YoYo Community Koy
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
October 5, 2014

Introduction

The YoYo Community Koy is the new signature yo-yo for YYC team member Odon Alberto Jr. and was co-designed by him and fellow team member Alex Whitney. This yo-yo is designed to meet the needs of multiple styles of play, including 1A, 3A, and 5A. For those that do not know who Odon is, he was the winner of the Toxic Strings video contest early in 2012 and then later that year he was the runner up for Best Junior YoYo Player of the Year, an award that is only voted on by his industry peers. Odon is a young player whose videos I have been keeping an eye on for quite some time. I expect we will be seeing great things from him on the competition circuit in the not so distant future. Now lets see what his signature yo-yo has to offer.

Specs

• Diameter: 56mm
• Width: 41.88mm
• Gap: 4.14mm
• Weight: 65.8 grams
• Response: One Drop Silicone Pads
• Bearing: B.O.S.S. Rage Bearing

Construction

The YYC website states that the Koy is “manufactured by world renowned machinist Shawn Nelson of One Drop YoYos” which instantly gives players a point of reference when thinking about the quality of the machining. The profile is a stepped V-Shape design, which combines the weight distribution aspects of an H-Shape while giving the smoother play of a V-Shape. The step is tight giving a smooth transition for the string to follow all the way down to the gap. The gap itself is a no walled design keeping the string isolated from the walls and extending the life of the string. The cup is a stepped design that pushes some of the weight away from the rim and adds stability during play. The central hub and floor are pretty much flat with a slight curve to accommodate a larger axle. The profile of the yo-yo is blasted with a fine media that feels great for grinds while the cup has been left polished to bring out the crazy ano designs that YYC employs for their Artistry Series. Over all, the Koy is a solid design that feels good in the hands thanks to the smooth V-Shape design and rounded outer rim edge.

Weight

Resisting the urge to keep all the weight at the rims pays off on the Koy. It has an extra level of stability that I have not felt in yo-yos with a similar shape. The almost 66 gram body still flies around on the string giving you zippy play when you want it. This is a yo-yo made for Odon’s style which leans towards the fast side and it shows with the Koy, which feels more at home darting from trick to trick similar to its name sake darting from meal to meal in the water.

Response and Bearing

The One Drop Flow Groove pads are pretty much the best in the business and are used by a wide variety of companies. They give strong binds and last darn near forever… a winning combination in my book.

The Rage bearing is a smooth but loud 10-ball bearing that gets the job done. A little thin lube fixes the noise a bit. This is a capable bearing with a long life; I have yet to have one die on me.

Playability

The Koy is smooth, stable, and speedy out of the box. It zips from trick to trick giving you loads of spin time to complete even the most complicated of combos. It will perform well during horizontal play but I noticed I had to force it a little to go off plane in tricks like Gyro Flop. This is a good thing for the many that want, or need, a yo-yo to learn with since it will stay on plane during the sloppiest of play. If you are one that transitions frequently between horizontal and vertical play you will want to be a little more purposeful in your movements in order to get it off axis. The fix for this is to throw it horizontally from the start if you are doing a horizontal combo. Grinds are great in all areas but thumb grinds. The finish on the profile gives perfect control when in contact with your palm, finger, or arm. The Koy was not designed for thumb grinds. In the cup there is no IGR, a thin rim edge, and a polished surface. You can do a thumb grind if you throw at an angle but it will stall if it comes into contact with the tip of your thumb due to the stickier polished surface. Over all the play is excellent, the thumb grinds are a small issue since fewer and fewer players are incorporating them into their combos and the of axis play is a non issue for the many who want a super stable yo-yo to learn with.

Final Thoughts

Odon wanted a yo-yo that would fit his play and still be great for many others out there who are looking for a new throw. I think he hit the mark on this one. It is a great trainer for many players and while I didn’t try it with 3A or 5A I can see that rock solid stability being extremely helpful for those that are learning those styles as well.