The Evora Rebirth Pt. 2 - AMS2488, Ultramatte & Anodized
by Jeffrey PangJanuary 16, 2021
I remember the day I released the original Evora. There were existing yoyos out there made from aluminum and plastics, but very few were made from Titanium. Even when companies made titanium yoyos it would be a one and done kind of deal - as the difficulties and quality control needed for titanium was much more risky from a business standpoint. I approached the original Evora project thinking it would be a one run project - up until all 60 original units sold out in under 5 minutes.
I remember thinking wow, there were actually others who thought it would be an interesting idea and actually appreciated my design aesthetics. There wasn't really a titanium yoyo that looked or performed like the Evora, with a more mid weighted feel vs the typical maximum rim weight like a competition style yoyo. I always said that if there was a signature yoyo that represents me, it would be the Evora (with the 000 as a close second).
5 years later, I still think I put the most effort and soul into the original Evora. It was something I really took the time to make uniquely "mine". Over the years, as finance and cashflow allowed, I updated the packaging. The business cards. Slowly I could turn the brand into something I never could when I first started just mainly due to experience and funds. What you see here is the ultimate version of that same yoyo I designed sitting in a hostel bed with a barely working laptop in Sweden, now more than half a decade ago.
I wanted this updated version of the Evora to be different, but not in aesthetics. I wanted that to stay exactly the same but bring it up to speed. As time progressed, so did player style and performance demands. I felt the need to move a bit of the mid-weight to the rim, but not enough to affect the overall aesthetics of the hub. Keeping the soul of the original yoyo was important to me.
The packaging was updated in 2019, and I featured the Evora artwork on the box. I actually did this knowing I would rerelease it in 2020/2021. It was subtle but looking at it with the actual Evora offers a level of continuity that is very satisfying. With the original design being inspired by architecture brutalism, the Ultramatte version of the Evora just represents the brand so well since it looks and feels like concrete. Its a very unique look.
This release will offer three finishes, in Ultramatte, AMS2488 and in an Anodized Blue. The anodized blue version will feature a genuine Dif-e-yo Koncave bearing. As a throwback to the original, the Ultramatte and AMS2488 will feature white pads with a full ceramic bearing installed. A very aesthetically pleasing combination.
The 2020 Evora in AMS2488, Ultramatte & Anodized Blue will drop Tuesday January 19th, 2021 10pm EST time.
Material: Titanium
Width: 43.3 mm Diameter: 54.5 mm Weight: 65.5 grams Response: LuftPad
It has been nearly 4 months since Ive been in Japan, and 5 months since I left Toronto. Writing that out makes it feel short but in reality it feels like forever ago. The last launch of the Plastic Peak was an overwhelming experience. I felt so grateful to work with CLYW, a company I grew up with. When the World Yoyo Contest hit I didn't know what to expect, but I had started noticing a feeling of burn out after grinding out so many yoyo related projects and in a weird introverted way I was a bit reluctant to go.
CLYW is a Canadian brand that started in 2006. I was 14 at the time when I watched this new brand unfold on the Yoyonation forums. They released their first yoyo named the "Peak" with 50 pieces retailing for $85. Today, that yoyo has used asking prices north of $2500 making it one of the most insanely rare and expensive yoyos to date. This "OG Painted Peak" featured a custom painted surface by a Canadian airbrush artist named Levi. Overtime as the Peak was impacted or dinged, the paint would chip off meaning there are only a handful of units in the world that survived in mint unused condition. Later versions would be released in more durable anodized finishes, but these first 50 "OG Painted Peaks"cemented CLYW into yoyoing history.
This one will interesting - since mine and Augie's relationship go a far distance back. Its also kind of a weird story of how like minded free sprits will seemingly eventually cross roads no matter how unlikely that is.
Growing up in what I like to call the golden area of competitive yoyoing I was blessed to be inspired by yoyoers with so much unique style. These players helped me stay hooked in yoyoing and I often wonder if I would have even stuck with it without them. Players like Yuuki Spenser, John Ando, Eric Koloski, Paul Han, Shinji Saito and of course Augie Fash were some of my favourites. Before there was a yoyo "meta" all these yoyoers had their own 1A style which is why I think fondly of this era.
Jeffrey Pang
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