SEATTLE — What does it take to be named the world's greatest yo-yo'er? Gentry Stein says Practice, practice, practice. 6 to 8 hours a day.
“I started yo-yo-ing when I was about eight years old,” he says. “I practice a ton.”
Stein practices so much he gets sore.
“My fingers tend to get pretty ripped apart from the strings,” he says. “It's kind of like a rope burn, but you get used to it.”
The Chico California resident has been competing at the Pacific Northwest Regionals since 2010.The yo-yo may be a toy, but it has opened up his world.
“I've traveled to 25 different countries to share my love for this and to compete in contests,” he says.
Stein has taught people how to yo-yo on five different continents and, along the way, become the biggest name in the sport. One awestruck fan interrupted our shoot to get a selfie.
With his big smile and mellow California vibe, Stein is a great ambassador for yo-yo-ing but he has to get serious as competitions draw closer.
“It's a three-minute routine choreographed to music so it's really a full-on performance,” he says. “I'm not only practicing my tricks and trying to have the best tricks on stage but I also have to have the best musicality and perform with the highest level of entertainment that I can.”
Gentry Stein will be at the Pacific Northwest Regional Yo-Yo Championships Saturday at the Seattle Center Armory. The event is free and open to the general public.
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