam, the most popular example being the Dark Magic, or the Hitman.

=== Hubstacks ===
Hubstacks are bearings added to the hub (the outside) of a yo-yo and covered with some form of side cap to allow it to be held while it spins. With the side cap bearing you can hold the yo-yo in many different planes and perform different styles of tricks which are difficult, or impossible in some cases, to be performed with conventional yo-yos. "Hubstacks" is the preferred name from YoYoFactory and is most commonly used, however other yo-yo makers have other terms such as bearing caps (Anyyoyo), synergy caps (Yoyojam), and jimmy hats (Werrd). One of the problems associated with side bearings is the tendency for the bearings to fall off. YoYoFactory currently has a patented design that uses rubber rings to hold the bearing by its seat onto the side hubs, keeping the bearing on the yo-yo.<ref>[http://www.yoyoskills.com/?p=73 Head 2 Head – Plastic Grind Machine VS Legacy], yoyoskills.com</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yoyoskills.com/?p=36#more-36 |title=Interview with Hans Van Dan Elzen, YoYoFactory President |publisher=Yoyoskills.com |date=2008-12-06 |accessdate=2011-05-23}}</ref>

=== Performance accessories ===
A number of yo-yo accessories are available as "after-market" modifications—players buy items separately from the yo-yo to augment performance over the original model shipped from the factory.
* '''Ceramic bearings''' tend to spin longer and be more durable.
* '''Dif-E-Yo Konkave bearings''' are tapered inward on perimeter, to force the string into the center of the axle to prevent the string from rubbing on the sides of the yo-yo.
* '''Center-Trak bearings''' are very similar to Konkave, except they have a flat center, and a sharp edge slope.
* '''Friction stickers''' different "grips" other than the ones shipped with the yo-yo, are available as a separate purchase to customize the user's style of play.
* '''Brake Pads''' Similar to friction stickers, however they break down quicker and can only be used in specific yo-yos.
* High-tensile, '''Slick Strings''', generally made from polyester and cotton, are added by some players to improve sleep times (thinner string touches less of the yo-yo gap) and for better looping (low friction string performs "faster" and will not break as easily).
* '''Weight rings''' are affixed to the yo-yo's rim to increase the weight and percentage of mass at the yo-yo's rim, thus improving sleep time.

=== Modifications ===
Some yo-yoers have their yo-yo modified (or modded) by themselves or by a yo-yo 'Modder' to achieve desired performance. Some of the most popular mods are:
* '''Satining''', sanding the outside of the yo-yo with high grit sandpaper to improve grinds.
* '''Beadblasting''', usually only done on metal yo-yos, is abrasive blasting the yo-yo with glass beads to slightly pit the surface improving grinds.
* '''Mediablasting''', When other forms of media are used other than beads as a surface on yoyos. One popular example is using baking soda in a process called sodablasting.
* '''Siliconing''', is filling the friction sticker recess with silicone to change the response of the yo-yo.
* '''Shmooving''', cutting small shallow grooves into the face of the yo-yo, where the string rubs, to reduce friction and increase sleep times.
* '''Dyeing''', is dyeing yo-yo to change its color or add a design.
* '''Anodizing''', only done on aluminium and titanium yo-yos, changes the color of an aluminium or titanium yo-yo and increases durability slightly.
* '''Recessing''', when part of the inner wall surrounding the bearing is lower than the surrounding inner wall of the yoyo. This reduces response.
* '''Bearingization''', when a bearing is added to a yoyo that does not normally accept ball bearings like adding a Yomega Maverick bearing to a Yomega Fireball

=== Exotic materials ===

Originally manufacturing yo-yos from wood, yo-yo technology improved in the 1960s when the industry switched to plastic. Benefits of a plastic yo-yo include the uniform weight distribution only possible with plastic, as the natural variations in wood density are undesirable for an even spin.

