Ricerocket Spacks
By Jake Willis

I am a big fan of hub spikes, I have been known to balance my Hugo Z Hor on my thumb and stare at the wonder that was gyroscopic balancing. When Brett asked me if I had a yo-yo with hubstacks I could get off so I could write a review of spacks, I was thrilled to try them out.

I tried them on a couple different throws (b-grade Skyline and a 1st gen Plastic Grind Machine. They were easy to get on and fit perfectly. In fact, they fit a little better than some YYF parts I have tried. The plastic is tough and seems strong enough to hold up to anything. Although I thought at first they looked like badass body jewelry, it didn’t take long to see that these were serious pieces of equipment right away.

These things are so precisely made that you can’t see that they are spinning at all when they’re on the yo-yo. I removed the hubstacks from my Skyline because I felt they made the yo-yo less smooth. When I put the Spacks on, it didn’t add ANY vibe at all, and now I could do anything I could with stacks just as easily if not easier with Spacks. They integrate perfectly, and really add to the playability of the yo-yo.

Because these are long, they stick out just past the rims on the side of the skyline and the PGM. It makes it way easier to catch and to tricks without accidentally hitting the yo-yo on a catch or anything like that. I am no expert on 5A, but when chucking a counterweight around, I was able to grab the yo-yo while it was spinning with little to no problem. It was definitely a win and easier than hubstacks, even though it hurt a little bit on a hard catch. Sharp spikes will spin longer on a side sleeper / Buddha sleeper than a stacked yo-yo (in my experience) and Spacks are no exception.

In addition, I am able to do a thumb grind on my Skyline with the Spacks on. There’s not enough room for me to do with hubstacks on.

There are a few things I didn’t like about playing with Spacks, and none of them were big negatives. Although it makes them easier to catch since they stick out a bit from the side, it does make it a bad idea to put this yo-yo in a pocket. I did it once out of habit and sat down, stabbing my self in the leg. It didn’t draw blood, but it hurt. These suckers are sharp. It’s almost too sharp. The spin times are incredible and they’re easy to catch, but there’s pain with that pleasure. Even catching it on your fingers is a little painful.

The other issue I have is that they are pretty difficult to get off. I had to wrap it with cloth and work it off with pliers. It’s not a negative for me, because that means they fit extremely well, and I am not taking them off any time soon. These are extremely well made, fun, and for the price a great addition to any yo-yo with a hubstack axle.

If you love spikes, get these. Don’t even hesitate. If you like spikes but have trouble catching them or making it work, get these. I can’t tell you how much fun it was to try these out, and how much easier it made it to do tricks. I am replacing all my stacks as soon as I can. These are definitely a win.