Some of the earliest evidence of yo-yos comes from ancient Greece, where artwork and pottery depict people playing with yo-yos made from wood, metal and terra cotta. Check out the Greek vase painting from 440 BC showing a boy playing with a yo-yo. Not fake. Yo-yos were even placed in the tombs of young children as offerings, signifying their importance.

There is also evidence that the Chinese may have had a version of a yo-yo-like toy around the time of the Tang Dynasty (700–900 CE), which might have contributed to its later spread through Asia.

Fast forward to the 16th century, and the yo-yo in the Philippines was notably different from ancient versions. It was made of heavy wood and attached to a string with a carved handle. The term "yo-yo" itself is derived from a Filipino word meaning "come-come”.

By the 18th century the yo-yo had become a popular toy among European aristocracy, where it was called different names like “bandalore”. It made its way to England as bandalore and became a fad among nobility, including King Louis XVII of France.

In 1928, Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant to the United States began making yo-yos in California, trademarking the name "yo-yo" for the American market. His yo-yos used a looped string that allowed them to "sleep" (spin around in situ) at the end of the string before returning from whence it came – a major innovation that enabled advanced tricks, e.g. “walking the dog”, “rock the cradle” and “around the world”. Remember?

Flores wasn’t so interested in the business side of things. So, after only about a year of rapid growth, he sold the rights to his yo-yo company to toy entrepreneur Donald F. Duncan, who further popularised the toy. The "Duncan Yo-Yo" became synonymous with yo-yos across the United States, largely thanks to widespread advertising and the launch of yo-yo contests.

Despite periodic yo-yo crazes in the 1960s and 70s (in Australia, much of it was associated with Coca-Cola) … things grew quiet on the yo-yo front before they experienced a resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by the development of yo-yos with transaxles, ball bearings and other design improvements that allowed players to perform longer and more complex tricks. (The Butterfly yo-yo allows the player to catch the yo-yo on the string – essential for complex tricks.)

In the 2000s and 2010s, new designs and online communities elevated yo-yoing [Ed: that’s the word] to a competitive and artistic level, with world championships, e.g. the annual World Yo-Yo Contest. The 2024 world championships had 229 entries from 27 countries and regions, and over 1,100 people attended. Outside of the competition scene, yo-yo players regularly share videos of their yo-yo tricks on the Internet. A common place players do so is on Instagram, using the hashtag #trickcircle. Check it out and prepare to be amazed.

Today, yo-yos are a blend of skill, art and technology, appreciated worldwide for both their simplicity and the skill required to master them. The yo-yo remains one of the most popular toys in history.

______________________

References

wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-yo
inclusity.com/1387-2
instagram.com/explore/search/keyword/trickcircle

Images

1. 1960s Coca Cola yo-yo with an 1866 US patent for a "whirligig"
2. Boy playing with a terracotta yo-yo, Attic kylix, circa 440 BCE
3. A 1791 illustration of a woman playing with an early version of the yo-yo, which was then called a "bandalore"
4. Pedro Flores (1896–1963)
5. Donald F. Duncan (1892–1971)
6. Classic Duncan yo-yo
7. Classic to modern yo-yo
8. Special executive Coca Cola yo-yo. Fancy!
9. Modern yo-yo trickster
10. Winners at the World Yo-Yo Contest in Cleveland, 2024