History

As most of you may not know yoyo has a long history we will introduce you a brief history of yoyo. 

Yoyo is the second oldest toy in the world (after doll).  It is impossible to pinpoint the exact date and location of the invention of yoyo.  There are indications that it originated in ancient China and later appeared in Greece, as a vase (fig. a) date back to 500B.C. showing a youth playing with yoyo.  There are also historical records showing that during 16^th century yoyo was a weapon for hunting in Philippine.  

In 18^th century, yoyo travel from east to the west.  Because the toy has been spread from place to place, it was known by different name. For example, Englander called it “bandalore”, French called it “l’emigrette”.  It also became popular with the upper class of Scotland, France and Victoria England.    A painting (fig. b) dated to 1789 shows King Louis XVII holding his l’emigrette (known as yoyo).  Also a painting dated 1791 shows George IV rotating his bandalore (yoyo).  As the power of royal the yoyo became a fashion to own. 

The toy also aided in stress relief.  In 1815, at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon has been seen relaxing with yoyo.  While being a fashionable toy for the French nobility, those less fortunate are said to have played with their l’emigrettes to reduce the understandable tension of their trip to the guillotine. 

In 1866, two men from Ohio received the first patent for a yoyo in the United States. In fact, the first time that yoyo was actually named “yoyo” by Perdro Flores, an immigrant from Philippines and he ran a yoyo company by the same name in 1916.  However, in 1928, an entrepreneur, Donald Duncan purchased the whole yoyo company.  Later on, he organized demonstrations and contests over USA as well as Western Europe in order to promote sale.  And he also trademarked the name “yoyo”

and made the other competitors were not allowed to use the term "yo-yo".  In 1960, Duncan introduced the first plastic yoyo which allows drawing more tricks.  Till to now plastic yoyo is still manufactured.  By 1962, the Duncan Company alone sold a record 45 million yo-yos in a country with only 40 million kids, and still could not keep up with the demand.  This showed how popular of the toy is.  There was also the continual legal expense in trying to hold onto the trademarked word "yo-yo".  Competitors fought hard to use it in describing their products.  Finally, in 1965, the Federal Court of Appeals ruled that Duncan’s trademark for the word "yo-yo" was no good.  The term yo-yo had become so widespread that it was now a permanent part of the language and it no longer only described the toy.  It, in fact, was the toy. 

Reference:

The American Yo-Yo Association http://www.ayya.org
Yoyo-tops http://www.yoyodave.com/museum/tophistory.html
National YoYo Museum & Contest http://www.nationalyoyo.org/ 

Culture

The culture of yoyo has been developed nowadays. 

Yoyo contest was held all over the world.  The famous one is National Yoyo Contest.  It is held every year in USA.  In USA, different scale of yoyo contests are held in many cities, e.g., California, Texas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Michigan State, Delaware, Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin, Virginia, Arizona, Minnesota, Utah, Vermont, Massachusetts etc.  Also another famous one is World Yoyo Contest. It is held one each year since 2000.  Now more and more Yoyo contests are held in Hong Kong.  Some pop singers would like to involve the contests and demonstrated the yoyo tricks, e.g., Alex Fong. 

And in Hong Kong, it becomes an extra-curricular activity at school.  For example, C.C.C. Rotary Secondary School.  It has organized a Yoyo Trick class for its student.  Some of the students even have attended Hong Kong Yoyo Trick Contest. 

Also an official organization, Hong Kong Yo Yo Fan club, was founded in 1998 by three people who now are the chair of the club.  They have play yoyo for a long time.  Besides, one of them is the member of the world Russell Yoyo performers; one of them has won the Hong Kong yoyo contest.  This club has organized many yoyo competitions.  It also has organized a “Team of Spinner” and provided the opportunity for its member to struggle each other.  The club teaches us the knowledge of yoyo, e.g. history, maintenance.  The aim of the club is to give a room of yoyo culture for Hong Kong people. 

We also found that there are yoyo demonstrations in HK.  Some of the performers are people from the foreign country. Usually, the brand name company would like to be the sponsors of the performances. 

While we search about the yoyo on the web we found there are many web sites about yoyo, especially in USA.  However, in Hong Kong even more and more web site has been set up.  Though most of the web was set up recently we will expect that one-day yoyo become a major culture in Hong Kong just like in USA.

All the above events prove that the culture of yoyo is in HK would become mature in the future.

Reference:

C.C.C. Rotary Secondary School http://special.hk.netbig.com/school_show/012.htm
National YoYo Museum & Contest http://www.nationalyoyo.org
Hong Kong Yo Yo Fan Club http://www.hkyyfc.org.hk/
World Yo-Yo Contest http://www.worldyoyocontest.com/