* '''new metals''' – contemporary releases of high-end Yo-yos may be constructed of metal, normally aluminum, steel, titanium, and very rarely, magnesium, gold, copper, and tungsten alloys.
* '''exotic plastics''' – the "Milk," by manufacturer Born Crucial; the "Silk," by manufacturer Alchemy; and the "Gung Fu," by manufacturer Death by Yo Yo, are made almost entirely from the low-friction plastic [[Delrin]].
* '''exotic woods''' – The "jamboo" manufactured by "Yoyojam" is a free-spin, ball-bearing yo-yo made of bamboo.

== Physical mechanism ==
The operation of a yo-yo comes from [[Moment of inertia|rotational inertia]] causing the string to be wound in the opposite direction returning the yo-yo. When the string is connected to the shaft with a loop, the yo-yo will continue to spin at the end of the string instead of returning, unless the yo-yo is jerked slightly allowing the slack string to bind and allowing return.

Patents have been issued to create more complicated mechanisms to allow tension control and an adjustable mechanism.<ref>{{US patent|6331132}} Filed July 27, 1999; Issued December 18, 2001</ref><ref>{{US patent|7192330}} Filed October 29, 1999; Issued December 19, 2000</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Sports and games}}
*[[Chinese yo-yo]]
*[[Diabolo]]

== Notes and references ==
{{Reflist}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Yo-Yo}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yo-Yo}}
[[Category:Brands that became generic]]
[[Category:Circus skills]]
[[Category:Physical activity and dexterity toys]]
[[Category:Physical activity and dexterity toys]]
[[Category:Sports entertainment]]
[[Category:Tagalog words and phrases]]
[[Category:Tagalog words and phrases]]
[[Category:Yo-yos]]
[[Category:Traditional toys]]
[[Category:Traditional toys]]
[[Category:Wooden toys]]
[[Category:Wooden toys]]
[[Category:National Toy Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Yo-yos| ]]
[[Category:1930s fads and trends]]

[[ar:يويو]]
[[Category:Rotation]]
[[bg:Йо-йо]]
[[ca:Io-io]]
[[cs:Jojo]]
[[da:Yoyo]]
[[de:Jo-Jo]]
[[el:Γιογιό]]
[[es:Yo-yo]]
[[eo:Jojo]]
[[fa:یویو]]
[[fr:Yo-yo]]
[[fy:Jojo]]
[[gl:Ioió]]
[[ko:요요]]
[[hr:Yo-yo]]
[[id:Yo-yo]]
[[it:Yo-yo]]
[[he:יו-יו]]
[[jv:Yo-yo]]
[[lb:Yo-Yo]]
[[lt:Jojo]]
[[hu:Jojó]]
[[ms:Yo-yo]]
[[nl:Jojo (speelgoed)]]
[[ja:ヨーヨー]]
[[no:Jojo]]
[[nn:Jojo]]
[[pnb:یویو]]
[[pl:Jojo]]
[[pt:Ioiô]]
[[ro:Yo-yo]]
[[ru:Йо-йо]]
[[simple:Yo-yo]]
[[sr:Јо-јо]]
[[fi:Jojo]]
[[sv:Jojo]]
[[th:โยโย่]]
[[tr:Yoyo]]
[[uk:Йо-йо]]
[[ur:یو یو]]
[[vi:Yo-yo]]
[[zh:溜溜球]]

Latest revision as of 17:46, 19 December 2024

Yo-yo
Availability440 BC – present
A demonstration, showing the downward move of a yo-yo

A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 440 BC. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in the 17th century.

It is played by holding the free end of the string known as the handle (by inserting one finger—usually the middle or ring finger—into a slip knot), allowing gravity (or the force of a throw and gravity) to spin the yo-yo and unwind the string (similar to how a pullstring works). The player then allows the yo-yo to wind itself back to the player's hand, exploiting its spin (and the associated rotational energy). This is often called "yo-yoing" or "playing yo-yo".

