FRESH: YoYoFactory Hubstack AFTERGLOW

Name: Hubstack AFTERGLOW

Bearing Size: Large (Size C)

Response: Narrow CBC pads

YoYoFactory has been on the forefront of modern yo-yo designs and technology. Back in 2007, they released the 888 that featured hubstack technology, allowing the Spinner to 'pull-start' the yo-yo using the bearing hubstacks that came with the yo-yo. This gave players the option of holding onto the yo-yo while it spins, opening new options of tricks and concepts. After the popular release of the Plastic Grind Machine, YoYoFactory has decided to release yet another full-plastic hubstack yo-yo. Thus, the Hubstack was born.

The actual Hubstack yo-yo was made to cater to new Spinners who required a responsive throw out-of-the-box that gave these new players the option of using hubstacks instead of throwing the yo-yo down to get it spinning. However, the Hubstack AFTERGLOW is specifically made to suit advanced players. The Hubstack AFTERGLOW comes unresponsive straight out of the package. This allows Spinners to throw all their favorite complex and intricate string combos on the Hubstack AFTERGLOW without holding anything back.

The Hubstack AFTERGLOW features sort of a Hybrid between a V-shaped butterfly and a H-shaped butterfly. This body shape provides the yo-yo with good stability, yet allowing it to move through the air quickly and purposefully. So you if you one of those Spinners who prefer to play at a fast speed, this yo-yo is definitely straight up your alley.

As the name suggests, the Hubstack AFTERGLOW glows in the dark. The white plastic body, in itself, glows in the dark and is really cool. However, that is not all. The Hubstack AFTERGLOW also comes with LED Circuits on both halves of the yo-yo (as pictured above), and this LED circuit lights up each time the yo-yo is thrown, giving the yo-yo a constant glow of lights.

Whether you choose to throw the yo-yo down, or 'pull-start' the Hubstack AFTERGLOW, the LED lights on the circuit will turn out, giving the yo-yo a bright, eye-catching color that just looks great. It may look great during the day, but when night falls, give your Hubstack AFTERGLOW a spin and watch it really come to life.

In the dark of the night, the AFTERGLOW shines so bright that it just cannot be missed. The Hubstack AFTERGLOW not only shines bright from the LED lights, but do not forget that the white body glows-in-the-dark as well! This is definitely one of the best light-up/glow-in-the-dark yo-yos that is available today.

The YoYoFactory Hubstack AFTERGLOW is truly FRESH. It is a delight to play with, and a yo-yo that definitely belongs in any Spinners collection. Give it a go in the dark, and you'll see that it is awesome and amazing. 

The Hubstack AFTERGLOW is available at Spinworkx now!

Check out our product / review video for the YoYoFactory Hubstack AFTERGLOW.

FRESH: Turning Point Houska Dry

Name: Houska Dry

Bearing Size: Large (Size C)

Response: Narrow K-pads

Turning Point is well known to produce some of the finest yo-yos that are made in Japan. One of their first offerings, the Leviathan, took the Spinning world by storm and players loved the comfortable rounded shape, solid feel and excellent performance it brought. Singapore Champion Marcus Koh loved the Leviathan so much that he used it to win the Singapore National Competition back in 2009. Since then, Turning Point has come a long way with new, improved yo-yos and designs. The Houska Dry is one of those new designs.

The Houska Dry was conceived as an affordable metal to add to the growing line of Turning Point yo-yos. Players who have wanted to own Turning point yo-yos always were weary due to the hefty price tag that came with them. The Houska Dry is different in that sense. It is a great playing metal yo-yo for a fraction of the price. If you ever wanted to own a Turning Point yo-yo but just could not bring yourself to spend so much, look no further than the Houska Dry!

Turning Point has always been minimal with their designs and engravings, if at all. Most of their yo-yos are minimalistic, without any markings or word engravings whatsoever. This gives their yo-yos a nice, simple and clean look. What is more, the shape and style of Turning Point yo-yos are enough to set them apart from other yo-yos in the market without needing laser engravings to identify them.

