Slithering Hippo Aa7
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
April 28, 2013

Introduction

Slithering Hippo has been around for a little while now but has, at this point, only released one yoyo, the featherweight Delrin known as The Answer. I reviewed The Answer several months back and thought it was a fun and novel yo-yo but it ended there, as a very well playing novelty. Today I am looking at the next yo-yo from Slithering Hippo, the Aa7. It is the first aluminum yo-yo from the company and in keeping with their mantra of giving something different and unique to the community, the Aa7 is a beefcaked, A-Bearing, midsized yo-yo. Now, I was a little apprehensive when I heard this. My last experience with a beefcaked yo-yo was the Werrd TFL and I was less that enthused. Any yo-yo that is so loud that it makes my dog tuck tail and run from the room is not something I want to play. I should mention that this is not hyperbole; my dog at the time 130-pound bloodhound was actually scared of the TFL. Now we get to see if the Aa7 is another banshee, a mute, or something in between.

Specs

• 53mm Diameter
• 42mm Width
• 4.2mm Gap
• 64g Weight
• Two A-size Custom Terrapin Bearings
• Flowable Silicone Response

Construction

The theory behind the beefcake design is quite sound. It gives all of the bonuses of using an A-Bearing while also allowing for a larger gap found in a C-Bearing yoyo without the need for spacers. The main advantage of the small bearing is that it gives longer and more powerful spins thanks to the string being allowed to wrap around the bearing more times than a larger bearing. The extra wraps give extra torque on the initial throw. The down side is that smaller bearings are more prone to snagging. The snagging problem is negated with the beefcake setup that opens up the gap quite a bit.

The Aa7 profile shows off a classic butterfly shape with H-Shape rims. There is an undercut near the gap that steps the string out away from the walls and gives a subtle shift in weight away from the center. The Aa7 is quite comfortable to hold in the hand even with the angular cut rims. Playing it is almost as comfortable but the harsh angles can hit wrong if you accidentally catch the yo-yo at the vertex of the outer rim. The cup has a rounded inner wall that travels all the way to the floor where there is a protruding ring before reaching the floor. At the center is a tiny flat hub. There is an IGR cut into the underside of the rim that is definitely deep enough to perform a thumb grind. The finish on the Aa7 is an extremely smooth bead blast that feels soft and smooth to the touch. This is definitely one of the better blasts that I have felt. All Aa7 yo-yos come anodized in black but to add some color Slithering Hippo employed an auto body shop to professionally cut vinyl prismatic decals that are applied to the rims and a logo sticker to the floor. I am torn on the stickers. The rim stickers are quite striking and add some flash especially when playing in direct sunlight but I think this yoyo would look amazing in simple, solid colors spanning the entire rainbow. Overall the design is classic in nature and feels great in the hand.

Weight

I am beginning to think Slithering Hippo has a thing against the heavier yo-yos… and I could not be happier with that. The Aa7 is a lightweight 64 gram player, a far cry from the 42 gram Answer but by no means a chunky monkey on the string. This yo-yo is fast and nimble during play with absolutely no float to it.

Response and Bearing

Slithering Hippo decided to go with a poured silicone response. I found it to be expertly poured but it needed to be flush with the groove instead of recessed. The speed at which the Aa7 is spinning causes slipped binds; the thicker Toxic GR3AT White string that comes with every Aa7 negates this. The response is a nonissue since you can easily strip it out and pour a flush response if you prefer a thinner string like I do.

The bearings are a set of custom cut Terrapin bearings. The edges have a slight angle to them that act as a groove for the string when you put them side-by-side in the gap. They are blessedly quiet during play and I found they do not scare my current dog like they did my bloodhound in the past. I have found that they have this insanely cool hushed whizzing noise while throwing. Yeah, it truly is the little things that make me smile.

Playability

It has been a while since I have played a small bearing yo-yo so I had forgotten the difference in feel. On the first throw I was amazed at the powerful spins the Aa7 provides. This thing is not messing around and feels like it could spin for days. The Aa7 is exceedingly stable during play even when I accidentally smacked it against my desk during a botched Ninja Vanish. It transitions easily from vertical to horizontal during a Gyro Flop with pin point control of the rotation. Now I will make no bones about it, this yo-yo is fast on the string with instantaneous direction changes when you want them. I can see the Aa7 being great at tech and competition play since those are styles that have the yo-yo bouncing around the string like a monkey on a Red Bull, a pace that the Aa7 feels quite comfortable at. Grinds are equally impressive thanks to that bead blast finish. Palm and finger grinds have an increased sense of control thanks to the powerful spin times; the same goes for thumb grinds. Just about the only grind I had a problem with was the sideways palm grind bind. The stickers reduce the spin quite a bit making that particular grind harder to pull off. I am betting if I removed the stickers it would work beautifully. Play wise this yo-yo is no joke. The performance is impressive especially when you consider that it is only a $60 yo-yo.

Final Thoughts

I must admit, I am guilty of prejudging the Aa7 based on the beefcake design and novelty factor of the Answer. I thought it was going to be another gimmick and something to pass on, even at $60. I could not have been more wrong. This yo-yo is a top-notch player and a darn good value at that price. About the only thing I would change, and this is purely my own preference, is that I would remove the stickers. I prefer a more subdued look but I am by no means the majority. Looking at the forums shows that others love the look as is. At any rate I can honestly recommend this yo-yo to anyone looking for a powerful and fun playing yo-yo at a value price.