CLYW x One Drop Summit
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
April 21, 2013

Introduction

Four days… when you set your mind to it, what can accomplish in just four days? If you are the guys at One Drop and CLYW apparently you can construct a complete retail yo-yo from the ground up in just four days. When you think about it, that is not much time to sit down and design the yo-yo in CAD, machine the first proto, test the proto, machine a second proto, test that one, have your teams decide which one they like, have the machinist secretly pick the one that is going to be made while the teams are deciding, anodize the retail run, laser etch the run, assemble the run, and then finally package all in time to sell the first run at Cal. States. Keep in mind; the CAD work alone took Chris, David, Shawn and friends a full day on their own. That whirlwind pace took place this year between PNWR and Cal. States while CLYW was visiting One Drop in Oregon. Now I would be remiss if I did not mention that the key to pulling all of this off was having their team members with them. That allowed for instant and invaluable feed back in all aspects of the design process. The other secret weapon they had was that they pulled in their friends for a true collaboration; from Evan at Toxic strings who anodized the initial run to One Drop’s shop neighbor Nando at Next Step who did the laser etching. I will admit, I am not doing it justice describing the process here. I have linked the Summit documentary at the end of this review… give it a watch. Now the question is “Is the Summit any good?” I will answer that question a little later on but I can say that the people involved loved it with Chris M. from CLYW saying flat out that it is one of his favorite yo-yos that they have ever designed. After watching the documentary and seeing just how many people were actually involved, I did have one question that kept coming to mind “is this a case of too many cooks in the kitchen?” Time to find out.

Specs

• Diameter: 55.64mm
• Width: 46mm
• Gap Width: 4.34mm
• Base Weight (two halves, response pad, bearing): 64.20 grams
• Weight with aluminum Ultra Light Side Effects: 66.70 grams
• Stock Response: CLYW Snow Tires
• Bearing Size: One Drop 10 Ball Bearing

Construction

When these two companies set out to design the Summit they wanted a 50/50 split between the two so they pulled elements from two of their favorite designs. For CLYW it was the Avalanche and for One Drop, the Cascade. Ok, that is well and good but what does that mean? Well, for starters the profile is similar to the Avalanche but there are distinct differences. The Avalanche V-shape is there but it has been stretched giving the Summit more width. The rims are noticeably larger, the separation groove between the rims and the catch zone is quite a bit more pronounced, and the step out from the gap is wider as well. The Side Effect enabled cup design is Cascade in nature but there are differences with it as well. The cut separating the flat floor and the walls is more angular while the step in rim ring is not as thick nor does it have the concave cut in it that the Cascade step has. The Summit comes in solid colors, acid washes, and splashes…basically exactly what you would expect from these two companies. No matter what finish you choose they all come Pyramatte finished for a smooth feel in the hand. Overall, you can see the lineage while looking at the Summit but that is it. It is similar to seeing both parents while looking at a child. They are still wholly their own person and this is wholly its own yo-yo design.

Weight

The Summit is a solid and stable feeling yo-yo with a little bit of float to it. At 66.7 grams with stock aluminum Ultra Light Side Effects it is pushing middleweight and even beginning to venture into heavyweight territory. While I am usually a light yo-yo kind of thrower I am quite pleased with the feel on the string. You cannot feel the heft during play, which is a testament to the skill these two companies possess when it comes to distributing the weight throughout the yo-yo. The speed is darn near perfect in my opinion, giving the yo-yo a flowing feel while it moves in the air.

Response and Bearing

Keeping with the 50/50 split that came with designing the yo-yo, CLYW and One Drop each laid claim to one gap feature. One Drop chose to use their 10-Ball bearing in the Summit giving it that quiet play and smooth feel one expects from this bearing. The response is CLYW’s Snow Tire pad response. This is the first time I have used Snow Tires in a yo-yo and I must say I am quite impressed. I can see why Chris changed from the poured silicone that I was use to in CLYW yo-yos. The Snow Tires gave me excellent binds and feel similar to the Avalanches I have used that had a flowable silicone response. I can only imagine how much time CLYW is saving during assembly, all without sacrificing a lick of performance.

Playability

The single most asked question I get when talking about the Summit is does it play more like the Cascade or the Avalanche? Here is the answer; it plays like neither of them. There will be no comparisons with the Cascade or the Avalanche when talking about the play of the Summit because it has a feel completely unto its own. I touched on this in the weight section but I loved the floaty and flowing feel while moving from trick to trick. I am not a speedy or tech player so I prefer a yo-yo that moves well at a chilled out pace. For me, throwing is a way to relax and unwind… I do not want to feel rushed during play. The Summit gives me all of that while also giving me extended spin times and stability during all types of play. During this play test I decided to learn a new bind that requires lots of spin during a grind. It is the UFO bind where you pop the yoyo up while it is spinning horizontally and land the yo-yo on your palm while it spins on the cup and then you throw some slack into the gap having it bind back to your hand. It takes a lot of patience to get this right because you do have to move quickly. Luckily the tumbled finish and hefty rims allow you to get the timing down while having enough spin left to allow the yo-yo to bind return back to the hand. Other grinds are easy to pull off as well even a thumb grind, but you have to throw at a slight angle. The one that impressed me the most was a simple finger grind. The Summit was so darn smooth while simply spinning on my index finger. Over all the play is in a word, perfect.

Final Thoughts

The Summit lives up to its name. This yo-yo is a high point for both companies and I can see why it is an absolute favorite for Chris M. Not only does this set the bar high for CLYW and One Drop, it also sets the bar high for yo-yo collaborations in general. For most, this is going to be the entry point for these wonderful companies. It is going to be in abundant supply according to David at One Drop and is an excellent example of what to expect if you decide to stick with the boys from Eugene or head to Canada, land of the Yeti. My own thoughts… after you get a Summit you are going to want a little from each and that is all good.

Summit Documentary

Filmed, Directed and Edited by: Charles Haycock
Narrated by: Charles Haycock