In the simplest play, the string is intended to be wound on the spool by hand; the yo-yo is thrown downward, hits the end of the string then winds up the string toward the hand, and finally the yo-yo is grabbed, ready to be thrown again. One of the most basic tricks is called the sleeper, where the yo-yo spins at the end of the string for a noticeable amount of time before returning to the hand.

Etymology and history

[edit]

The word yo-yo probably comes from the Ilocano term yóyo, or a cognate word from the Philippines.[1][2]

Boy playing with a terracotta yo-yo, Attic kylix, c. 440 BC, Antikensammlung Berlin (F 2549)
A 1791 illustration of a woman playing with an early version of the yo-yo, which was then called a "bandalore"
Lady with a yo-yo, Northern India (Rajasthan, Bundi or Kota), c. 1770 Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

A Greek vase painting from 440 BC shows a boy playing with a yo-yo (see right).[3] Greek records from the period describe toys made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta (fired clay).[3] The terra cotta disks were used to ceremonially offer the toys of youth to certain gods when a child came of age—discs of other materials were used for actual play.[citation needed]

First yo-yo company

[edit]
After the yo-yo was introduced to the United States, it spread to Mexico—a pile of handmade wood Mexican yo-yos is pictured.

In 1928, Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant to the United States, opened the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California.[4] The business started with a dozen handmade toys; by November 1929, Flores was operating two additional factories in Los Angeles and Hollywood, which all together employed 600 workers and produced 300,000 units daily.[4]

The principal distinction between the Filipino design popularized by Flores and the more traditional yo-yos is in the way the yo-yo is strung. In older (and some remaining inexpensive) yo-yo designs, the string is tied to the axle using a knot. With this technique, the yo-yo just goes back and forth; it returns easily, but it is impossible to make it sleep. In Flores's design, one continuous piece of string, double the desired length, is twisted around something to produce a loop at one end which is fitted around the axle. Also termed a looped slip-string, this seemingly minor modification allows for a far greater variety and sophistication of motion, thanks to increased stability and suspension of movement during free spin.[citation needed]

Shortly thereafter (c. 1929), entrepreneur Donald F. Duncan recognized the potential of this new fad and purchased the Flores yo-yo Corporation and all its assets, including the Flores name, which was transferred to the new company in 1932.[citation needed]

The name "Yo-yo" was registered in 1932 as a trademark by Sam Dubiner [he] in Vancouver, Canada,[5] and Harvey Lowe won the first World Yo-Yo Contest in London, England.[6] In 1932, Swedish Kalmartrissan yo-yos started to be manufactured as well.[7][8][9]

In 1933, yo-yos were banned in Syria, because many locals superstitiously blamed the use of them for a severe drought.[10]

In 1946, the Duncan Toys Company opened a yo-yo factory in Luck, Wisconsin. The Duncan yo-yo was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, New York, in 1999.[citation needed]

1960s resurgence

[edit]

Declining sales after World War II prompted Duncan to launch a comeback campaign for his trademarked "Yo-Yo" in 1962 with a series of television advertisements.[citation needed]

In a trademark case in 1965, a federal court of appeal ruled in favor of the Royal Tops Company, determining that yo-yo had become a part of common speech and that Duncan no longer had exclusive rights to the term.[11] As a result of the expenses incurred by this legal battle as well as other financial pressures, the Duncan family sold the company name and associated trademarks in 1968 to Flambeau, Inc, which had manufactured Duncan's plastic models since 1955.[citation needed] As of 2020, Flambeau Plastics continued to run the company.[12]

Modern yo-yos, some made of both aluminium and stainless steel

Rise of the ball bearing

[edit]

As popularity spread through the 1970s and 1980s, there were a number of innovations in yo-yo technology, primarily regarding the connection between the string and the axle. In 1979, dentist and yo-yo celebrity Tom Kuhn patented the "No Jive 3-in-1" yo-yo, creating the world's first "take-apart" yo-yo, which enabled yo-yo players to change the axle.[citation needed]

Swedish bearing company SKF briefly manufactured novelty yo-yos with ball bearings in 1984. In 1990, Kuhn introduced the SB-2 yo-yo that had an aluminum transaxle, making it the first successful ball-bearing yo-yo.[13] The SB2 was originally offered only in a natural silver color, but as time went on, it became available in many different colors, with various decorative embellishments.[citation needed]

Tom Kuhn SB2 ball-bearing yoyos: left, original model from the early 1990s; right, a modern colored offering.
Tom Kuhn leather case for SB2 yoyo, 1990s.

