iTopSpin
Current Posts => Latest Spin => Topic started by: the Earl of Whirl on February 03, 2012, 01:47:18 PM
-
The Indy city is sure getting a lot of press this weekend with the Super Bowl there and everything. There is a nice list of great places in the city on 6D of the USA Today newspaper. Places listed include the central canal, the memorials, the motor speedway, the museums, the hinkle fieldhouse and more. Sadly, they missed the Tip Top Tavern and several other famous top spinning locations. The city sold it's soul for a one year national football event but missed out on being an international top spinning city! I wonder if there might be more money in football?
-
For the benefit of those outside the USA, Mike is not talking about football but something called American football, a game popular in this country but not related football. In fact, it is played mostly with the hands and with a non-spherical ball. Most scoring is done by passing the ball outside the goal posts or over the goal bar. On the final they win a big bowl instead of a cup, thus the name. Many people watch the super bowl for the commercials.
:P :P :P :P :P
It does have a slight connection with tops: the ball should spin for a good stable flight. But I think I will be moving this thread to non-spintop related . . .
-
I thought people might want to know why I said Indianapolis may have almost been the top spinning capital of the world. The great Mark Hayward used to live there and added a lot to the top spinning scene. Matt Byam was a competitor at worlds and his son won his age group in the sports ladder. Thankfully, Takeshi is still there.....but he is one busy guy and does much more than whirl tops. They had some high powered club meetings there for a while and several very nice Indiana States competitions. I thought their future in the top world was so bright that I checked into possible Lutheran churches that might need a pastor.
Sadly, as I mentioned, Mark moved. The Byams do not throw tops, that I know of. Takeshi is amazing but can only do so much by himself. Thankfully, the Tip Top Tavern lives on. And their children's museum is amazing, along with their terrific store. Someday they will discover the power of the trompo and have some big whirling exhibits and events. But until then...
-
Oh, and the american football spins quite nicely as a top. Several football players have figured that out and have spun the pigskin trompo style after scoring a touchdown! Maybe someone will do that in the super bowl this weekend?
-
I also remember Matt Ritter making a good case for Tallahassee, Florida being the center of the top spinning universe for a while. Not only was Matt from there but his roommate was Lao Alovus, the inventor of the corkscrew. Lao also had a pretty good top spinning brother. And then there was Steve Brown who lived in Tallahassee before he moved to Cleveland. There were several others he would also name when talking about that special time when tops were tops in T-town. I think that was about 12-14 years ago.
-
Maybe one day the case will be made that San Antonio is the top spinning capital of the world? Of course we know about Mr. Ta0. Who posts more than him? Who thinks about tops more than him? If he even thinks about spinning tops a little more than his posts (he can't post every time he thinks about the trompo, or can he?) that's a lot of whirled thinking. I try to post once or twice a day and still I am over a thousand posts behind him.
Now with the recent introduction of SirBoot32 and his amazing progress, I can see some big things coming from that city. Mr. S and Mr. T could be a formidable one-two combination.
And then there is Rusty Steubing, who was confirmed to be a US champion top spinner by Duncan.....all at the age of 11.......way back in the early 60's. His presence in San Antonio brings a unique historical perspective to our sport.
Who knows what other potential top stars are lurking in the streets of the big Alamo city? Surely one or two greats will surface and find the T & S combo and suck their brains dry, leading them to great success on the world stage.
Of course, San Antonio is already a center of the internet world of top spinning thanks to itopspin.com. I wonder what the future holds for this forum and ta0.com as they both continue to pick up more and more steam every day.
Does this still smell like a thread that should be in the non-spintop related section?
-
Does this still smell like a thread that should be in the non-spintop related section?
Good question ... ;) ;)
-
You win, Mike, you have made it a spintop thread ;)
SirBoot32 is graduating this year so he will probably not stay in San Antonio.
Although a have talked two or three times with Rusty on the phone, it is difficult to meet him in person.
There is a vintage (American) football spinning top (made of wood) that you start on the side and will stand up due to the spin.
