It has been a struggle to get a new model out. The prototype phases of this yoyo was an absolute nightmare, with tooling issues and the rising price of Titanium. I made a trip out west to Vancouver to solidify my plans of moving. And during that surprisingly stressful time, I put my head down and just designed.
I think the direction of yoyo design likes to ride the popularity wave. 10 years ago it was the Thumb Grind Groove. And then the Hubstack. And although the Skyva is incredibly successful, it would be naive to think the dimple phase won't eventually die out. Larger companies will see what catches on - and pump out designs based on what is popular. But perhaps looking forward isn't the answer - looking back is what we need. Back to the roots. The Silvia is the next instalment in the Luftverk lineup with two goals: to bring back timeless design elements that won't look dated in a few years, and maybe more importantly - to see how diameter effects playability.
The hub aesthetics is inspired by the Daytona but modified to have a nice flat platform for the engraving. Like the Evora, the hub was inspired by brutalist architectural buildings. There are many hard edges that define surfaces and reflect the light accordingly. The goal was to make something that had timeless styling without compromising playability. The large middle nipple houses a longer 10mm axle to eliminate any chances of stripping.
The change to an organic profile presented a few challenges with the biggest one being designing something with the correct feel during play. The weight distribution is pushed out to the edge, while some center weight remaining to give the yoyo a certain gravity. The profile curve is not new in the yoyo world, but definitely feels correct in hand with the middle finger slotting ever so slightly in between the two halves.
The XP50 and XP54. "XP" is short "Experiment". And the number is the Diameter of the yoyo. Two variants of the same design and near the same 65.5g weight - but the play is completely different. The larger one feels wide. Slightly intimidating but confident on string. I wouldn't hesitate to call this yoyo "competition ready" due to its wide diameter and rim weight. And the larger diameter definitely shows that stability is directly proportional. With the smaller 50mm model, we see a difference in feel on the string. The best way to describe the yoyo is zippy - effortlessly moving through tight areas of string. It feels dense and heavy compared to its larger brother, almost in a way you wouldn't expect. A small pocket yoyo with a punch. It fits better in your pocket - a definite plus, especially if you want a 1A Titanium throw that isn't a slimline.
Both serve such different purposes. There will be the lucky few who will get to experience both - and will know exactly what I am talking about. The two models have proven to be an effective way to expand on my knowledge of yoyo design and behaviour due to diameters. If you are interested in either model, they will be available later this week.
Is it possible to send you an email? I’d like to ask a couple questions about the Daytona and XP54. Either way. Thanks for your time. Keep up the great work.
John Irvine
July 18, 2018
The shape strikes me as a smaller and wider Citizen. Definitely hope to see some anos and AMS come out for this! :)
The demand for the Triple Zero was the highest I have ever seen since the original Evora. Two years ago I challenged myself to design something that was a bit different than the rest of the Luftverk releases. It was during a time where I moved to a new city and went through some of the worst depression I had ever experienced. I think looking back at that experience though, it did help shape my design philosophy behind this very yoyo.
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.
The year was 2006, I was pretty young back then and as a kid I was pretty active on the forums. I had a weird obsession about how different yoyos felt even more so than learning tricks itself. I think a lot of people who like collecting are similar - they tend to appreciate the feel of multiple yoyos which entices them to build up a library that represents their own taste. In 2006, this was less of an option.
Brent
July 18, 2018
Is it possible to send you an email? I’d like to ask a couple questions about the Daytona and XP54. Either way. Thanks for your time. Keep up the great work.