In all transaxle yo-yos, ball bearings significantly reduce friction when the yo-yo is spinning, enabling longer and more complex tricks. Subsequent yo-yo players used this ability to their advantage, creating new tricks that had not been possible with fixed-axle designs.[citation needed]

There are many new types of ball bearings in the market which deviate from the original design and/or material of the standard stainless steel ball bearing. For example, a certain type of bearing has an inward facing curved surface, to prevent the string from rubbing on the sides of the yo-yo, which would cause unwanted friction when performing intricate string tricks. Other manufacturers replicate this with a similar inwardly curved surface, but use minor modifications. Some high-end bearings use ceramic composites in the balls of the bearing, to reduce internal friction, again making for a smoother spinning yo-yo. Precious materials such as ruby have also been used as a material in prototype ball bearings for its properties such as extreme hardness.[14] The material was first tested in a prototype bearing made by Wolf Yoyo Works in May 2018.[citation needed]

Modern yo-yo

[edit]

The era following the yo-yo boom of the late 1990s is often referred to as the "modern" era of yo-yo. The modern era of yo-yo is characterized by markedly more complicated and sophisticated yo-yo techniques than came before in addition to a plethora of different yo-yo designs created to serve various niche purposes.[15] This increased complexity of yo-yo play was allowed by the introduction of the ball-bearing technology to yo-yos, which enabled yo-yos to spin much longer than was previously possible. This, in addition to the advent of the bind technique and unresponsive yo-yoing[16][17] equipped yo-yo players with an essentially limitless amount of freedom, with which they were able to create myriad yo-yo tricks and techniques.

In the wake of this revolution that took place in yo-yo, a landscape of yo-yo competitions tailored towards this modern style of yo-yo play emerged. One example of such competitions is the World Yo-Yo Contest. Outside of the competition scene, yo-yo players regularly share videos of their yo-yo tricks on the Internet; a common place players do so is on Instagram, using the hashtag "#trickcircle".[18] Some yo-yo players have also found modest success outside the yo-yo community, going viral on TikTok,[19] gaining significant YouTube followings,[20] or being featured guests on television programs.[21]

Techniques

[edit]

Sleeping

[edit]

The sleeper is one of the most common yo-yo throws and is the basis for nearly all yo-yo throws other than looping. Keeping a yo-yo spinning while remaining at the end of its uncoiled string is known as sleeping. While the yo-yo is in the "sleeping" state at the end of the string, one can then execute tricks like "walk the dog", "the elevator", "around the world", or the slightly more complex "rock the baby".

The essence of the throw is that one throws the yo-yo with a very pronounced wrist action so that when the yo-yo reaches the end of the string it spins in place rather than rolling back up the string to the thrower's hand. Most modern yo-yos have a transaxle or ball bearing to assist this, but if it is a fixed axle yo-yo, the tension must be loose enough to allow this. The two main ways to do this are (1), allow the yo-yo to sit at the bottom of the string to unwind, or (2) perform lariat or UFO to loosen the tension. When one decides to end the "sleeping" state, one merely jerks the wrist and the yo-yo "catches" the string and rolls back up to the hand. Ball-bearing yo-yos with a "butterfly" shape, primarily used for string tricks, frequently have a low response or are completely unresponsive, requiring a "bind" for the yo-yo to return.