Houska Dry comes in 3 colors for their first run, with other colors sure to follow. The finish on the yo-yos are bead-blasted smooth, to allow for easy grinds. The Raw Silver Houska Dry is not bead-blasted though. 

Turning Point may have created an affordable metal yo-yo in the Houska Dry, but it does not affect the performance of this yo-yo. With the traditional solid feel of a Turning Point, but with a little floaty-ness thrown in the mix, the Houska Dry is bound to be a favorite amongst Spinners looking for a quality throw without burning a hole in their pockets.

Looking at the gap view of the Houska Dry will remind some players of a Leviathan. With a step at the inner wall area, which Turning Point is well known for, it allows the Houska Dry to have slightly longer spin times while performing horizontal tricks as this step keeps the string away from the walls of the yo-yo. 

With its slight similarity with the Leviathan, we figured we would compare them to see how similar they actually are.

The Houska Dry (on the left) has a slightly slimmer width as compared to the Leviathan (on the right). Also, the inner wall step on the Houska Dry is more obvious and protruding than the slighter, smaller step on the Leviathan. The diameter of the 2 yo-yos are pretty close to each other.

The Leviathan, on the right, is clearly wider than the Houska Dry. The Houska Dry uses a flat, clean C-sized bearing for long spins, and Silicone Narrow K-pads for reliable and tight binds.

Due to the rounded shape, the Houska Dry fits very comfortably in the hand. Even with strong & hard throws, the Houska Dry will not hurt your hand when it returns. The round shape comfortably cushions the impact, making it ideal for players who are just starting out learning long spinning tricks on.

There is no surprise when we tried the Houska Dry as we knew we could trust Turning Point to produce great playing yo-yos. However, what surprised us was the price on the Houska Dry. Although the price tag lists this yo-yo as a budget metal, it's performance suggests otherwise. It plays great and is definitely good enough to be used on stage in contests around the world!

Be sure to pick up and try a Houska Dry soon. It is definitely a yo-yo that deserves to be in every true Spinners collection and arsenal.

The Turning Point Houska Dry is available at Spinworkx now!

FRESH: C3yoyodesign Level 6

Name: Level 6

Bearing Size: Large (Size C)

Response: C3 Silicone Pads

There is no stopping C3yoyodesign. In 2013 alone, they released over 10 new yo-yos, all of which are catered towards their team members, as well as competition throws. Furthermore, their offerings are not just of high quality yo-yos, but many of which are really playing, yet with a comfortable price tag attached. The last affordable metal throw C3 released was the Di Base 2. No doubt it was a great, and stable yo-yo, but players called for more affordable, full-sized throws. C3yoyodesign answered their request with a yo-yo that will just blow you away.

The Level 6 is truly on another level. Coming in a variety of Acid Washed bright colors, the Level 6 aren't just great playing, they look great too! C3yoyodesign decided to feature and fuse together popular elements from yo-yos such as the Berserker, P-wave, Mo-vitation, Electric Flash, etc to create a yo-yo that was geared for performance.

What amazed us most about the Level 6 is not so much the way it looked, or how great it played. The surprising thing was the price that it retailed for. We have not found a yo-yo that played as good as a Level 6 for the price that it was selling for.

The Level 6 features a wide, round Butterfly shape and comes with a large bearing and C3 pads for response. When in play, it glides around fast and purposefully, and we would describe it as feeling rather floaty. The shape of the Level 6 resembles a Berserker in the way it curves at the edges, so we decided to do a small comparison between the Level 6 and the Berserker.

As seen in the picture, the shapes of both yo-yos are similar to each other. However, there is a small step/groove on the rim of the Level 6 that the Berserker does not have. Furthermore, the Berserker is just slightly bigger than the Level 6 in diameter. The Level 6 is slightly rounder than the Berserker, allowing it to be a little more comfortable in the hand and during play.