-
Ha.....I always thought it was a top spinning thread. You are the one who wanted to talk about football!
Sorry to hear SirBoot32 may be moving. Also sorry to hear it has not worked to meet much with Rusty Steubing.
Where does Pulp live? Seems like his city with his friends and his website could make a nice case for being the top capital of the world. Is he in Barcelona?
-
Pulpowsky lives in Madrid, I was born in Barcelona but I live long in Valladolid, where for over a year or so I started playing spin.
-
Are there many other top spinners in Madrid?
-
In honor of the super bowl, here is the "football top" I was talking about:
(http://www.ta0.com/museum/images/other_tops/football-top.jpg)
-
Legend has it that the Super Bowl got its name from the toy ball, the Super Ball.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/01/how-the-super-bowl-got-its-name-the-real-story/70287/ (http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/01/how-the-super-bowl-got-its-name-the-real-story/70287/)
Also, Ta0, American football is Football (capital F), the game that you try to refer to as football (futbol) is actually soccer ;D. Football is called Football because it is derived from the game rugby football. In order to score a try in rugby, you have to touch down the ball. Thus, Touchdown (even though physically touching the ball to the ground is not a pre-req for scoring in Football)! There are many other similarities. Namely, in Football and rugby football, physical contact can occur without the players subsequently writhing around on the pitch as though they have been gutted (even if the replay shows that there was no actual contact). Contrarily, this lack of class is abundant in such sporting circles as La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A. Ronaldo is such a good actor, I have thought, on more than one occasion, that a sniper, perhaps perched in the stadium lights, got him.
As for tops, thanks for mentioning my name next to Ta0's; as I have said before, I am very lucky to have one of the greatest top players and teachers there is living in the same town. If I have progressed rapidly, it is because of him. I will always be from San Antonio and representing San Antonio when it comes to tops.
-
Interesting. I like the idea of the super ball, it is my kind of toy.
I read somewhere that the reason these games are named football is that they are played on foot, as opposed to polo. Of course, not many games are played on horses nowadays . . . or should we call our game foottop?
-
Interesting. I like the idea of the super ball, it is my kind of toy.
I read somewhere that the reason these games are named football is that they are played on foot, as opposed to polo. Of course, not many games are played on horses nowadays . . . or should we call our game foottop?
Before tops, I was obsessed with all things bouncy...Pinky ball, Spaldeen, Super Ball...I hope to one day own an original Super Ball made of the amazing zectron. The current material, though they claim it to be, most certainly is NOT zectron.
-
SirBoot32 said:
I hope to one day own an original Super Ball made of the amazing zectron.
Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Whamo-Incredible-Superball-Amazing-Zectron/dp/B001VE6N50 (http://www.amazon.com/Whamo-Incredible-Superball-Amazing-Zectron/dp/B001VE6N50)
They only have one, but it's only $4.20 !!!
-
Thanks, Eric, but that is fake, Chinese Zectron. They altered the formula.
http://reviews.ebay.com/WHAM-O-SUPERBALL-FACTS?ugid=10000000004212842 (http://reviews.ebay.com/WHAM-O-SUPERBALL-FACTS?ugid=10000000004212842)
http://superballs.com/ (http://superballs.com/)
The real deal:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wham-o-Super-Ball-1965-Original-Packaging-Still-Sealed-/320841938785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab3ab7761#ht_500wt_1210 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wham-o-Super-Ball-1965-Original-Packaging-Still-Sealed-/320841938785?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab3ab7761#ht_500wt_1210)
-
I would indeed like to have one of these super balls to throw during the super bowl. They sound like fun!!!
-
Looks like this thread died 7 1/2 years ago, still, I enjoy thinking about this subject especially since I am returning from a two day jaunt with my wife to Indianapolis. We were visiting friends that live along the White River and we took a couple of nice boats rides through the center of the city. Indy used to be quite a center of spinning activity but Mark Hayward and Takeshi have moved, the Byam's are no longer throwing tops and even the Tip Top Tavern is gone. I have a lot of good memories, though!!!