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Author Topic: Introduction & Competition Time  (Read 2766 times)

Jack JWS

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Introduction & Competition Time
« on: September 22, 2017, 10:21:41 AM »

Hello everyone,
An introduction - my name is Jack and I work for a toy company in the UK called JWS. You can see more of what we do over on www.jwseurope.com. At the moment we're formulating a plan to help grow the popularity of top play in the UK in 2018 and I would love all of your feedback, if you have any, of the best way to make this happen. At the moment we're working on a learning DVD and helping retailers to grow communities around their shops - make them somewhere where you can always go and play or learn a new trick.

I'm also looking for any good UK Top Players - if you all know of any, please let me know!

I've e-mailed Jorge and he's given me permission to run a little forum competition on here - details to come soon. But I've got a bunch of great top (and other skill toy prizes) to give away. I was thinking we could have a best trick/freestyle routine/trick ladder showdown on either instagram or youtube.

In the meantime, I'd highly encourage you to upload any trick videos you've already made to juggling.tv - this website our online depository for all things circus, skill and acrobatic. There's currently a competition running to celebrate it's 10 years of running and three people will win £500 worth of vouchers over on www.oddballs.co.uk

I very much look forward to getting to know you all and have a great weekend.

Cheers

Jack





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ta0

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2017, 03:38:10 PM »

Welcome to the forum Jack!
That sounds very exciting!
I have always been puzzled by the lack of a UK spintop scene. We need to change that!
There is in part the chicken and the egg thing: it's much easier to learn if you have a good player that shows you in person.

I'll select a couple of my videos to upload to juggling.tv. And I look forward to the forum contests.

When you say that you want to grow the popularity in the UK, do you mean between jugglers/skill toy players or in the general population (e.g., young children)?
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Jatt

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2017, 08:02:31 PM »

Welcome to the forum im a newbie aswell and on fire for spinning tops. Excitied to see your what happens with this competition.
Jack
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2017, 11:25:46 PM »

Hello Jack JWS!  Congratulations.  I believe you are the first UK top spinner I have ever known.  I was in London about ten years ago and looked everywhere for some tops and some top spinners.  I was stunned at how hard it was to find either. 

Sure do love your ideas.  Good luck with all of that.
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jim in paris

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2017, 01:24:51 AM »

hello Jack and welcome

so you're in Sussex , that's not too far!
in france we now have a group of around 10 solid players , thanks to the festival des toupies that we organise each year
next dates are jan 31st feb 4th (see the post "marines festival 2018")
we are in contact with Javier at trompo space , he has helped us a lot by providing prizes and goodies for the festivals
if you have an event/a promo/a meet-up scheduled before christmas one of us could come and visit, and do demos etc..
nice warehouse: you have plenty of space to play eh ?!

keep us informed of your activities

cheerio:-}

jim
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Kirk

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2017, 12:35:54 PM »

Welcome Jack,
Since W. Shakespeare wrote of tops it is clear that there once was UK top scene. (whip tops)  However, I doubt that there are many around that remember.  :)

The problem with tops is it is very tough to get your first success.  The wonder of tops is that that success is so very satisfying.

As ta0 mentioned, having a person instruct you live is amazingly better than a video. Especially since most videos are not clear on the subtleties and can not watch you and help correct mistakes.  Mexican companies have done well with touring demonstrators.  I have been convinced that a good top demo video running in a store would sell tops, but I have no evidence to support that claim.

Best wishes to you and JWS as you work to bring this amazing toy to the UK.
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Jeremy McCreary

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #6 on: September 23, 2017, 01:34:05 PM »

The problem with tops is it is very tough to get your first success.  The wonder of tops is that that success is so very satisfying.

As ta0 mentioned, having a person instruct you live is amazingly better than a video. Especially since most videos are not clear on the subtleties and can not watch you and help correct mistakes.  Mexican companies have done well with touring demonstrators.  I have been convinced that a good top demo video running in a store would sell tops, but I have no evidence to support that claim.

I'd still be nowhere with throwing tops without the help of a skilled instructor -- in my lucky case, none other than ta0 himself! Still solidifying gains from the masterful lesson I got during his visit in August, 2017, but now I understand the key subtleties Kirk stressed and how to work on them. And just as importantly, I now know that some basic but satisfying tricks really are within my reach.

Before the lesson, motivation to keep up the struggle on my own was fading fast -- mostly because I was losing faith that I'd ever get the hang of it. (Plausible enough, given that I've never been particularly good with skill toys in general.)

The lesson went directly to motivation. It showed me (i) that even I have enough coordination to get to first base with a throwing top, and (ii) that the fun to be had even at that level is well worth the effort.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2017, 01:38:11 PM by Jeremy McCreary »
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Kirk

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #7 on: September 23, 2017, 02:29:30 PM »

The lesson went directly to motivation. It showed me (i) that even I have enough coordination to get to first base with a throwing top, and (ii) that the fun to be had even at that level is well worth the effort.
Great point.  I stress to the kids I teach, that a skyrocket that you just catch and does not spin in the hand, still makes you cooler than 90% of the population.
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studio42

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2017, 05:40:08 PM »

I'm all in favor of anything that gets more exposure to skill toys. I think the problem is people don't see this stuff so much so they don't even know what they are missing. Those that do play probably are what I call "closeted", where they are likely playing at home and "hidden away". For me, I'm constantly throwing tops, boomerangs, yoyos, diabolo and other stuff in public. I'm succeeding, failing, learning, whatever. It doesn't matter. Am I having fun? Yes. Do I care what other people think? If it's negative, then no. If it's positive, then yes.

I've put spinning tops into the hands of dozens of kids in front of their parents with parental permission while throwing tops at the park while my kids are doing their swim team practices.

So, if the goal here is to promote tops in the UK, then hey, this is a good thing. I don't think it's important that it be a contest but if that's the strategy behind your campaign, then don't change it. Maybe bringing out some competitive spirit will be a good thing. I hope it brings out people who are throwing tops and other stuff and promoters a whole community thing.
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Jack

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2017, 11:47:54 PM »

welcome home sir @-@

we the jacks of spintopping are becoming many @-@
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Mermouy

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Re: Introduction & Competition Time
« Reply #10 on: September 26, 2017, 08:43:27 AM »

Hi Jack, and welcome in the spinners world!

I’m not used to put myself on the first line, but one idea could be to come as demonstrators/instructors for an event you organize (if any), I can now say that I have a respectable top skills level and I know most of the classical juggling stuff (5 balls, 5 bouncing balls, clubs, 2 diabolos, 2 almost 3 boomerangs, tall unicycle and now spin tops).
So if one day you need this kind of skills we can organize something...

As Jim in Paris said, sussex is not so far, especially for me and some friends around as we live in North of France (Lille) (first 10 sec search on google give me  this )

Sorry for my Frenglish...
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