Yo-yo boys swing into the spotlight
The “yo-yo boys” do it all. Whether it’s the Spring Rally, the Talent Show, or performing tricks at school, both Matthew Weymer, sophomore, and James Pratt, freshman, both found a passion in yo-yo-ing and dedicate much of their time to the activity.
Weymer started yo-yo-ing in fifth grade, and with the support and help of his friends, he now competes at national competitions.
“In fifth grade my friend brought a yo-yo to school and he did a few tricks,” Weymer said. “I thought it was cool, so I went to Big 5 and I got a $10 yo-yo and I started doing tricks.” From there, Weymer continued practicing and watching videos in order to improve his skills.
Weymer explained that by watching some of the best yo-yo-ers in the world, he was able to develop a unique style. “There’s people like Jensen Kimmitt who is a world champion, who is one of my biggest influences,” Weymer said. “Also, I’ll Skype with my friends and we’ll work on tricks together, so they’ve also influenced me a lot.”
In 2011, he attended the National Yo-Yo Contest in Chico, California. At the competition, Weymer was able to meet yo-yo-ers from across the country.
“It’s not as much about the competing as it is about just seeing the other yo-yo-ers,” Weymer said. “It’s more of a social aspect that’s enjoyable at a competition.”
Pratt also yo-yos competitively. After receiving a yo-yo as a gift for Christmas and watching video tutorials online, Pratt continued to practice tricks and stuck with the new hobby.
“I make up all my own tricks. In yo-yoing, they have these things called slacks, where the string is moving independently and loosely, so if you can involve two of those, and I find that pretty complex,” Pratt said.
According to Pratt, yo-yo competitions are relatively new. “Competition scenes have been big for the last four-five years, I’d say. The U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest was, in 2008, about 50 people. This year, it was about a couple thousand.”
As the yo-yo community continues to grow, Pratt explains how a seemingly small event can bring a group of people together.
“Since there’s not that many social events around it … the people in the yo-yo community are super passionate,” Pratt said. “The people that put in the time to go to these big competitions love yo-yoing so much. They’re all really good. If you really want to get into the yo-yo community, and really pursue it, and really find people that you enjoy hanging out with, I think yo-yoing would be a good hobby.”
Ryan Barry, sophomore, and a friend of Weymer, explained the laid-back yo-yoing environment. “(You) come together and show off your best trick and say, ‘hey, look what I can do,’” Barry said. “Everyone’s respectful of everyone else and if you mess up it’s like, ‘oh ok that’s alright, it’s fine.’”
Weymer also encourages all those interested to give yo-yo-ing a try. “Yo-yoing is all about fun, so it doesn’t matter how good you are; it only matters if you’re enjoying the activity,” he said. “It takes a while to learn different tricks, but with dedication, even the most difficult tricks can be mastered.”
