Team YoYoJam left the World Yo-Yo Contest proving that we are the Choice of Champions. Two team members were crowned World Champion in their division.
Takeshi Matsurra defended his 5A world title once again. He has won World’s 4 times! This is how it’s done the 4th time.
Rei Iwakura snatched his second world title in off-string! His smooth style and great stage presence earned him 1st place. Watch how it’s done by 2 time World Champion
Right behind Rei was Bryan Figueroa. He hit one of his cleanest freestyles earning him 2nd place in 4A!
We are proud to announce Tessa Piccillo is officially the best female 1A player in the World!! Tessa is on our apprentice team and is a great illustration of what that program is all about. Under the guidance of her mentor, Johnnie DelValle, and with the influence, support and help of many of her other teammates, Tessa is fast becoming a serious force to reckon with in the 1A division. She finished well ahead of many seasoned professionals. We look for great things from her in the future. Tessa is proving that this sport isn’t just for boys!
Joseph Harris placed his highest ever at World’s in the hardest division, 2A! He took 4th place as the only USA player in the finals. Watch how solid his performance is!
Ben Conde went big in off-string once again. With new bangers and humorous showmanship, he finished 4th in 4A. To him, standing ovations mean more than racking up points.
Congratulations to the rest of the team for representing YoYoJam very well on stage.
John Narum – 4A 7th Place. The mask worn was intended to hide his feelings on stage, and let his tricks control the audience’s emotions. He also missed 1A semi-finals by 1. It’s inspiring to see him do well in both divisions.
Ian Johnson – 4A 8th Place. For the first time in three years, Ian made his way back into the finals. Mad props for getting through prelims, they were tougher than ever this year.
Takeshi Matsurra – 1A 9th Place. He wins World’s in one division, and then places 9th in another? He is one of a kind.
Eric Koloski - 1A Semi-Finalist. Eric had an unfortunate switch out that costed him the finals, but I’d watch out for him at Nationals… He may not have to do preliminaries next year at Worlds.
AJ Kirk entered 5A and barley missed the cut. As his original style continues to develop, he’ll be at the top of the list before you know it.
Alex Hattori competed in 3A and was favored to place high after his 2nd place finish last year. He had an unlucky string snap during his prelim and missed finals by 1. That’s just something that can’t always be controlled, but he has some new and exciting stuff for nationals!
Grant Johnson’s 1A prelim was mind-blowing. He’s usually known for his 2A, but he switched gears for World’s because he’s not unleashing his new 2A until he has it mastered.
Tylor McCallumore’s 1A prelim showed how much the kid has improved in one year… He has great things ahead of him.
Our Apprentice team had a terrific showing at Worlds. Ian, Mikey, Alex, Stephanie, Jarrett, Jackson, and Erik, all had great prelims. Their future’s are very bright, and we won’t be surprised when they each have a title under their name!
Special Thanks to Andre Boulay, Johnnie DelValle, Yoshi Mikamoto, Rick Wyatt, Bill de Boisblanc, and Nathan Crissey for their work in judging and organizing the event.
What a successful year for YoYoJam at the 2012 World Yo-Yo Contest.
