Kill Your Yoyo
By Hollywood Modern Yoyos
Kill Your YoyoJul 22, 2022
37 - Connor Scholten: Better Than Average
This episode features the exceptional Connor Scholten @tricksyouforgot44. A revered competitor, and a cornerstone in yoyo education through his many YoTricks tutorials, Connor shares his invaluable insights and personal journey. Ross and Connor delve into the evolution of yoyo competition styles, the art of teaching and creating tutorials, the strategic use of statistics in competitions, the challenges of objective judging, and Connor's own yoyo journey.
36 - Katie Thompson: Mind Of An Athlete
In this captivating episode of “Kill Your Yoyo,” Ross dives deep into the world of yoyoing with the phenomenally talented Katie Thompson. From her early days of casual practice to becoming a YoyoFactory-sponsored yoyoer and a beacon in the yoyo community, Katie shares her inspiring journey and the pivotal moments that shaped her passion for yoyoing. The duo explores Katie’s unique approach to practice, her transition from softball to yoyoing, and how her athletic discipline fuels her continuous improvement and creative process. They also touch on the importance of goal-oriented practice, the intricacies of competition scoring, and Katie’s significant influence on the yoyo community through her work with the Central California Yoyo Club. Additionally, Katie opens up about her emotional experience at the 2023 National Yoyo Championships, her creative process for making freestyle videos, and her excitement about her confirmed sponsorship with YoyoFactory. Whether you’re a yoyo enthusiast or just love a story of dedication and creativity, this episode offers a fascinating glimpse into the life of a yoyo virtuoso.
San Diego Classic with Alec Ceceña: Bonus Series Episode 2
Every time you go to a contest without signing up to compete you're missing a chance to get on stage. Even if you don't compete at all, the act of putting together a routine to music will make you a better yoyoer in ways that you cannot understand until you actually try it. And what better time and place to try than the San Diego Classic! Learn more in this mini series and check out sdyoyocontest.info for more info!
San Diego Classic with Alec Ceceña: Bonus Series Episode 1
Hi homies! Today we have Alec Ceceña on the show for the kickoff of a special series of episodes all about how to start a yoyo event. Alec is in the process of single-handedly founding a brand new yoyo competition and I want to track the process at every step of the way to provide a basic road map for you to follow! Expect one or two more follow-up episodes as the competition approaches and eventually takes place.
35 - Ed Haponik: 1 Year Fixed Axel Follow Up
Join Ross and Ed Haponik as they discuss the lessons Ed has learned from a year of yoyoing with the same single fixed axel yoyo...though it is definitely a little (read nearly 10 months) late hahaha. Thanks for your patience.
34: Chatting With André About Dopamine
The title says it all. Subscribe and share. Buy the Dopamine, signature yoyo of Ross Levine on Sunday, Sep 3, 2023 on Yoyoexpert.com. Visit @modern_yoyos on instagram for giveaway rules.
33: AZ states and a 20 minute rant that will either alienate you or make you like me more.
32: Hunter Feuerstein Spotlight Ultra Review
Don't forget to bid on the spotlight ultra in the video here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/394515102323Spotlight Ultra: https://hunter-yoyos.square.site/product/spotlight-ultra/81The Pads and Bearings super pack: https://modernyoyos.comBulk Hollywood Pads (19mm slim): https://www.ebay.com/itm/394377508667Bulk 100% Tested Center Trac Bearings: https://www.ebay.com/itm/394377518647Bulk 100% Tested 10-Ball KonKave Bearings: https://www.ebay.com/itm/394377524376
31 - Eric Koloski: The Man Behind The Curtain
Join me as I talk yoyo history and theory with a man who's seen it all, Eric Koloski. Eric is one of the most legendary yoyoers around and has been a member of some of the most beloved teams and companies. You won't want to miss a single word he says!
30 - John Narum: The Entertainer
What does it mean to entertain? Perhaps you should ask the man who went from winning the world yoyo contest to working as a comedian. John Narum has seen it all and in this episode, we talk all about what he's learned from his many unique experiences.
29 - Hollywood Modern Yoyos (The Identity Crisis Saga)
Welcome to the Hollywood Modern Yoyos era. Thank you for your support through everything.