In competition, mastery of sleeping is the basis for the 1A division. Inexpensive fixed-axle yo-yos usually spin between 10 and 20 seconds, while the expensive ball bearing yo-yos can spin about 1–4 minutes depending on the throw.[22] As of 2010, the world record sleep times were 3:51.54 minutes for fixed-axle and 21:15.17 minutes for transaxle yo-yos.[23] In 2012, the transaxle yo-yo sleep time record was broken by the C3YoyoDesign BTH, with a time of 30:28.30 minutes.[24] A traditional sleeper throw is employed to start frontstyle combinations, whereas a sideways sleeper, or "breakaway" is used to start sidestyle combinations.

Mounts, transitions, and dismounts

[edit]

Yo-yo tricks in which the yo-yo comes to be sitting a string are called mounts. Transitions are employed to move from one mount to another. Frontstyle mounts include the under and over mounts, as well as the split bottom mount. Sidestyle mounts include the man on the flying trapeze. Combinations can be produced by transitioning from one mount to another in various ways.[25]

Combinations which can repeat indefinitely are called "repeaters".[26]

Loops and Regens

[edit]

Loops are yoyo tricks that consist of the yoyo looping around the throw hand.

A certain class of looping tricks, regens, are tricks that add spin to a yoyo without having to return it to the throwing hand. Because regens switch between frontstyle and sidestyle, they are frequently used to transition between frontstyle and sidestyle combinations.[27]

Tricks which adjust string tension

[edit]

Certain tricks, such as the UFO and Sidewinder, can alter the string tension, making it looser or tighter, thereby altering the response of the yo-yo.[28] This also allows for a certain type of trick called slack tricks to be completed with greater ease.

Yo-yo notation

[edit]

Several methods of notating yo-yo tricks have been formulated, including a system described Mark Mcbride in his work about yo-yo theory, the Yonomicon.[29] This system is similar to Ross Levine's "Modern Yoyo Notation".[30] Modern yo-yo notation is designed to be ambidextrous, further eschewing terms like "clockwise" and "counterclockwise".

Styles

[edit]

Unresponsive (1A)

[edit]

Eventually, wider string gaps and silicone response systems led to the innovation of unresponsive yoyoing, otherwise known as 1A. Traditional yoyos (responsive) would return to the hand when one would tug on the string, but unresponsive yoyos behave a little differently. Instead of returning to the hand when one tugs on the string, one has to perform a trick called a "bind" where the string is doubled over inside the string gap to increase friction on the response system. This has brought about innovation of many different kinds of tricks involving leaving slack in the string, as this would have caused a responsive yoyo to return to the hand. This style of yoyoing is the most popular and the most common, and the most yoyo tricks are done with 1A yoyos.

Looping (2A)

[edit]

Looping is a yo-yo technique which emphasizes keeping the body of two yo-yos, one on each hand, in constant motion, with or without sleeping.[31]

Yo-yos optimized for looping have weight concentrated in their centers so they may easily rotate about the string's axis without their mass contributing to resistance due to a gyroscopic effect.

In yo-yo competitions, looping both to the inside and outside of the hand with the yo-yo plays a strong role in the 2A division. Sometimes the yoyos would wrap around arms, legs, or necks.

Also known as two hands looping freestyle.

Two handed string tricks (3A)

[edit]

Two handed or 3A style play involves doing string tricks with two flared bearing yo-yos. Popularized and pioneered by Mark McBride, the first modern Triple A trick appeared in Fiend Magazine and was called the Velvet Rolls. The different mounts in this style are referred to as houses (e.g. "Kink House").

Photos from as early as the late 1950s show early yo-yo demonstrators performing very basic 3A tricks, such as a Sleeper with one hand, and a Trapeze with the other. While 3A as a concept has existed for many years, it was not until the debut of Velvet Rolls, coupled with the rise of unresponsive yoyo play, that development began on what is currently considered Triple A. This is the most complex style and is the most likely to obtain knots, dings, and clangs.

In competition, two handed string tricks have the 3A division.

