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[ta0]

I am by the pool of the Rosen, waiting for the rest to wake up so we can drive to the Kennedy Space center. There are a few yoyoers still at the Rosen (but not down this early), including some top people (Takeshi, Kyo), but I am not hanging out with them as it is now family time.  Yesterday at 11:30 PM we were coming back from dinner when the Duncan van was driving out.  Talking about Takeshi, he has a 3 week gig at Downtown Disney with Drew Tetz, starting next week. It is supposedly only about yo-yos, but I told him he should include a top somewhere! Perhaps he could do the Helitopter 

Clement was pretty down about being disqualified (as the French national champion he was seeded for the 1A finals), but he also took it philosophically: "it is a learning experience."  He is the last guy I would had expected this to happen to, but I guess something was lost in translation (I did not ask him, nor did I see the freestyle).

One new top thing was Darren's long distance killer shot. He used a ridiculous long string and he still had good aim. He also used it to spin the top for the corkscrew challenge (instead of starting from a boomerang) and Neff must have thought it was a good idea because he also used it. 

Dale, after years dissing spintop battle, is now convinced that it is the way of popularize tops. He was preaching a very simple to teach killer shot in which you throw the top down using the yo-yo type throw, just palm down, with the tip pointing to the left. The key is to use a longer string than usual. The preaching was successful as it seemed everybody was using it (including me).

Need to go.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Well, that is the fastest I ever got home.  It sure helps to have someone else drive while you are sleeping.  I am so fortunate to have such a great wife.  She even throws tops....just not often enough to fill my needs!

Some random thoughts......I enjoyed the Neff dance when it was announced that he won the whole kit and kaboodle.

Darren Kim.....what a guy.  So gracious in victory and so gracious in defeat.  I saw something in his eyes the next morning and I look forward to seeing what will be coming next from this great competitor.

I am intrigued that Clement and I will forever be connected because of our DQs.

Oh my Omar!  He was not only good in the freestyles but also the corkscrew challenge.  No, I take that back.  He was GREAT in the corkscrew challenge.  What did he get.....10?  11?.  He is definitely most improved because he only had three or four last year.

What a thrill to spend some time throwing tops with Yuumi Shiga, Taka's girlfriend.  The language barrier was a fun challenge and she was a good sport about my ineptness (please talk slower -where am I from, well I am 27).  The stunner was walking back in after loading the car at 2am and seeing her still practicing.  Could this finally be the Japanese connection we have longed for?

How fantastic to look through Eric's container of newly made tops.  His work is so precise and so prolific.

What a joy to hang out with the amazing resource known as Kyo.  He is phenomenal with the diabolo (and lathe) and answered so many questions for me.  I wish I were closer to Houston.

It was so neat to watch the eyes of my step-daughter and her friend on Saturday night during the electric 1A finals.  I think she understands a little bit more about how significant this event is.

I have so many other things rambling through my brain but it is getting to be the time to turn my attention in another direction......the whirled top festival!!!

[pplgrande]

Thanks everyone for all your kind words
Im really glad to hear everyone made it home
It was an awesome time hanging out with all you wonderful people, I cant wait until next year
Thanks to all for the great times and I look forward to doing it again

[pplgrande]

ta0, do you know when Takeshi will be in Downtown Disney, im going to try and make time to go see him perform

[Shootist]

My son and I have been to previous Worlds however, this year was by far the best. We met several people from the forum and they were all more than helpful with Spintop lessons and knowledge. This was also the first year that we have ever competed in Top Ladder. (Jorge, Mike H, Eric Wolff, Alex, Chris Neff) I want to thank all of you for the help and support that we received.
After Battle Tops, I have been tasked with constructing a Battle Top Arena for my sons and their friends. Needless to say we have to teach the friends how to throw a Spintop.

Can't wait to next year, I have alot of practicing to do before Worlds 2012.

Again Thanks For Everything 

Mike

[ta0]

Final on-site report waiting at the gate at the Orlando Airport.

ta0, do you know when Takeshi will be in Downtown Disney, im going to try and make time to go see him perform

It it is anything like what I saw Higby doing 2 years ago, he performed on the hour every hour, with just 15 minutes rest. Hard work but the public was very enthusiastic.  He starts in a week and it will last 3 weeks, so you cannot miss it.  I met him yesterday night and he said he liked the Helitopter idea.