28 - Hunter Feuerstein: The Master Of Competition AND Social Media
27 Video Edition - Dressel Designs Monarch Review and Discussion with Guest Patrick Dressel | Kill Your Yoyo Review
This is a copy of episode 27 but as a video podcast! Tell me what you think of the whole video podcast thing in a message at @helix_throws on instagram. Patrick and I dive deep into a review of the Monarch and discuss the design philosophy, methodology, and concepts that make this yoyo fun while maintaining a competitive edge that any yoyoer can get behind. Support my work by bidding on an exclusive Patrick Dressel signed Fist Salud edition Monarch on ebay here: https://tinyurl.com/yc75pdwv Buy yours at the following retailers: https://yoyoexpert.com/ https://yoyorewind.com/ https://spingear.jp/index.php?sl=en https://dresseldesigns.bigcartel.com/ Follow Dressel Designs at @Dressel Designs
27- Dressel Designs Monarch Review and Discussion with Guest Patrick Dressel | Kill Your Yoyo Review
Patrick and I dive deep into a review of the Monarch and discuss the design philosophy, methodology, and concepts that make this yoyo fun while maintaining a competitive edge that any yoyoer can get behind. Support my work by bidding on an exclusive Patrick Dressel signed Fist Salud edition Monarch on ebay here: https://tinyurl.com/yc75pdwv Buy yours at the following retailers: https://yoyoexpert.com/ https://yoyorewind.com/ https://spingear.jp/index.php?sl=en https://dresseldesigns.bigcartel.com/ Follow Dressel Designs at @Dressel Designs
26 - The 5 Stages Of A Yoyoer’s Development
24 - Ed Haponik: Enter The Yoyo Dojo
Join Ed Haponik (@edhaponik) and I as we discuss the art and meditative practice of yoyo as a way of life.
23 - Polo Garbkamol: This Is Your Brain On Yoyo
22 - Kris Toledo: Mr. Klean
22 - Flow Theory Explained for Yoyoers
Join me as I talk about what flow is and how you can use flow theory to improve your throwing. Half book report, half yoyo philosophy rant about the amazing book Stolen Focus by Johan Hari.
21 - Gavin Hubner: Constructing Consistent Combos
Gavin Hubner is one of the top competitive yoyoers in the nation. In this episode we discuss
Hey, it’s Ross. Welcome to season 2.
20 - Shivum Berry: A Thesis Statement
Shivum Berry is the founder of the incredibly popular brand Thesis yoyos...and he's only been out of high school for two years! Learn the story behind his brand's meteoric rise and exclusive secrets about what goes into each brilliantly planned yoyo release.
Notes:
Watch: Black, TedX talk
Download: Fusion 360
Buy: Ender 3 Pro 3D printer
Read: Free Play, Stephen Nachmanovitch
19 - Brandon Vu: Going All In On YouTube
What do you call an Australian who quits his stable corporate job to sell yoyos on youtube? You call him Brandon Vu. Learn how Brandon built his online yoyo empire and how you can follow in his footsteps.
Notes/further research:
Grant Johnson Youtube Video: Stronger Yo-Yo
Scott Dikkers: How to write funny characters
18 - Doctor Popular: Creating Classics
The legend himself, Doctor Popular shares some awesome pieces of yoyo history as well as his approach to creating many of the tricks that we now regard as classics.
Doc's insta: @docpop
my insta: @ilinx_toys
notes and further reading
Serious Guide to Joke Writing by Sally Holloway
How To Write Funny: Your Serious, Step-By-Step Blueprint For Creating Incredibly, Irresistibly, Successfully Hilarious Writing by Scott Dikkers
Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy by Greg Dean
Splitting the Atom yoyo trickbook by Richie
Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual by Matt Walsh Et al.
Instagram: @danyllo_barbiero
Dale Oliver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5OYS_VJ6Dc
17 - Jonathan Sitanggang: Building Your Trick Vocabulary
Jonathan is an incredible yoyoer who's sponsored by Duncan and Original Throw. In this episode, we talk all about trick and routine design as well as flow theory, keeping your yoyoing unpredictable, and much much more.
Notes:
Netflix - The Toys That Made Us
TV Show - Blazing Teens
Jonathan's instagram - jonathanstggg
Polo's instagram - ppolor
Ricardo's instagram - blablanchard
16 - Michael Nakamura: 4 Years To Gold
Michael Nakamura is one of the world's best 4a yoyo players who, in four years went from picking up his first yoyo to winning the world yoyo contest. So what accounts for his meteoric rise? Well, you'll find out that and much more as we discuss horizontal 4a theory, the future of soloham, and Michael's approach to contest and performance preparation.
Further research:
Michael's Instagram: @michael_nakamura
Maximum Entertainment 2.0 by Ken Weber
Showmanship for Magicians by Dariel Fitzkee
The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt (the theory of constraints)
The Magic Way by Juan Tamariz
Tarbell Course In Magic by Harlan Tarbell
The Yonomicon by Mark McBride
15 - Ty Goldman: "All My Tricks Are Bangers"
Ty Goldman is a social media trailblazer and an extremely creative yoyoer with an appetite for bangers. We talk all about his trick creation process, his thoughts on competition and making yoyoing a sustainable lifestyle, and his perspective on yoyoing as someone who was performing at the national level at a very young age.
Follow me on insta: @ilinx_toys
Follow Ty on insta and tiktok: @yobigty
Look up:
Free Play by Stephen Nachmanovitch
14 - DIY Yoyo Performance
Have you ever wanted to do a real yoyo performance? Not just your 1-minute freestyle, but 30 minutes to an hour of live entertainment! Well, it's possible, and in this episode, I'll talk about some options you have to start doing just that!