The gap comparison shows that the Berserker and the Level 6 are almost of the same gap size. Both allow for easy string landings. While the Berserker feels more solid and weighty, the Level 6 feels more floaty and fast.

The Level 6 comes in an assortment of acid wash colorways, with 6 colorways for its first run and more colorways to come in the future.

The Level 6 is a great affordable metal yo-yo, and may possibility be one of the best selling affordable metals for 2014. However, don't just take our word for it. Try one for yourself, and you know that you need it in your collection / arsenal of throws.

The C3yoyodesign Level 6 is available at Spinworkx right now!

Get them today!

FRESH: sOMEThING Addiction

Name: Addiction

Bearing Size: Large (Size C)

Response: sOMEThING Pads

sOMEThING has put out numerous quality 1A yo-yos in recent times, but not a plastic 1A yo-yo. Of course there was The V and the Crazy D, but those are made from Delrin. So it was no surprise when they announced their newest model was a plastic yo-yo with metal rims.

The Addiction is a yo-yo that is right up there with it's fellow Hybrid yo-yos from YoYoJam and Yoyofactory. For a first Hybrid yo-yo offering, the Addiction is amazing! The shape of the Addiction makes it feel comfortable in hand, and due to the metal weight rings, it spins long and is incredibly stable throughout the duration of any combo we could throw on it.

The Addiction does not feature anything out of the ordinary or anything that's fancy or flashy. However, it leaves all of that to the player who is throwing it, and just like it's namesake, once you pick it up, you just want to keep throwing it and not stop.

Hiroyuki Suzuki, owner of sOMEThING by YoYoAddict, and 4-time World Yo-Yo Champion, was very proud when he first let us try the Addiction. He was confident on how well it plays, and rightfully so. The Addiction was made not just for players who compete on stage, but for players who just wanted a quality Hybrid throw for practice. The Addiction may be a plastic yo-yo, but it definitely feels capable of being used in contests around the world. Right now, the Addiction comes in a nice shade of Translucent Dark Blue. However, we believe that in the future, we may be seeing more of these in other color options.

The Addiction was modeled to resemble Hiroyuki's signature yo-yo, the ANGLAM, just in a plastic form. The shape and specifications are similar, but not completely the same.

Comparing both the Addiction and the ANGLAM, we can see that the ANGLAM is slightly smaller (Diameter-wise) than the Addiction. The body shapes are similar, but the ANGLAM features a slight step on the yo-yo halve whereas the Addiction is just a smooth curve before the step on the rim which both models sport. The smooth body of the Addiction is what makes it feel more comfortable in the hand. Even if the yo-yo was spinning fast and hard before immediately returning to the hand, the catch will feel more cushioned and comfortable as compared to other yo-yos with more steps and different shapes.

The ANGLAM is slightly wider than the Addiction. This slight difference is hardly noticeable during play. Both yo-yos still move through the air fast and are incredibly stable.

The Addiction features a concave-shaped bearing (sOMEThING ADC Bearing) and sOMEThING Type 1 Silicone pads for response. 

Looking closely at the metal rings and the hex-nut on the Addiction, you will see custom engraving on them that gives the yo-yo identity while remaining as minimal as possible.

The Addiction is not just another yo-yo that was released in 2014. We believe that there is a high possibility that it could be one of, if not, the top Hybrid yo-yo from 2014. You just have got to try it out for yourself to see how good the Addiction is. 

The sOMEThING Addiction is available at Spinworkx right now!

The first batch of them sold out within a day, and now we have gotten a second batch in.

Get them while they are still in stock!

FRESH: OneDropXCLYW Summit

Name: Summit
Bearing Size: Large
Response: CLYW Snow Tires

The Summit is the second collaboration yo-yo between One Drop Design and CLYW. It takes the best of both worlds and combines it all into a single yo-yo. With elements from the popular CLYW Avalanche and the inner workings of the awesome One Drop Cascade, the Summit is the perfect yo-yo for fans of either One Drop Design or CLYW.

