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
Hard to believe it has been 10 years of Luftverk. What started out as a titanium only passion project in my parents basement has grown significantly through product releases of various materials. Last few years have been a challenge creatively to draw up more interesting designs that are worthy of a titanium flagship release.
It has been a year an a half living in Osaka, crazy how time flies. I remember releasing the Plastic Fulvia just before leaving Toronto, a product that I could argue changed the trajectory of everything. At that moment, Luftverk grew exponentially, with the support of retailers around the world. At that moment, I developed so many behind the scenes processes for management that it became much more of a corporate job then a creative one. Huge projects like Cheatcode, and the CLYW collaboration definitely had its creative sides dont get me wrong, but the addition of moving to a foreign city, learning a new language, pursuing motorsports and delegating tasks behind the scenes with razor sharp margins meant for a lot of it I was on the brink of burnout. I questioned if I even still liked doing yoyo stuff at all, or if it was just to keep food on the table.
Crazy to think it has been 2 years since the original release of the Plastic Fulvia and Plastic 000. Both models as of now are pretty much sold out everywhere, and I knew it was about time to update both with a small batch of new colors as well as fix a few small issues with the first designs. I appreciate everyone who has reached out anticipating a restock of these - as the manufacturing process is very timely for sure so restocks can't happen as quick as I'd like.
Jeffrey Pang
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