A very unique shaped yo-yo is coming out from HSPIN! Its name is "BEYOND ENVY."
The beautiful colorings are suited for its stunning shape.

Hiroyuki Suzuki released a new video for his new yo-yo, ANGLE. It is a next coming model from sOMEThING, a Hiroyuki Suzuki’s yo-yo brand.
He performed amazing combos with one throw! We can see greatness of his skill and also the performance of ANGLE through this video.

>>sOMEThING – ANGLE feat.Hiroyuki Suzuki – YoYoAddict

I could not believe this news first time I saw. Two decades after "SB II" was released, "SB III" photo was revealed to the public at Tom Kuhn's Facebook page today. It will be a latest model from Tom Kuhn!
Tom Kuhn's products were not available in Japan for a long long long time. However, we are working on having some of their yo-yos right now... I cannot wait for trying them by my hands. (´・ω・`)

This player who manipulates dice and yo-yo quickly is Denny Ko Kwan Ho. He is a C3yoyodesign sponsored member. He got the second place in 5A Division at CNYC (China National Yo-Yo Contest).
He uses a DarkStar. And, of course, it is made by C3yoyodesign from Hong Kong.

>>C3yoyodesign Presents: Denny Ko Kwan Ho - 5A Boring practise with DarkStar.

His name is Taro Komari. Few days ago, he competed in a Japanese official competition (East Japan Yo-Yo Contest B-Brock) first time, and he got the sixth place in 1A division!
He is getting more attentions for many Japanese players now.

>>The yo-yo is cast.

He is Vashek Kroutil, a YoYoFactory sponsored member, and an EYYC (European Yoyo Championship) 2010 1A Champion.
This video features his tricks and combos! However, the place on the video is minus 10 degree Celsius. Vashek, aren’t you cold?

>>Yoyofactory x SLUSNY - Vashek Kroutil - No Way

Taiwan's off string super hero, Cao Rong-Ting shows his amazing regeneration tricks!
He uses 空(Kung) in the video. It is the first off string yo-yo from Yonity.

>>Yonity present the Pinciple of Regeneration by Cao, Rong-Ting

Hello everyone! I'm Shinya Kido, a REWIND staff.
This is my video, please check this out.

>>SHINYA KIDO Promo Video


From now on, I will post blog entry with David and other staff members.
It will be something like English version of [yoyonews.jp].
Honestly, I'm not good at English. However, for English training, I'll do my best.

What it feels like to go to Worlds! Part 5

1. Some Players are Finished, Others Have Just Begun

The Ladder, Lucky's BBQ, the Wheel of Penalty, and the Championship freestyles are all complete, and the 3rd day of the World Yo-Yo Contest rolls around. Absolutly everyone gathers.

For players who fought to the very end, or those who were eliminated early, or pure spectators, the hall is packed beyond capacity on the third day, bubbling with excitement.

If you competed in the finals, the last day is the absolute peak of your excitement. This is the culmination of all the work and sweat you've poured into yo-yo for the past year. Some players can't breathe from excitement, and others fall into a trance. Since all Japanese players, regardless of how famous they are at home, are away players, they don't get quite the same reception as the home team of famous American players, but on the other hand, everyone standing on the final stage gets a warm round of cheers.

One's level of exposure is really dependent on how long they've been in the game, and the promotion videos they've made. So players who haven't acquired many fans get less cheers, which just accelerates their nervousness. The cheers of the audience have a great affect on the players, and may change the outcome of their freestyle. This isn't just true of Worlds, but of all stage performances. So the next time you see someone peforming on stage, be sure to give them your warmest support!

2. The Winners are Announced

As the third day draws to a close, the final results are tallied, and the final champions get crowned. The judges have had a rough few days, and have held up well despite the immense pressure. If you don't think judging a yo-yo contest is that hard, you should try it sometime.

The excitement builds, and plaqyers and fans alike stand wondering what names will be called out. The room is filled with energy, but it's slightly different from the nervousness before the contest, it's bittersweet: everyone is eager to learn the results, but at the same time, there's a bit of sadness that the whole event is about to come to an end.

The moment a champion is announced, there's a variety of responses. The crowd will generally go wild. Some players get an expression of disbelief on their faces, some are full of confidence as if they were expecting to win, and others are just filled with emotion and burst into tears of happiness. And with that, the end has come.