We have played and thrown the Summit ever since it has been launched, and just cannot put it down. The Summit is definitely in the running to be one of the best yo-yos for 2013.

Instead of doing a detailed write up and comparison for the Summit, we have done a cool, short stop motion video of the Summit for you to enjoy!

The OneDropXCLYW Summit is available at Spinworkx today!
Get them while they are still in stock.

FRESH: sOMEThING WORLD SINGAPORE Results & Freestyles

What a blast we all had at sOMEThING WORLD Singapore this past weekend! With the event being held at Recognize Studios over at Orchard Central, the space was nice and cozy, and from what we heard, everyone had a fun time.

Here are the results:

Compulsories Challenge Winner: Kendrick Hu

Freestyle Finals:

1st - Malcolm Chiu

2nd - Kendrick Hu

3rd - Ian Loh

4th - Chester Then

5th - Brian Low

Check out their Freestyles below!

Check out more freestyles and videos on our YouTube Channel!

FRESH: C3yoyodesign Alpha Crash

Name: Alpha Crash
Bearing Size: Large (Size C)
Response: C3 Silicone Pads

The Alpha Crash by C3yoyodesign is their very first full plastic (their Delrin Halo & Sceptre does not count!), affordable, eye-catching and unresponsive yo-yo that was first introduced in 2012 for players who wanted a great playing, yet affordable yo-yo to throw, practice and create tricks with. After having tried it for ourselves, we could not agree more that the Alpha Crash is a yo-yo built for affordability, performance and to unleash ones creativity.

C3yoyodesign creators Walter, Simpson and Ron have been putting out yo-yos that not only cater to what yo-yo players are looking for in yo-yos, they put in effort to ensure that their yo-yos are made to the exact specifications to what they want in their yo-yos. The look of each yo-yo and the performance of each yo-yo is not by chance.

The Alpha Crash may be a plastic yo-yo made for widespread distribution, but that does not mean that it has any compromises. Each Alpha Crash plays just how a modern, unresponsive, advanced yo-yo should play like, and they come in eye-catching and bright colors, a great way to attract new Spinners to try their hand in yo-yoing.

The current run of Alpha Crash comes in 4 stunning colors. Purple Body with Yellow Sidecaps, Yellow Body with White Sidecaps, Light Blue Body with White Sidecaps and Red Body with Yellow Sidecaps (not pictured above).

Many players have said that the shape and size of the Alpha Crash is similar to the Berserker, also by C3yoyodesign. Having said that, they are not wrong at all!

Berserker RX

Berserker

Alpha Crash

The Alpha Crash is essentially the same shape and sports the same profile as the Berserker / Berserker RX, but instead of the metal-make of the Berserker, the Alpha Crash is made of plastic, and does not sport the inner metal weight ring that the Berserker has.

As we can see from the picture above, the Alpha Crash uses large bearing silicone stickers for response and a large size C bearing. It also uses a metal spacer system that the bearing sits on, allowing the yo-yo to spin long and freely. The large bearing and silicone response set-up is the most common set-up found in most modern day, advanced yo-yos. This allows the yo-yo to perform long spinning, jaw-dropping technical tricks, unlike yo-yos from back in the day.

The C3yoyodesign Alpha Crash is a yo-yo that is great for players who are starting to learn advanced string tricks that require a bind-return without needing to break the bank to purchase. It is also a handy yo-yo for players who love to create new tricks, but are afraid of 'dinging' their yo-yo on the ground. The Alpha Crash is definitely a yo-yo to add to your collection of throws, and it will leave you amazed at what it can pull off.

The C3yoyodesign Alpha Crash is available at Spinworkx today!

Get them while they are still in stock.

**Berserker & Berserker RX images provided by C3yoyodesign.