Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[ta0]

Actually, Mike, two co-existing tournaments is exactly what it seems is going to happen.  I don't think the other contest will be called World Yo-yo (Spin Top) Contest. More likely it will be something like World Yo-yo (Spin Top) Championship.  And there are many other variations for naming the events.  What I don't think there are real alternatives is to the title of "World Yo-yo (Spin Top) Champion" (except variations like "Spinning Top" or just "Top").  But of course, the title can be qualified with the name of the association that certifies it: Acme World Yo-Yo Champion  , etc.

The fight is for the right to claim preeminence, considering a limited community of competitive players and paying sponsors.  A unified title would be the ideal, but at least for the next two years there will be two competing tournaments (another naming option). If the market can bear both, they will continue like that.  If not, one will collapse.  For 2 or 3 years Yoyonation organized an international contest in New York a couple of weeks after worlds (Yoyonation is a competitor or Infinite Illusions).  But in the end it did not last.  Although it was a continuation to Orlando more than a strict alternative, in a way Greg's contest won.

One intriguing possibility in the top spinning community would be to have a meta-contest, scoring the videos of all the freestyles together. This could get interesting if Gus competes in Orlando and Gerardo in Prague (not impossible).

[Neff]

Many great thoughts and discussion in this thread.

One intriguing possibility in the top spinning community would be to have a meta-contest, scoring the videos of all the freestyles together.

I love the idea of determining each year's World Champion through a means that does not require extensive travel for all involved.  Things would be so much simpler if there were no physical World Contest, only a virtual one, and all contests would have regional titles (like "US Open" instead of "Worlds").  All we would need then is the framework for the virtual contest. 

ALSO, perhaps these regional events could then have more of a focus on newer players.  More like a juggling festival, less like a yo-yo contest.

[Kirk]

OK, I'm new and don't even have a patch of any sort.  I still wonder about the "world" contest. The Orlando contest had 7 in free style, 5 in ladder and 4 in mods.  I am trying to imagine any other sport that has 12 competitors and 2 world contests.  Clearly tops ride the coat tails of yo-yos.  I'm having lots of fun with tops and hope the best for the hobby.  As you can see, I don't really have a point to make. Still, I wonder if the lack of participation is like the big pink elephant in the room and no one is saying, "Hey there is a big pink elephant in the room."
Spin On
Kirk 

[ta0]

Yes, the lack of players that can and will travel to compete is somewhat of an embarrassment.  Spintop players worldwide, if you count 11 years old kids and include wooden tops, I bet there  are more than yo-yo players.  Professional players also, there are likely more toppers than yo-yoers, if you take into account that Cometa alone has about 70 demonstrators in its payroll (as I was told by the owner). 

Logically, it would not make sense to have more than one world contest, but that is what seems to going to happen, both because of politics and because very few (if any) of the players interested in the title have the option of playing in either continent.

I guess we are somewhat operating under the premise, "if we build it they will come".  Now, to put things in perspective, the yo-yo world contest started as half-a-dozen people doing their thing on the corner of a juggling festival.

[Larry D.]

Things would be so much simpler if there were no physical World Contest, only a virtual one, and all contests would have regional titles (like "US Open" instead of "Worlds").  All we would need then is the framework for the virtual contest. 

(Just  sharing some thoughts - Please indulge me a bit.)

My immediate impression on reading the suggestion was...

Submitted videos would be a rather sterile format lacking necessary elements to  help the sport expand. 
A  Virtual Framework would leave a lot to be desired.
  1. No gathering  of people with a common interest, love and excitement.
  2. No pressure of performing in front of a live audience.
  3. No face to face interaction among participants.
  4. No audience interaction.

After giving this more thought,  and after reading the words more slowly - I'm thinking...
There might be something workable in that suggestion.

Physical Regionals:
Regional's would be Physical - giving people with a common interest, love and excitement a chance to be together locally
to exchange ideas, techniques etc.  The competitors are on stage locally maintaining the standard of performing under pressure
in front of a live audience.

All entrants in the Regional contest are recorded in real-time.
The  recording of the winning performance at a Regional is sent to a Central governing body.

The Central governing body collects the videos from all Regions participating.

The Central governing body is responsible for assembling a group of Globally acceptable "Judges".

The Virtual Worlds:
The Judges review each qualified Regional video to determine the "World Champion".

