Chris Kayatz posted this today on the official Hspin site:

Friends,

I realize that the my silence around some changes in HSPIN has lead to all kinds of rumors. I hope to resolve them with this post. The below email was sent to the HSPIN NETWORK on July 29.

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Friends,

On July 6, I had a very important and relieving meeting with the other four shareholders of HSPIN. You don’t know them, but they are my best friends who have always supported me in the background.

With the advent of my daughter, with my family moving to Switzerland in August, and with the new exciting job I accepted, I will have even less time for yoyos. I know I already frustrated some of you with the lack of attention.

As for myself, I have to be honest and admit that yoyos became a burden to me, no longer fun. We lost USD >30’000 over the last two years, which is appalling. The primary reason for this, is that I was too generous. So I started to worry about finances, and the fun was out of the window.

I got married playing the yoyo, and yoyos will always be dear to me. But I need to be realistic about my capacity.

So during the above meeting, wedecided to go back 7 years, when I did this just for fun with my own ideas.

HSPIN will continue. I will produce 1-2 yoyo batches a year. These yoyos will be my own brain childs, and will again be my personal “extravagant”, weird style – which is what made HSPIN famous 10 years ago.

I will have to cutcosts, including sponsoring, travel, TShirts, stickers,.

I don’t want to stop the Network, as many of you I have built solid friendships with. I want to revive the HSPIN Family as it was in 2005: Few people dear to me and to HSPIN, which have significantly supported HSPIN at some point in time. I will not be able to support you financially, or with yoyos (at least not with many). But I would be proud to count you in on becoming part of the HSPIN Family. Technically, this also means you are free to join other teams if you wish. But be careful, find a good one.

You are the first ones to know this. Does it come as a surprise? I don’t hope so. But if it feels weird, I want to assure you, it feels weird for me too.

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As for HSPIN: I will focus on getting the BEYOND ENVY ready. Slowly though. And I have a new design in mind for afterwards. A weird, exciting and expensive one.

Talk to you soon I hope,
ChrisK

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My favority German rap band “Die Fantastischen Vier” has a line that goes

Dieses Haus ist besetzt ohne Pause bis jetzt
denn wir kamen zuerst und wir gehen auch zuletzt
Buenos Dias Messias auch wenn’s dir nicht paßt
du bist nur Gast hier du faßt hier nichts an.

What they mean, is that they were the first proper German rap band, and since then, there has not been any significant competition, and that there won’t be any until they decide to disappear.

What I mean with quoting them…. is obvious HSPIN was the first serious, incorporated European high end yoyo maker, and looking around us now, I think we are in a similar position as Die Fantastischen Vier.

Take care, be in touch,
Chris

To say I was surprised is a little bit of an understatement, although I completely know where he is coming from. I have talked to Chris off and on for quite some time and I know that for him family is key. He is a very proud father who on several occasions has cut our conversations short so that he could go read a bed time story to his daughter. Even though he always apologized for doing it, I never minded. It brought a smile to my face every time, must be the teacher and father in me.

I wish you nothing but the best with your family and your new job Chris. I hope you regain that joy that made you one of the top European manufacturers and I am glad to see that while you may be cutting way back, you are not dropping out completely. Best of luck friend, please make sure you keep in touch.

-Chris R.