U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest facts for kids
Quick facts for kids U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest |
|
|---|---|
| Location |  Chico, California, United States |
| Date | October 2015 |
The U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest is a big competition for yo-yo players in the United States. It's the final event organized by the National Yo-Yo League (NYYL). If you win this contest in any of its five main categories, you become the US National Yo-Yo Champion! This is the only event in the U.S. that gives out this special title.
Winning here also means you get to go straight to the semi-finals of the World Yo-Yo Contest. You'll represent the United States there. The contest usually happens in Chico, California. This city is also home to the National Yo-Yo Museum. To join the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest, players must first do well in one of nine smaller, regional competitions. The National Yo-Yo League helps organize all these yo-yo events across the country. They also give awards to people who have helped the yo-yo community a lot.
Contents
History of the Yo-Yo Contest
The first ever National Yo-Yo Contest happened in 1993. A yo-yo store called Bird In Hand, owned by Bob Malowney, has always hosted the contest in Chico, California. For many years, the competition took place right in the Chico City Park.
Meet the Current Yo-Yo Champions
Right now, there are five U.S. National Yo-Yo Champions. Each of them gets to represent the United States at the World Yo-Yo Contest. The 1A champion goes to the semi-finals, while champions in 2A through 5A go straight to the finals.
Only a few players have won the 1A division more than once. These include Zach Gormley, Yuuki Spencer, and Gentry Stein. Alex Hattori holds a record with 10 National Titles over 10 years. Shane Karan and Evan Nagao are the only players to win two different divisions in the same year. The state of California has produced the most National Champions over time. In 2013, Ian Johnson performed a perfect routine in the 4A division.
| Style | Winner | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A | Justin Dauer | Connor Seals | Hunter Feuerstein |
| 2A | Matt Szeto | Cedric Mar Eusantos | Ian Smith |
| 3A | Alex Hattori | Donald Hodgkinson | Aliyah Tan |
| 4A | Philip White | Ryan Connolly | Hunter Feuerstein |
| 5A | John Wolfe | Jared Marcus | Adam Reeder & Yingie Shen (Tie) |
Championship Yo-Yo Divisions
The U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest has five main divisions. Each winner earns the title of 'US National Yo-Yo Champion'.
| Division Name | Other Name | What It Is |
|---|---|---|
| 1A | Single Hand String Trick | Players use one long-spinning yo-yo. They perform tricks by moving the string around. |
| 2A | Two Hands Looping Trick | Players use two yo-yos at the same time. They make the yo-yos go up and down in looping movements. |
| 3A | Two Hands String Trick | Players use two long-spinning yo-yos. They do tricks with both yo-yos at the same time. |
| 4A | Offstring | Players use a special yo-yo that is not tied to their finger. They often throw the yo-yo into the air and try to catch it on the string. |
| 5A | Counterweight | Players use a yo-yo with a weight on the end of the string instead of attaching it to their finger. |
How the Divisions Work
The U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest has different rounds before the final competition. In the past, anyone could join. Competitors had one minute to show their skills, and a certain number of players would move to the finals. Now, to compete in the first rounds, a player must finish in the top 5 at a Regional Competition.
There are currently two main rounds of competition:
- Semi-Final (1 minute routine)
- The top 5 players from a Regional Competition go straight into this round.
- Final (3 minute routine)
- The 9 Regional Champions get a spot here.
- The best players from the Semi-Final also move on to this round.
Regional Competitions for Qualifying
Players can earn a spot in the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest through one of these nine regional competitions, which are approved by the NYYL:
- Bay Area Classic (BAC)
- Pacific Northwest Regional (PNWR)
- Southwest Regional (SWR)
- Midwest Regional (MWR)
- Southeast Regional (SER)
- Mideast Regional (MER)
- Northeast Regional (NER)
- Mid-Atlantic Regional (MAR)