Thoughts people?   
What's your Spin on it?

We should bounce the possibility around a bit in the Forum to see if we could come up with workable Framework.

[Dick Stohr]

Great thoughts , Larry.

Some things to be sure are thought out and discussed:
"Regions" National or smaller?  All US players do not make it to Chico.
Three minute freestyles or three one minute throws or something else?
I like that the videos are from a contest with an audience.
Just the winner? Or depending on the number of regions; 1st, 2nd, 3rd?

Now I need to read more slowly to see what else comes to mind.

[ta0]

I think that was exactly what Neff was proposing: real regional contests and a virtual unified title.

I would say that at this stage we would have to work with any contest out there that meets certain requirements, no matter if it is billed as regional, national or global.  Possible contests this year would be Worlds (Orlando), US Nats, Czech Nats, Southern Morovia Regionals, and the European Contest.  But some of those had three throws instead of three minutes freestyle,  so I am not sure if they can be combined somehow.

[Larry D.]

I think that was exactly what Neff was proposing

Right ta0. 
You are quite the clairvoyant.

[jim in paris]

ok good inputs !!
now lets write down a format that any regional contest could adopt/use

i don't care too much for the ultimate virtual title
anything digitalized loses momentum : the "it" in JK's on the road
(thanx Larry for reminding us that in your introduction..)

let's help regional contest by sending them material, that's the first duty to a future spintop association
we still have
ex-ineptt still has $2283.69 in its coffers. Of this remaining money, Larry has $1,322.03 and I have $961.66.

we can afford it

almost time for new raffle !!! 

jim

[ta0]

Who wants to organize a new contest next year? It seems to me that the US Midwest is prime location for one . . .  We can help . . .

[Neff]

More thoughts.
The virtual world title we are hypothesizing would not replace the spintop world champion produced at "yo-yo worlds", whatever that evolves into.  It should have a name that aids that separation... I like Mark Hayward's title for the "Ultimate Battletop Championship of the Universe"  maybe too over the top, I don't know.

The qualifying requirements could be as simple or complex as they need to be.
Qualification videos should be filmed at a "recognized" contest.  Some definition needed there.
Limited editing on the submitted videos, probably should be from a single camera and no cuts during the performance.
Determine the format; 3 minute freestyles or best throw of three with a two minute limit...
more to say but a short lunch.

Some friends and I are working on combining the Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska YoYo contests for next year just FYI

[agentsac]

The more I read the better I feel about the way that the spintop community is going, and at the same time I am saddened that I can't contribute as much as I want. I am still waiting for the day that I will suddenly have the time to more actively pursue my spintop interests. I will keep my opinions about the future of spintop and yo-yo contests to myself, but I will say that I have already seen some great ideas in this thread.

[Larry D.]

I have been sitting here wondering about the "Worlds" situation for a while now.
Unfortunately I don't speak or read other languages, Google and Bing translate is what I turn to.

But anyway, I'm wondering just how many Spin Top Forums exist Globally?
I know that 2 Forums exist outside of this one, both in Spain;  Pulp's Forum and Javier's Forum.

ta0, Mike I am thinking that you both are members of those sites, yes?
What is the general feel of "The Future of the World's" in those Forums?
Is there any discussion of this topic on those sites?
Are there any thoughts expressed out there which review concerns and offer some thoughts for future direction?

[johnm]

IBut anyway, I'm wondering just how many Spin Top Forums exist Globally?
I know that 2 Forums exist outside of this one, both in Spain;  Pulp's Forum and Javier's Forum.

If posts for feedback will be made on other forums the Italian forum should be added to the list:

Italian spintop forum link = http://www.asyoyo.it/forum/71-spintop-related/

Pulp's Spanish forum link = http://www.pulpowsky.com/foro/

Javier's (Trompos Space) Spanish forum link = http://www.saturnotruco.com/foro/

Yoyo Expert's English (USA) forum link = http://yoyoexpert.com/forums/index.php?board=18.0

[Larry D.]

Thanks John.

I haven't seen any chatter about "The Worlds" in the Spin Top section of the YoYoeXpert site. 
(I've been a member there since it first started.)

I haven't checked the Spin Top section of the Italian yoyo forum.

Just thinking that it might be a good topic for the Spin Top section Moderators on those sites to introduce.