Only the finest that a swallow can carry.

Anyone have a back up plan for when the rabbit with the big pointy teeth comes after the Unicorns?

unicorns?!? I never said anything about unicorns. You conspiracy minded folk need to go out and throw more and post less. Everybody knows that the real yoyo scene isn't on forums, it's in the Marshall Islands.

There has been a lot of discussion in this topic since I last posted. Since I've stepped away for a few days I've had time to bring out what I really disliked about the announcement before. It was the fact that through the entire event, Ben (through yyf's twitter) was saying how bad this was at worlds, and how bad that was, how poorly done this was etc. then BAM we are backing a Different worlds

I just thought that seemed backhanded. Here is the link to those tweets if anyone cares to sift through them. https://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23wyyc


By the way, as someone with a history degree I can say that tweets are going to make AMAZING primary sources in a couple hundred years.

To quote my favorite Mythbuster, Adam Savage "Well, there's your problem!"

I can say that while Ben wasn't being totally serious in his tweets, he does have some serious animosity towards Greg and the WYYC. I can't say I really understand it but I know it's there.. nothing I've ever been told by either side would really justify how upset he has been lately, aside from the fact that he just seems to like drama.

YYF hasn't sponsored the WYYC in a couple years now, not exactly a loss for them to back something else aside from them taking away some good competitors if they are in fact on the same day.

Kyle

african unicorns have longer horns?

Somebody been sniffing a little too much lathe coolant lately?

db

I've given away plenty of medals and trophies from Worlds. Pretty sure a few others have as well. As for someone selling a Triple Crown trophy, got a link to back that up?

He may have been confused with the SDCC exclusives that ROTOFUGI released. Those were unpainted. I don't know how I feel about the SDCC release, it is like Jostens selling the ring sample for their Super Bowl ring. In my opinion it cheapens the trophy. In my opinion the only people that should have them are the ones that have put up the skills to claim it.

Here are the links to "back that up":
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRIPLE-CROWN-OF ... 593wt_1182

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Triple-Crown-tr ... 500wt_1182

I have just now read the entire thread and while I am still unsure on what I think or feel I do believe this debate has been a healthy one for the community. Lets hope those involved take a look and see what people have to say and maybe a workable compromise can be made.

Especially if it includes unicorns!

db

Ah. Apparently TM Certified didn't understand that these are merchandise, and that the trophies for the event are simply very limited edition versions in a unique colorway.

Rotofugi has release one unpainted color, and we've released one painted colorway. There will be more releases through 2014. I can appreciate that you don't understand the nature of vinyl toys and aren't familiar with the culture, but rest assured that the commercial releases actually ADD value to the trophy versions rather than decrease it.

Anyway, that's enough thread jacking. Just wanted to address the comment about Triple Crown trophies being sold on eBay. Seemed a bit dismissive so I felt the need to correct.

That is a very condescending attitude to take Steve. Who said I did not understand the nature of vinyl toys? I understand the collectable nature of them just fine and how they parallel the collectability of the yo-yo world. Limited edition colorways always garner a high price tag and seem to be more sought after. Yippee.

You do not seem to understand that trophies should be earned, not bought. You Triple Crown trophies are cheapened the second they become "merchandise". Now anyone can go out and by one.

"Hey I have one of those, how did you get it? Oh, you worked hard practicing your skills and working your balls off... I just paid a couple hundred for mine and walked out the door with it."

Please educate us on how the trophy stands up against other trophies/medals in the yo-yo world where 99% of the trophies and medal in the wild are there because some one earned them, not because they happened to attend a comic book convention.

Wow! Chris finding an opportunity to attack Steve, Ben or YYF...Worlds may be changing but I guess some things never change.

The vinyl toys sold are just that, toys. The trophies are limited editions and come mounted making them more than just toys. Personally I reckon they're a lot more interesting than the usual trophies handed out at competitions and give Steve (or whoever came up with and implemented the idea) props for doing something innovative and different. But ultimately who gives a crap about my opinion, it's all about what the actual winners think about their trophies.

You caught me, I don't like Ben or YYF. Shocker, I know. I don't like the fact that he bullies others in the industry and hides behind his company to do it. I don't like the fact that he pissed all over the 2012 Worlds contest using the YYF Twitter feed to do it. As for attacking Steve, if you had actually read my first comment to him I kept it quite civil, I explained my opinion on the selling of samples for trophies which I stand behind and do not hold it to just the yo-yo world, hence my Jostens comment. I do think it cheapens the experience. His condescending tone about how people must not understand the vinyl market was complete rubbish. I mainly stick to this board to get away from his crap.

Back on topic, Worlds shouldn't be changing. That is what a lot of the people here are saying. Add a second contest, make it the end all be all contest that all players want to win. Worlds as it stands has quite a bit of history and tradition around it. Leave it be. When Chris Allen brought back Cal. States he didn't try to make it the new PNWR contest, he built up the best contest he could and added more to the community as well as making the hobby more visible. He has done a great job and I commend him for it. We need more of this type of thinking and less trying to force a move, that to put it bluntly, is just plain silly to do.

I understand worlds has a lot of tradition and history behind it but can you really call it worlds if its in the same place forever? I don't see that as fair to many of the other countries where it cost $3,000 just to go to worlds, so I understand reasoning for it wanting to be moved. What I'm hearing a lot more in the discussions is another contest in Prague happening but at a different date and with a different name. This is understandable and reasonable and benefits the community a whole lot more than 2 contests on the same day it just creates a divide and what good does that do anyone if the point of both contests is representation from the entire world? cant be two places at once -.- Do i think its fair for worlds to stay in the same spot forever? no. Do i think being impatient and slapping another contest same day with the same name is the right way to provoke change? who would? If people want THE world yoyo contest to change it will take time, until then, have your Prague contest but have the decency to put it on a different date with a different name.

Well said friend.

Here is an angle that has not been discussed, has anyone approached Greg about changing the name of the Orlando contest to something else? Maybe all it The Lucky Meisenheimer Yo-Yo Invitational. Makes sense considering one of the big attractions is the BBQ and Lake Swim. They even have busses scheduled just for that part of the event. May be a good compromise all around.

As for the medals not being sold or given away at Worlds, that is what Greg told me. The only medal that has been given away was the one that is in the National Yoyo Museum that was donated after the contestant died in a car accident. I'm sure he was not aware that you gave your medals away, Steve. I'll inform Greg about that next time so that the facts are straight on that.

As for the Triple Crown, I did a quick search and did not find it on Ebay. Not sure how to look up history. It was a second place trophy and not sure which division right off. I just remember seeing a post about it and looked at the picture briefly. The debate that was happening had something to do with First place getting several hundred dollars and second place just getting a trophy and how messed up that was or something like that. I wasn't paying close attention to the whole thing just remembered it as I was talking about what Greg told me about his medals and the payout from worlds verses no pay out from Prague.

I really hope Greg does a press release when he returns back to work next week. I know Greg has said before that he is all for moving the contest. However, it isn't something that can be done in 12 months. There are so many other things involved besides just running a contest. I know Greg has Worlds in Orlando booked through 2014. I bet if Prague cancelled their Worlds plans and really wanted to work towards moving things around and would give Greg the help and support that he would need, then Worlds could start moving in 2015. Again, I can only speak for what I have heard Greg say.

Just my two cents... Has anyone looked into where the most economical and cost effective place would be according to :
A. Players locations (how many people are coming from where)
and
B. Where to host (which location in the world has the best bang for your buck to include the accommodating flights to that location)

I am surprised this hasn't been discussed in this thread at all...
(please post link if I missed it)