4 ms·

The Secret Life of Yo-Yos

79 points by pmcpinto 12y ago

Zikes 12y ago
I've heard of being made to do a lot of unsavory things by the TSA, but this is the first I've heard of being forced to perform party tricks for them.
- fit2rule 12y ago
  I once travelled to the United States from Europe with a prototype synthesizer I'd built to demonstrate .. after waiting an hour and a half in the TSA line, I was made to turn it on, play something on it, prove that it made music, and do an impromptu jam session for the TSA agents. I guess they get bored with their jobs too, but it was definitely denigrating to be made to dance like a monkey for the privilege of going freely on my way. It definitely left a bad impression on my entry to the USA ..
  - Vexs 12y ago
    I can't blame them for double guessing a prototype synth. I'm pretty sure they use them in movies for "hacker" rooms or whatever. Doesn't mean they're not asses.
- nulltype 12y ago
  I'm not sure they have the TSA in Japan.
bradleysmith 12y ago
I sold high-end yo-yos to kids at my school growing up in Saudi Arabia. I would research the badass ones on the internet (only available from company office at the time, I'd go into my dad's), print out a Word-doc 'order form' to show kids at school (most were known names that kids had around already like Duncan and Yomega, but I'd find crazy ones w/ enough description to convince people to buy sight unseen), collect money with my profit already in it, then take orders and have them delivered to my house in the states. We'd pick them up on yearly re-pat. I usually had the money spent before they were even delivered, because I'm a goober. Those, tech decks and magic cards. My first entrepreneurial endeavors.
MrFoof 12y ago
>In the end, I had to unpack and demonstrate each of the yo-yos in turn, much to the amusement (and eventual applause) of the security team. So, quite literally, security theater.
mmcclure 12y ago
When I was in elementary school there was a huge resurgence in popularity, leading to waiting lists for popular Duncan models that stretched into a month or more. I saved up every penny I had and eventually got a Turbo Bumblebee, which was one of my most prized possessions for way longer than I'd like to admit. I found it in a box last time I was visiting my parents. I ended up changing the "brake pads" and oiling the bearings and played with it for hours. Can confirm, as an adult, Yo Yos are still a really pure, inexplicable kind of fun.
- mitchell_h 12y ago
  I keep a few yo-yos in my office on the shelf. Keep them next to a cricket ball, and a hacky-sack. I find they're great fun when on long conference calls and awesome conversation starters. Generally the younger group, 90s kids, stare at that hackysack like it's a long lost treasure. The folks in the upper 30s to 40s go for the yoyo. I'm early 30s but tend to play with the yoyo a lot.
abandonliberty 12y ago
For a clear demonstration of the offensive use of a yoyo, I direct you to The Substitute 2 http://rutube.ru/video/bc0c854a249afe8f1cce248d0ab55444/ http://rutube.ru/video/bc0c854a249afe8f1cce248d0ab55444/ (sadly in russian)
- cJ0th 12y ago
  Disney's Fantasia offers another example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=x4H3icCCiXY#t=102 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=x4...
jarnold 12y ago
I had the fortune of getting wrapped up in the Chico yoyo scene of the late 90's. It was amazing to see the transformation around that time. There were only one or two metal, ball berring yoyos on the market at the time. Got to help teach kids and was enlisted by Prima (game guide publisher) to do a book on yoyo play too. Good times...

79 points by pmcpinto 12y ago

Zikes 12y ago

I've heard of being made to do a lot of unsavory things by the TSA, but this is the first I've heard of being forced to perform party tricks for them.

fit2rule 12y ago
I once travelled to the United States from Europe with a prototype synthesizer I'd built to demonstrate .. after waiting an hour and a half in the TSA line, I was made to turn it on, play something on it, prove that it made music, and do an impromptu jam session for the TSA agents. I guess they get bored with their jobs too, but it was definitely denigrating to be made to dance like a monkey for the privilege of going freely on my way. It definitely left a bad impression on my entry to the USA ..
- Vexs 12y ago
  I can't blame them for double guessing a prototype synth. I'm pretty sure they use them in movies for "hacker" rooms or whatever. Doesn't mean they're not asses.
nulltype 12y ago
I'm not sure they have the TSA in Japan.

bradleysmith 12y ago

I sold high-end yo-yos to kids at my school growing up in Saudi Arabia. I would research the badass ones on the internet (only available from company office at the time, I'd go into my dad's), print out a Word-doc 'order form' to show kids at school (most were known names that kids had around already like Duncan and Yomega, but I'd find crazy ones w/ enough description to convince people to buy sight unseen), collect money with my profit already in it, then take orders and have them delivered to my house in the states. We'd pick them up on yearly re-pat. I usually had the money spent before they were even delivered, because I'm a goober. Those, tech decks and magic cards. My first entrepreneurial endeavors.

MrFoof 12y ago

>In the end, I had to unpack and demonstrate each of the yo-yos in turn, much to the amusement (and eventual applause) of the security team. So, quite literally, security theater.

mmcclure 12y ago

When I was in elementary school there was a huge resurgence in popularity, leading to waiting lists for popular Duncan models that stretched into a month or more. I saved up every penny I had and eventually got a Turbo Bumblebee, which was one of my most prized possessions for way longer than I'd like to admit. I found it in a box last time I was visiting my parents. I ended up changing the "brake pads" and oiling the bearings and played with it for hours. Can confirm, as an adult, Yo Yos are still a really pure, inexplicable kind of fun.

mitchell_h 12y ago
I keep a few yo-yos in my office on the shelf. Keep them next to a cricket ball, and a hacky-sack. I find they're great fun when on long conference calls and awesome conversation starters. Generally the younger group, 90s kids, stare at that hackysack like it's a long lost treasure. The folks in the upper 30s to 40s go for the yoyo. I'm early 30s but tend to play with the yoyo a lot.

abandonliberty 12y ago

For a clear demonstration of the offensive use of a yoyo, I direct you to The Substitute 2 http://rutube.ru/video/bc0c854a249afe8f1cce248d0ab55444/ http://rutube.ru/video/bc0c854a249afe8f1cce248d0ab55444/ (sadly in russian)

cJ0th 12y ago
Disney's Fantasia offers another example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=x4H3icCCiXY#t=102 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=x4...

jarnold 12y ago

I had the fortune of getting wrapped up in the Chico yoyo scene of the late 90's. It was amazing to see the transformation around that time. There were only one or two metal, ball berring yoyos on the market at the time. Got to help teach kids and was enlisted by Prima (game guide publisher) to do a book on yoyo play too. Good times...