Off-string (4A)

[edit]

In the "off-string" technique, the yo-yo's string is not tied directly to the yo-yo's axle, and the yo-yo is usually launched into the air by performing a "forward pass" to be caught again on the string. However, some players can 'throw down' off-string yo-yos and catch it on the string just as it leaves the end of the string by pivoting the string around a finger as it unwinds, so that the yo-yo is caught on the string. This is exactly the opposite of a "forward pass", but with the same result.

Yo-yos optimized for off-string tricks have flared designs, like the butterfly shape, which makes it easier to land on the string, and often have soft rubber rings on the edges, so minimum damage is inflicted on the yo-yo, the player, or anyone who happens to be standing nearby, should a trick go wrong. There are also tricks which involve the use of two off-string yoyos at the same time, thrown with the same hand, this is known as "soloham".

Yo-yo competitions have the 4A division for off-string tricks.

Freehand (5A)

[edit]

In freehand tricks, the yo-yo's string is not tied to the player's hand, instead ending in a counterweight. The counterweight is then thrown from hand to hand and used as an additional element in the trick.

Developed in 1999 by Steve Brown, as of 2008 freehand is considered to be the fastest-growing style of yo-yo play. Steve Brown was awarded a patent on his freehand yo-yo system, which was assigned to Flambeau Products (Duncan's parent company). Duncan patented the counterweight, and no one was able to design a unique weight.[32] However, since March 28, 2020, the patent has expired.

In yo-yo competitions, counterweight yo-yos are emphasized in the 5A division.

Modern Responsive (0A)

[edit]

Modern responsive yo-yo can be thought of as 2A with a single yoyo, but differs from 2A in the fact that it, like 1A, has access to tricks involving the use of the free hand. Unlike 1A, modern responsive deliberately abstains from tricks that involve sleeping, frequently replacing mounts with stalls.[33][34]

Physical mechanism

[edit]

When the yo-yo is first released, the gravity (and the throw) give it translational kinetic energy and necessarily, since the string must unwind, much of this energy is converted into rotational kinetic energy establishing the free movement of the yo-yo, and causing it to spin rapidly. As the yo-yo unwinds downward, it also converts potential energy from gravity to translational energy in its rotation to overcome gravity all the way back up to the hand.

Because the sense of spinning does not change during the whole move, the string winds up in the opposite direction upon the return of the yo-yo. If the shaft of the yo-yo is connected to the string with a loop, there may not be enough frictional force to overcome the weight of the yo-yo, which is necessary to begin winding up the string. In this case, the yo-yo will continue to spin in the loop at the end of the string (or sleep), just being slightly braked by the small dynamic friction, instead of returning. However, if the string is jerked slightly up, or the hand is lowered, the slack created in the string will allow it to begin winding around the shaft, thereby increasing friction and allowing it to catch as the static friction force rises above the gravitation force holding the yo-yo at the bottom of the string, making the yo-yo wind up the string returning to the hand.

Patents have been issued to create more complicated mechanisms to allow tension control and an adjustable mechanism.[35][36]

Purported use as weapons

[edit]