Showmanship for Magicians by Dariel Fitzkee
Maximum Entertainment 2.0 by Ken Weber
13 - @angel2up (Angelo Aguirre): Connecting To Non-Yoyoers
Follow my Instagram: Click Here
Virtual Juggler: Click Here
Derren Brown: Click Here
12 - I Am The Best Yoyoer In The World
And you are too! Find out why we are all "the best yoyoers in the world" and how we can still strive to become better.
Dagu:
https://www.instagram.com/dagu5595/
Wes Peden:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkqaPsE5W10
Aliyah Tan:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca_DpyNJi8s/
Bizarro:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/577Gk0MS7day3u6OjyUco9?si=6afcb19b5d964404
11 - Justin Dauer : The Yoyo Formula
My yoyo son (and 2019 Jr. National Yoyo Champion) joins me to talk about his performances on tv and music videos as well as how he creates routines that not only look good but score well too! Plus you'll get an exclusive look into the formula that Justin uses to create the dense, beautiful tricks that he's known for.
Add 3 minutes and 43 seconds to the timestamps to get the real-time stamps. The video version of this episode is posted here.
Check out this article for more information on the 7 types of waste. I did not do that topic justice as it's been a while since I've reviewed my industrial engineering notes. But the concept is solid and worth looking into.
10 - Behind the scenes of the melatonin hype video
I made that video to hype up the upcoming first major ilinx yoyo release, melatonin. Join me as I go behind the scenes of why I made the video the way I did, what the video means, and how I almost died making it.
Shout out to the book “Free Play” by Stephen Nachmanovitch and also Logan @yoyodinnerlogan who I mention in the episode and deserves your Instagram follows.
9 - The Evolving Social Landscape Of The Yoyo World
The social media landscape is changing. In a community that's as tied to the internet as ours is, the ramifications of these changes will alter the course of yoyo history. So let's talk about it. Where did the online community start, where is it now, where is it headed and what could all this mean for the future? Let's discuss.
Josh Yee - Cross-Pollination of Yoyo Tricks
Josh Yee is a national champion and one of the most knowledgeable yoyoers around! In this episode we talk about implementing music into your routines, how learning different styles can make you a better overall yoyoer, what the yoyo community can learn from the furry community and much MUCH more.
BTW, the person that Andy Warhol Painted whose name I couldn't remember was Marylin Monroe...duh.
What Yoyoers Can Learn From My Week At The Magic Castle
This past weekend I had the amazing experience of working backstage at the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. Here are some insights I learned from a few of the world's greatest magicians about how they make their magic better and how you can use their thoughts to improve your yoyoing.
PS, I recorded this the day after testing positive for covid (maybe barely sleeping while going to a nightclub for a week during the biggest covid surge on record was a bad idea). I apologize for any raspiness or throat clearing, I just wanted to get this episode recorded while the experience was fresh in my mind.
Aliyah Tan - Intentional 3a
This one is full of deep cuts and philosophy. We covered so much from how to get started in 3a to the theoretical framework for 3a improvisation. This may be your initiation into the vast and growing world of 3a yoyoing! Check out the video referenced here.
Anthony Rojas - Yoyo Alchemy
My all-time favorite yoyoer, Anthony Rojas joins me to discuss how he creates his iconic freestyles and how he alters the elements of yoyo tricks to create the unique movements that he’s known for.
Chris Chunn - Professional Yoyo Performance
I love conversations like these! @chrischunn4a is a professional yoyo performer who’s had an amazing competitive career. In this podcast, we talk about the difference between yoyoing and performing, how to prepare yourself to land your routines consistently, and how you can improve your performance skills by connecting with audiences. Enjoy!
Coffin Nachtmahr - Designing Communities
Coffin is an icon of the yoyo world. His distinctive fashion sense, genuine personality, and ubiquitous brand, OhYesYo, make him one of the most well-loved and respected yoyoers in the community. We talk about the community as a whole and what our responsibility yoyoers is in building our community (give a yoyo to the people you want to yoyo with). We also hit on yoyo design and Coffin's artistic inspirations and methods.
Markmont - Comfort In Discomfort
The #fullyfreestyle legend Mark Montgomery talks how to improvise by falling back on your “pocket”, how to get the most expression out of simple tricks, and how to become comfortable in the uncomfortable.
@thesonicpineapple - The Double GT/Red-Triangle Duality
Welcome to the next iteration of this show! Kill Your Yoyo is a weekly live show where we talk yoyo theory and learn together! Today we had Luna (@thesonicpineapple) on and we learned that she solves 5-dimensional Rubik’s cubes, plus a TON of awesome ideas on trick creation and yoyo theory. Luna is a creative powerhouse and her tricks have probably blown your mind as much as they have mine. It’s truly worth watching this all the way through to get every last bit of her brilliance.