Nice to meet you all.
My name is Erik. I’ve been “dabbling” in yo-yos since I was child. I used to get a Duncan Imperial/Butterfly in my Stockings and Easter Baskets every year, so I guess you could say that’s where I got introduced. When I was 18 or so is when I really got interested, when I picked up my Playmaxx Turbo Bumblebee and Turbo Bumblebee GT. About the same time I picked up a Veriflex that came with a instructional video with Steve Brown. So I guess you could say that was my true start.
I mostly just dabbled on my own off and on for the next 10 years. Other then that video I didn’t really receive any instruction for years until I found MasterMagic. Over the years I’ve had various things come up, that result in me putting yo-yos down for awhile. But now I’m trying to take it more seriously and give it real time. I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I could really use a hobby. For awhile there was a cruel joke being played on me; that when I lived in an area, I was unable to find others interested in it. But soon after I moved away a club would be put together (case in point www.moyostates.com). Which is coming up, so I’ll probably be making a trip back there for the weekend.
In recent years my favorite yo-yos have been the Duncan Freehand & Freehand Zero. I’ve tried many, but have kept coming back to them. For awhile the YoYoJam Kickside was my main throw, but I ended up back to preferring the FHZ. However very recently I’ve been favoring YoYoFactory. I picked up some F.A.S.T. 201s long time ago for fun, and a F.A.S.T. 401k (which at the time I didn’t really get into). But now my 3 main throws are a YoYoFactory Velocity, Duncan Freehand Zero and Buzz-on Element X (a JD/YoYoFreakz Limited Edition that has been a favorite since I picked it up a few years back).
My wife has been very supportive of my yo-yoing over the years. She even shares in it a little. She messes around and knows a trick or two. Mainly she likes to paint, dye and mod our yo-yos and string. (She’s a jewelry designer so artsy stuff and mod work comes naturally to her… and having an untrasonic in the house is a perk). Recently she’s taken to taking my used string and making friendship bracelets out of them. Like I said… “creative.”