This goes way beyond doing a “walk the dog” or “around the world” trick on the yo-yo your aunt got you for your birthday.
The competitors who participated in the 21st Bay Area Classic Yo-Yo Championships at Oakland’s Jack London Square on Saturday are some of the best yo-yoers around. The tournament is a regional championship featuring competitors from California, Nevada and Arizona. It’s one of the largest and longest running yo-yo competitions in the country.
“It’s really prestigious,” said competitor Chris Godsey. “There’s the best players here out of all the contests in the country besides nationals.”
The more than 50 competitors, ranging in age from 10-25, performed two-minute choreographed freestyle routines set to thumping electronic music in five different divisions including two-handed yo-yoing, offstring and counterweight. The winners will move onto the National Yo-Yo Contest in Chicago next month.
“I love the contest feel,” said Johnnie DelValle, the contest organizer and one-time yo-yo world champion. “The people that come here, it’s just a Bay Area vibe. People just really click. They all get together and share tricks. … It’s a lot of camaraderie.”