I also saw Clement yesterday. He said: "I did not know the lyrics were bad . . . well, I knew there were a few words there, but I did not think I could be disqualified for them . . ."

How do you say spintop in Jamaica? Easy: gig!  As Dick said, "I do gigs with gigs"    There was a wedding and family gathering with people from Jamaica and a man started telling us how they split tops when he was a kid . . .

Boarding starts . . .

[Mark Magyar]

Well at least both of you weren't DQ'd for the same reason. Clement knew the rules. and the bearing mono-bolo could have been questionable because it wasn't really in the rule book. honest mistake. Mike used the mono-bolo more like a spin top anyway. What if the sticks haven't been used?
but Mike coming in first place in fixed-tip division and diabolo make up for it though...

I haven't heard that word gig in awhile. I use to live with a Jamaican family in Florida for awhile. Sorry to say I didn't see any other gig players besides just me the time I spent while I was there in Florida. If only I knew about Worlds while I was there in Florida.
I was in Florida mid-90's. When did the first SpinTop contest begin at Worlds?

[Dick Stohr]

I judged the world Spin Top Contest when Steve Brown answered his phone to lose to Jon Gates.  Was that in 2001 or 2002?

[EDIT by ta0] The first one was in 2000. The yoyo competition was at Disney but the top competition was at a hotel.

[Neff]

Great to meet you and your son Shootist!  And even better to have a face to put behind the screename.  Love your enthusiasm!

Mr. Hout used his monobolo with full knowledge it would disqualify him.  While I dont' know the exact reason, I do know the decisions Mike usually makes are based on fun 

[John Buechele]

Mr. Hout used his monobolo with full knowledge it would disqualify him.  While I dont' know the exact reason, I do know the decisions Mike usually makes are based on fun 

Haha I'm with Neff. Or maybe Mike drowsed off and when he woke up he thought it was time for the diabolo freestyles all over again. You have to keep an eye on those (cough, cough) older guys.

[ta0]

Oh, Mike wanted to be DQ!    He had told people at the church he was going to do it and he was laughing thinking about the mini-scandal of the "cheating pastor".  He wanted a score sheet with DQ by his name! He did ask me beforehand if the judges would be mad at him and I told him we would forgive him    But I did not tell the rest of the judges, so they actually scored the routine, for the parts they considered it was used as a spintop. The reason of the disqualification was the one-way bearing that monobolo has.

Shootist's oldest son, Austen, has a real talent for tops, and from learning how to do merry-go-round on Thursday, he was inventing new tricks by Saturday. I wouldn't be surprised if he is ready to freestyle in two years, maybe even next year!

The other board member I met in person for the first time was bucsfan (Jerry).  He is already doing some advanced tricks and having pplgrande to play with I would not be surprised if he is also ready to freestyle soon. He had to work during worlds but for next year he will make sure he has the days off.

Both will soon be in the Figaro Gallery of Top Players. By the way, Rafael (Red) told me yesterday that he will try to bring Titi Freak next year.

[the Earl of Whirl]

I am back from a whirlwind trip to Nashville, Tn. to see my middle son.  Thanks for asking about my DQ.  I wanted to wear a t-shirt with only two letters on it for freestyles....d and q.  I figured everyone would think I was referring to Dairy Queen until after the competition.  I am glad I wore a Miamisburg cross-country shirt.  They seem excited about the whole thing.  Dairy Queen would not have cared.

The pull back from a top throw seems to cause me lots of pinched nerve problems.  The lifting up of speeding up a diabolo/monobolo seems to counteract that.  The monobolo work seemed to allow me to keep top spinning through the year.  When I got the idea a short time ago to do monobolo in the bearing division I started laughing.  I kept laughing all through worlds so I went for it.  The one thing I did not anticipate was making the diabolo finals and having that right before our freestyles.  I thought that would ruin the surprise but it seemed to work out ok.  I still cannot believe how well things went with the monobolo all week long.  I could not have asked for a better festival with that crazy thing.