There is no sound historical evidence that yo-yos were ever used as weapons; the notion is believed to have been a marketing gimmick disseminated by Duncan yo-yo demonstrators in the early years of the company.[37] Regardless, the notion that yo-yos can be used as weapons persists to this day in pop culture, as in the Chinese television series Blazing Teens, and in the Japanese Guilty Gear franchise by the character Bridget (whose giant yo-yo's movements were a considerable challenge to animate).[38] The popular sandbox adventure game Terraria features many yo-yo weapons.[39]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Definition of YO-YO". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  2. ^ Vanoverbergh, Morice. (1956). Iloko-English Dictionary, Catholic School Press, Baguio City. p. 370 [Translated, augmented & revised version of Carro, Andres. (1888). Vocabulario Iloco-Español. Vicaria de Agustinos de Filipinas, Intramuros, Manila]
  3. ^ a b Miller, Stephen G. (2004). Ancient Greek Athletics. Yale University Press. pp. 169–. ISBN 9780300115291. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Pedro Flores, National Yo-Yo Museum, archived from the original on January 20, 2008, retrieved February 18, 2008
  5. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary. Etymonline.com. Retrieved on April 9, 2012.
  6. ^ Hopkins, Michelle (April 19, 2009). "'Great ambassador' passes away". Richmond News. Archived from the original on August 30, 2009. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  7. ^ "Kalmartrissan" och andra "trissor" Archived August 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, County Museum of Kalmar (in Swedish)
  8. ^ "Kalmartrissan snurrar vidare", Dagens Nyheter December 19, 2012 (not available in the on-line edition) (in Swedish)
  9. ^ Kalmartrissan fyller 70 år, Sveriges radio, January 25, 2002, retrieved March 22, 2013 (in Swedish)
  10. ^ "YO–YO BANNED IN SYRIA". Barrier Miner. Sydney, Australia. January 23, 1933. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  11. ^ "Has yo-yo become a generic trademark?". genericides.org. March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  12. ^ Flambeau Corporate Brochure, flambeau.com
  13. ^ Classic Toys: The Yo-Yo Archived October 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retro Planet (May 12, 2009). Retrieved on April 9, 2012.
  14. ^ "Wolf Yoyo Works on Instagram: "Just testing out #wolfyoyoworks Amarok with a 1 of 1 ruby bearing, you saw it here first! What is your favourite bearing type?"". Instagram. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  15. ^ "Advanced Yo-Yos". YoYoExpert. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  16. ^ What is Unresponsive Yoyoing? Unresponsive Yoyo Trick Introduction, retrieved July 16, 2022
  17. ^ Yoyo Bind Theory – The Truth Behind What Makes Binds Work., retrieved July 16, 2022
  18. ^ "#trickcircle hashtag on Instagram • Photos and Videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  19. ^ "TikTok, @Angel2Up". www.tiktok.com. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  20. ^ "The Brandon Vu – YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  21. ^ Yo-Yo World Champion Gentry Stein Teaches Steve Harvey A Few Tricks, retrieved July 16, 2022
  22. ^ Yo-Yo Basics, howstuffworks.com.
  23. ^ American Yo-Yo Association website.
  24. ^ "Museum of Yo-Yo History". www.yoyomuseum.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  25. ^ "1A Tricks by Mount". Mr. Yoyothrower. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  26. ^ B, Adam (April 18, 2014). "How to do the Zipper yoyo trick". YoYoTricks.com. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  27. ^ B, Adam (March 23, 2018). "Learn Regenerations to add spin to yoyo". YoYoTricks.com. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  28. ^ "String-Adjust". YoYoTricks.com. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  29. ^ McBride, Mark (October 1998). The Yonomicon: An Enlightened Tome of Yoyo Tricks. Magnolia Publishing, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-941463-01-0.
  30. ^ Modern Yoyo Notation and Learning Yoyo Triquetras and Antispins, retrieved February 25, 2024
  31. ^ Science News, Week of April 17, 2004; Vol. 165, No. 16, p. 250 Archived April 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ U.S. patent 6,371,824 Filed March 28, 2000
  33. ^ Kyle Nations's tips for modern responsive yo-yoing, retrieved March 1, 2024
  34. ^ PopCast Yo-Yo Vlog #16: Modern Responsive Yo-Yo Tricks, retrieved March 1, 2024
  35. ^ U.S. patent 6,331,132 Filed July 27, 1999; Issued December 18, 2001
  36. ^ U.S. patent 7,192,330 Filed October 29, 1999; Issued December 19, 2000
  37. ^ Goto-Jones, Chris (April 9, 2015). "The High-Stakes World of High-End Yo Yos". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  38. ^ "All About Guilty Gear With Creator Daisuke Ishiwatari". Siliconera. May 6, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  39. ^ "Yoyos". Terraria Wiki. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
[edit]