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Family Contest Guide

Contest Format

All family members are lined up against a wall. Each family member steps forward for his or her tricks. Each will have 2 attempts at each trick. Landing a trick on the first try will award 2 points and landing it on the second try will award 1 point. For a trick to count the player must perform the said trick and then have it return to the hand. The member with the highest total score will crowned the winner.

*Tie-breaker: If more than one player ties, they can take turns to perform the looper. The player with the most consecutive loops is the winner.

Contest Rules

  • Players may use any kind of yo-yo to compete, but must use the same yo-yo for all tricks

  • Each trick must end with the yo-yo back in the player’s hand, with less than 3 inches of extra string hanging out

  • You can determine if you wish to award the winner with a prize. And everyone can be a winner when using the coupon code FAMILY25 for 25% off of your order at yo-yo.com

  • Repeat process for each division. That’s it! Those are the rules. Now for some basic yo-yo tips and then it’s time to explain the tricks

Get Ready to Yo-Yo

  • Let yo-yo hang to the floor. Tie a loop in the string at the level of your belly button. Cut off extra string. Pull string up through loop to make the slip knot that holds the yo-yo to your middle finger

  • Wind the string slowly and loosely around axle until it catches, then wind tight. With your palm facing up, the string should go over the top of the yo-yo

  • To throw: Make a muscle with your yo-yo arm. Extend your arm straight out in front of you with force. Release the yo-yo with your palm over to catch. Throw hard and be sure to not twist your palm over until after you release the yo-yo. Be careful not to swing your hand too low, banging the yo-yo on the ground

  • You should change your string whenever it gets dirty or knotted. Old string doesn’t perform well. To change the string, untwist the string at yo-yo end. The loop will get wide enough to slip the yo-yo out of the old string. Take a new string, unwind the loop at the bottom wide enough to slip back over the yo.. Twist the yo clockwise to tighten the string. Cut the string to fit your size (as above), wind the yo up and start playing

1

The Sleeper

This trick is the gateway to a advanced yo-yoing, Throw a Breakaway. When it is at waist level, put your finger in the way of the string, a few inches from the yo-yo. the yo-yo should flip over and land on the string. To finish, bring your hands together, then pull them apart quickly. The yo-yo will fly out to the end of the string and pop back into your waiting hand, Impressive!

Watch a Tutorial

2

The Forward Pass

This is another building block of advanced yo-yo play. Take the yo-yo in your hand. Let your arm hang at your side with the palm (and yo-yo) facing back. Swing your arm forward and up, so that the yo-yo flies out in front of you. Then turn your palm face up to catch. When you start out, try throwing the yo-yo up at an angle. You can throw more straight ahead as your skill improves.

Watch a Tutorial

3

The Breakaway

Make a muscle, like you did for the Sleeper. Now point your elbow out to the side, instead of in front. Throw the yo-yo out to the side and across your body, in a sweeping curve. It will come up to chest level on the other side of you, hover in the air for an instant, and fly back to your hand. Be sure to have your palm up for the catch.

Watch a Tutorial

4

Walk the Dog

Throw a hard Sleeper. Gently place it on the ground, slightly in front of you. The yo-yo will roll along the ground like a dog on a leash. You can walk along behind the yo if you like. To complete the trick, simply jerk back on the string, and the yo-yo will return to your hand. To count for a contest, you should walk the yo at least a foot along the ground before bringing it back up.

Watch a Tutorial

5

Around the Corner

Throw a hard Sleeper. Bring the string behind your throw arm. Keep your elbow bent and raise your arm up even with your shoulder. Now reach your throw hand down under your arm and give the string a little jerk. It will fly up over your shoulder, drop straight down in front of you, and snap back to your hand. Be careful not to move your hand too much after you tweak the string. The yo-yo is tied to your finger and will naturally come back to your hand.

Watch a Tutorial

6

Over the Falls

This trick is a little harder than it looks. Throw a Forward Pass, but instead of catching it, move your hand as if you’re putting something in your back pocket. This will send the yo-yo straight down, where it will snap right back to your hand. This is a very important trick for learning control of the yo-yo. if you don’t catch it, or it doesn’t go straight down, it won’t count in a contest.

7

The Creeper

This trick starts just like Walk the Dog. Once the yo is walking, keep your feet still and lower your hand to give the yo-yo more string. When your hand touches the ground, then the yo will snap back to your hand.

Watch a Tutorial

8

Rock the Baby

One of the most famous tricks, this requires a fast Sleeper. It’s best to practice the motions with a non-spinning yo-yo until you master the moves. Throw a Sleeper. Grab the string with your free hand about halfway down the string. reach down with your throw hand and pinch the string a few inches above the yoyo. You should have an upside-down triangle shape.Bring the free hand down and your throw hand up, so that the triangle now points up. Rock the yo-yo back and forth 3 times. To finish, simply drop the string and the yo-yo will pop back in your hand.

Watch a Tutorial

9

Skin the Cat

Start with a Sleeper. Take your free hand and run it from your throw hand up the string. About six inches from the yo-yo give a little swing and the yo will flip back towards you, into a loop and pop back to your hand like a Forward Pass. Be careful to keep your throw hand out far enough from your body so that the yo-yo doesn’t hit you on it’s loop.

10

Trapeze

This trick is the gateway to advanced yo-yoing, Throw a Breakaway. When it is at waist level, put your finger in the way of the string, a few inches from the yo-yo. The yo-yo should flip over and land on the string. To finish, bring your hands together, then pull them apart quickly. The yo-yo will fly out to the end of the string and pop back into your waiting hand, impressive!

Watch a Tutorial

Tie-Breaker

Loops

This is the hardest of the basic tricks and is the tie-breaker, Start with a Foward Pass. Instead of catching the yo-yo when it turns, swing your wrist around sending the yo back out for another trip. Practice so that you can do 20, 50, or more in a row. Each loop loosens the string a half turn, so make sure your string is tight when you practice. To count in a contest, the loops must be on the inside of your arm.

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