World's Best Yo-Yo Players Compete In Cleveland

Hundreds of the best yo-yo-ers in the world descended on Cleveland this week to meet, greet, trade tricks and compete.

The 2019 World Yo-Yo Contest brought more than 300 international competitors from 20 countries for the largest gathering of competitive yo-yo players in the world, and they're all after the title of World Yo-Yo Champion.

It’s exciting to watch the tricks, organizers say, but it’s just as enthralling to watch something as simple and low-tech as a yo-yo – string and plastic – bring the world together.

“We’ve got kids from rural Ohio hanging out with players from Tokyo,” said organizer Steve Brown. “There’s not a lot of other sports where kids that age will have the opportunity to interact with so many different people from so many different cultures.”

Competitions, which are open to the public and run through Aug. 10, include single hand trick, two hands looping trick, two hands string trick, off-string, counterweight, and artistic performance.

The competition, currently overseen by the International Yo-Yo Federation, has been around since 1932. The event hits locations around the world and makes a stop in North America every three years. In 2018, Shanghai, China, was the host city; it was last held in Cleveland in 2016.

The contest is also attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the most people yo-yo-ing at once, taking place in Public Square on Friday night. More than 2,100 people are needed, organizers say, and the event is free and open to the public. More information and full schedule is available here.