Yo-yo Diameter

The yo-yo is one of the highly interesting toys ever invented. It was called by other names like emigrette, incroyable and bandalore. Based on history, its origin can be traced back to 500 B.C. in Greece. During that time, the primary material used for this toy was terra cotta skin disks. Its name was derived from the Filipino-Ilokano word literally translated as ‘return’ or ‘come-come.’ In addition to these historical facts, there are other nice things to learn about it including the diameter of a yo-yo.

The Diameter of a Yo-yo

The average diameter of a yo-yo ranges from 2 inches to 2.5 inches. In the closing parts of the 1920s, this toy became an international craze when Filipino-American Pedro Flores started the business enterprise called Yo-yo Manufacturing Co. within the City of Santa Barbara in California. The American entrepreneur Donald Duncan purchased the rights to this company for more than $250,000, which happened some time after 1929.

Additional Facts and Other Highly Interesting Details

Under Duncan, the first yo-yo released was called Duncan O-BOY. Duncan Toys Company decided to open a yo-yo factory in 1946 within the village of Luck, which is part of Polk County in Wisconsin. Because of this all-important development, the place was eventually dubbed as ‘the Yo-yo Capital of the World.’

The overall sales of yo-yos declined after World War II. In 1962, various TV advertisements were launched as part of a comeback campaign. Part of this resurgence was the launch of the Duncan Butterfly, the design of which was geared towards beginners.

A typical yo-yo contest is divided into two main parts, namely the freestyle set and the compulsory tricks set. An international yo-yo event called the World Yo-Yo Contest is held annually in Orlando, Florida. Competitors come from countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan and Brazil. Also competing in this huge yo-yo event are participants from the Czech Republic, the United States and Mexico. Asia is well represented in this event, with highly skilled participants from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Amongst the various techniques used to play this toy, the most popular are the off-string, the looping and the sleeping. In 1999, the famous yo-yo player Steve Brown developed the freehand trick, which is considered today as one of the game’s most popular styles of play.

In terms of shapes, the most popular include the butterfly, the modified shape and the imperial shape. Other shapes are also available but are generally less popular. These include the riveted disk, the bulge face or Russell-style and the slim line.