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[Kirk]

I have not seen any opinions on the Spintastics Blizzard.  I know that some frown on the rubber O-ring outside. I have found that a bit of care with some colored electrical tape fixes the string grabbing of the O-ring.
Otherwise how is the top?

Thanks
Kirk

[poptop]

Great top; sturdy, balanced and good feel in hand.  Fast player.

I prefer the rubber O-ring removed and the seam taped.  If you keep the rubber, definitely tape it--the speed at which these tops spin is enough to deform the rubber.

Neffy did some cool stuff with solder instead of rubber for a hot-rod weight ring. 

I like to mod the tips to diabolo/hourglass shape. 

[Neff]

Neffy did some cool stuff with solder instead of rubber for a hot-rod weight ring. 

poptop has a memory made out of vibranium 



The single bearing setup in the stock Blizzards does not perform very well.  I got my hands on some longer shafts that Spintastics used to make and robbed a bearing out of an old SuperYo yo yo and got it to spin really good.  Have three like this.  Willing to part with the one in the photo...

Here is a more recent mod, on the left.  No solder and for this one I just converted it to fixed tip.

[Gustin Joss]

I think the new Blizzards are set up with two bearings. They are good, fast fun. It is possible to throw them so hard the o-ring pops off.

[poptop]

Vibranium indeed! 

Hmmm, I daresay this just may be the answer to Boots' tip woes???

[cecil]

I put the Spintastics C tip in the Blizzard. It slows the top down.

[Jack]

a blizzard i think was the 3rd top i ever got. i did and still do think the profile is a bit to slim and tall for me i prefer a fatter heavier top. as for the rubber o-ring i never noticed it ever catching my string but i still dont like the aesthetics of it. in conclusion though id like to vouch for the sturdy construction of mine because i threw a 15 or so foot trapeze and missed the catch @_@.........at which point it smashed with a notable amount of fury into my stone patio............i thought all was lost but it turned out the only thing wrong with it was one of the lugs holding the cap on was sheered off @_@..........still very playable to this day, so i have to compliment mr. dale oliver on a very durable spintop design. and that is all i have to say aboot that @_@

[Neff]

a blizzard i think was the 3rd top i ever got. i did and still do think the profile is a bit to slim and tall for me i prefer a fatter heavier top. as for the rubber o-ring i never noticed it ever catching my string but i still dont like the aesthetics of it. in conclusion though id like to vouch for the sturdy construction of mine because i threw a 15 or so foot trapeze and missed the catch @_@.........at which point it smashed with a notable amount of fury into my stone patio............i thought all was lost but it turned out the only thing wrong with it was one of the lugs holding the cap on was sheered off @_@..........still very playable to this day, so i have to compliment mr. dale oliver on a very durable spintop design. and that is all i have to say aboot that @_@

I enjoyed this anecdote immensly

[ta0]

Spintastics has gone through several versions of the Blizzard (which replaced their first bearing top, the Tornado).  They have different strengths and also different problems. I have always liked Spintastics fixed-tip tops but I was never too much of a fan of the bearings. I used YYJ bearing tops for a long time, until the lack of production force me to change to the Trompo Grande Bearing, which is not bad (I did use it on freestyles) but neither great (still preferred it to BKs). Of course, once the YYF and specially the Strummol8 tops appeared, I only used those for bearing. However, yesterday I go this message from Dale:

Just thought I'd let you know that I've finally put an inside bearing well in the Blizzard. Now it's a lot more stable.

Those are good news. I guess I'll try one in Prague. Dale tells me that the Blizzards on the site are already the new version.

[Jack]

Spintastics has gone through several versions of the Blizzard (which replaced their first bearing top, the Tornado).  They have different strengths and also different problems. I have always liked Spintastics fixed-tip tops but I was never too much of a fan of the bearings. I used YYJ bearing tops for a long time, until the lack of production force me to change to the Trompo Grande Bearing, which is not bad (I did use it on freestyles) but neither great (still preferred it to BKs). Of course, once the YYF and specially the Strummol8 tops appeared, I only used those for bearing. However, yesterday I go this message from Dale:

Just thought I'd let you know that I've finally put an inside bearing well in the Blizzard. Now it's a lot more stable.

Those are good news. I guess I'll try one in Prague. Dale tells me that the Blizzards on the site are already the new version.

what does an "inside bearing well" refer to?

[Kirk]

what does an "inside bearing well" refer to?

The old ones had one bearing
The new ones have 2 (upper and lower)/(inside and outside) or left/right if you throw like me

[Jack]

what does an "inside bearing well" refer to?

The old ones had one bearing
The new ones have 2 (upper and lower)/(inside and outside) or left/right if you throw like me

thx kirk

[Dale]

In answer to "inside bearing well?"
The place the bearing fits into, I call the well. The original top mold did not have a well for the inside bearing and that allowed quite a bit of play, side to side. The Blizzard now has this inside bearing well just as the Trompo Bearing top has.

[Jack]

In answer to "inside bearing well?"
The place the bearing fits into, I call the well. The original top mold did not have a well for the inside bearing and that allowed quite a bit of play, side to side. The Blizzard now has this inside bearing well just as the Trompo Bearing top has.

  thank you sir, i didnt expect such a first hand explanation thank you 

[butterfingers]

I just received a package from Dale Oliver which included a Blizzard spin top. I am finding the 'rock the baby' trick to be challenging with the QSH top due to the size. I figured the smaller blizzard would help me get better with the trick. Anyway, the first time I threw the top it landed on the cement floor and took off across the basement like an SSP racer. I just turned 52 in April and the toys I played with as a kid are now antiques. Here are some pics of the SSP racer that I still have - one of just a few of the toys that I still have.










delete hotmail account completely


The rubber ring on the blizzard grabbed the floor and rolled way just like the SSP racer used to run on that one center wheel.

I will be taping over the rubber weight ring tonight so I don't have to chase the top around the house.