3. Now What?

By the middle of the night, the hall has been completely emptied, but players who don't want to see it end will assemble outside the hall and hang out with their friends until morning. They'll talk about the freestyles they saw and which ones they were moved by, congratulate each other for a job well done. Some of the older players will mix alcohol into their socializing. Either way, despite the fact that the hall is closed, many are in denial that Worlds is truly over.

Everyone has a fair amount of time to themselves to reflect on the events of the weekend between the end of the contest and the time they have to go home. Whether or not they received the ranking they expected, many players feel the fire of yo-yo passion relit within them. Some rare players decide they are done with it; the shock of losing may just push them away from it altogether. Even those who won may realize they've burned up all their passion, and decide to step away from it.
Nevertheless, attending Worlds is a major experience point for everyone, and almost no one regrets it, and everyone gains something from it. It's an experience no one forgets.

At AP2011, this year's 1A champion, Marcus Koh asked Jun:
"So Shinya is working for REWIND now?"
"Yep."
"So, is he just working for the yo-yo company, or does he have to have another job?"
"Just for the yo-yo company!"

Now that he's attained his own title, it's a wonder whether Marcus will look to make yo-yo a major part of his life, or if he'll look for work outside the yo-yo sphere.

Whether you're a yo-yo maker, yo-yo shop, player, or just a fan, Worlds is a major turning point for the year, and you can't help but look forward to the next one.

What it feels like to go to Worlds! Part 4

1. Things Heat Up! (1A Prelims Round 2)

In order to step up to the plate for the final round, you have to first pass through Prelims! In yo-yo contests, there are few exceptions to this rule; one such exception is the World Yo-Yo Contest, where you must not only win Prelims, but you need to pass through a SECOND round! In Round 2, national and world champions are jumbled together to vie for the chance to take home the gold, making this the most intense preliminaries ever!

Even though it's "just" a semi-final, Round 2 has a way of wearing on players' spirits, and even the best players start making mistakes. A loss now could inflict a lot of damage on a player, so this round can be a real heartbreaker.

Japan has a really strong showing on the stage, gaining a lot of support from their fans. Yo-Yo contests are really a personal battle, but it's still nice to see such a strong contingency of Japanese players!

2. The Tension Builds

Few people make plans for that evening, so once the 2nd round prelims are over, the hall falls into a state of disquieted inactivity. Some people go out for lunch, some people go shopping, some people practice. At any rate, many of the players aiming for the final stage find themselves in Hell. Some are so nervous, they'll break through the tension and find themselves eerily calm. Others are so nervous their hands start shaking, which obviously negatively affects their freestyle practice.

The only things stemming back the tide of cold sweat are the warm embrace of the audience and practice.

As the time for the Finals grows nearer, the quiet of the hall slowly dies away and it reaches a crescendo of excitement. Who will win, who will lose, these questions will finally be answered. Are my yo-yo settings right? Are the cameras all set up? Are the judges all gathered? Nobody is able to relax at this point, and excitement is noticeably different from that felt in the preliminaries. The players feel it too, and they must brace themselves for the coming storm. The pressure is so intense, if you aren't ready for it, it'll force you to your knees.

3. The Champions are born

The Finals have a completely different atmosphere to them. The hall is choked with spectators, and the air is thick with excitement. The number of cameras, the intensity of the lighting, everything feels very different from the battle that's raged up until this point. For first timers, this is when they realize they haven't really experienced Worlds yet.

Every year, the Finals stage of every division is a consecutive series of uproar from the crowd. The players are seen practicing all over the place, so even if you don't know a player, you recognize him and cheer him on. The players are giving it their all to make a perfect freestyle, so without thinking the crowd may find themselves shouting, clapping, and jumping to their feet.

For the players, receiving a trophy is just the cherry on top; the moment you hear the crowds cheer you on and go wild, you can't help but think that this is what you're really practicing for. For many players, it's the happiest feeling in the world.

No matter how much preparation they've made, some players do trip and fall on their way to glory, and have to swallow those bitter tears and decide whether they'll go through it all again for another year. These moments are full of soul-searching; just how will I continue with yo-yo in my life? Will I stick with it and come back again?

And thus ends the 2nd day of the contest, and about half of the division finals, which means this year's champions are born. Whether it's a new champion, a returning one, or an old champion making a comeback, each division in each year is a different story.

How the title will change a player's life is up to the player, but the moment they're announced the player and the audience who so excitedly watch their freestyle can't help but let out a triumphant shriek. Sometimes, the player's friends are even more outwardly excited than himself. All their vigor and energy were poured into those 3 minutes on stage, and now there's nothing left but to gracefully accept their prize.