Today is the bitterest of bittersweet days. Today marks my last batch of shows and demos on this tour. There couldn’t be a nicer place to wrap up than at Disney World but, it just stings to know that it has to end for me.

The Heritage Tour has been nothing but, the best times in the best places with the best people. Before we even got out here, I considered Drew Tetz, Hank Freeman, and Takeshi Kamisato among my family. But, I like to think that getting out there and doing shows, demonstrating, blogging and throwing contests has let the rest of the world in on how special the bond within Duncan Crew is. There really is nothing like our crew anywhere and I appreciate it more now than I ever have.

We rocked our shows like we rocked every single stop on this tour. We showed the Disney audiences how much joy and love we have for our craft, them and each other. We went the extra mile to throw some special moments into our last shows. And we put the finishing touches on a tour we will be proud of for a long time to come.

A huge thank you goes out to all of the yo-yo legends, retailers, players and nonplayers that allowed us in your places and hearts, or came out to the demos and made this all very special. You are a part of the legacy we are building and you will be remembered.

Duncan Equals Love. Never forget that.

Duncan Heritage Tour 01

Today was another super hit of a day. Takeshi and I met up with Hank and Drew early in the day to do some screen printing for the tour. For me, it was a great learning experience. I knew so little about the art of screen printing and I can now proudly say, I know a little. Hank has quite a few years experience at it so, it was cool to see him display high level skill in something other than skill toys.

After a quick stop by the Duncan office to stock the van with product, we were on our way to do a demo at the Big Fun store in Lakewood(Cleveland, Ohio). This demo was one of the coolest demos I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of, from the very first minute on site. We walked in the door and there were already people in the store showing an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm for life in general and of course, that enthusiasm spilled over into love for Duncan yo-yos. The best part is that the enthusiasm sustained for our entire time there.

We had quite a few great people come out and get excited about what we had going on. Phil from Papa Nick’s Pizza dropped in and was immediately so impressed that he decided that he would go back down to his shop and whip up pizzas especially for us. The pizzas were delicious and a little later in the demo Papa Nick stopped by and checked out some spintop and yo-yo throwing. He told us a little about Duncan demonstrators that visited him as a child before World War II and that definitely put some perspective on the Heritage Tour.

The rest of the demo was more and more rad happenings. We had every age group represented. Spin Tops were a massive hit. And,it just felt good to be there. You really can’t always put a finger on what makes these things so very good. You just know it when you feel it and being a part of it is everything that playing yo-yo can be.

We wrapped up the demo when the store had to close and we met up with more of our friends at a restaurant called Bo Loong and had a fine meal. It’s so nice to look back on memories mere minutes after they go down. A little later, Brandon met up with us and made our already classy van that much classier. He put a logo on the back window for the tour and it’s serious fancy.

Today we meant business and we showed it. Today marks the first day we were joined by Drew Tetz and were firing at full power. It felt good and will only get better as the tour rolls on.

We started the day meeting up with Brandon Jackson and Mike Burke to smooth over any details that needed to be addressed and stopped in for a quick hello at the Duncan offices. After that, we went directly into demo mode and had a great time. We did a television interview with WJW Fox 8 in Cleveland. They were super nice and did a spot in support of our demo today and the demos we have regionally for the rest of the week. No matter how many times you do it, playing yo-yo on television is way too much fun. I highly recommend it.

After we finished up the television shoot, we hung out in Coventry(Cleveland, OH) and connected with some of the locals on the street. I love how easy it is to relate to people by simply having a toy in your hand knowing full well that they have spent time with it at some point. It’s so nice and it definitely reinforces having faith in the goodness of people.

We then grouped up at Big Fun for our real deal demo. Big Fun is one of the coolest toys anywhere. Steve Presser (owner of Big Fun) is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met, when it comes to the history of classic toys and yo-yo is no exception. They had a good selection of Duncan Classic Line yo-yos on hand and even had some original 1960s Duncan Tournament “crossed flags” in stock. You never get to see them mint in package in a store anymore. It was pretty mind blowing.

Of course, the demo itself shaped up to be a fantastic time. We had some local twentysomethings come in and learn some basics, as they had never really learned to play. We had a feisty 3 year old that could already read and recognize the Duncan logo. We had some rad elementary school aged kids excited to learn about the five styles of yo-yoing and we had some surprises in store as many members of the Cleveland Yo-Yo Club came out and supported.(http://www.clevelandyoyoclub.com/) If you find yourself out here and want to get up with some players from the area and learn, teach or just hang out, look them up and stop on by. You won’t be sorry.

We hung out at Big Fun until it was time for them to shut down but, of course, just because the demo is over it does not mean that you have to stop having fun or demoing. right?

We went with a large posse over to a spot called Melt and I must say….WOW. It’s a cool place with some insane(good insane) food and the coolest staff any restaurant could ask for. We had a fine meal and eventually turned it into an impromptu late night demo. We continued with the teaching of tricks and the performing and general good times until the wee hours when we absolutely had to retire. It’s easy to see that when you show up nearly anywhere with a shirt that reads “Duncan Yo-Yo Professional” driving a van with a serious yo-yo related paint job, You Are The Event. Days like this are what legend is made of.