Corey Lynch, a freshman political science major, does not mind the nickname he has acquired since coming to Quinnipiac.
“I yo-yo, so ‘Yo-Yo Kid’ is an easy nickname to make,” Lynch said.
But when he is out doing tricks and people approach him or make a request, he is sure to introduce himself as Corey. His Facebook fan page, which incorporates both names, “QU CoreyYoYo,” has more than 400 fans. One of his YouTube videos has more than 1,000 views.
“If someone says, ‘Hi,’ I’m not always sure if I’ve yo-yoed for them or actually met them,” Lynch said. “More people know me than I know them. It’s cool.”
Lynch bought what he considered a decent yo-yo to attempt tricks with about a year ago.
“It’s fun to look back on all the tricks I wanted to learn when I was younger now that I’m older and able to do the more complicated stuff,” Lynch said.
People around campus share Lynch’s nostalgia for the tricks they wanted to do when they were younger. The three tricks Lynch is asked to demonstrate most often are “walk the dog,” a trick in which the yo-yo is “walked” along the ground, “around the world,” in which the yo-yo is swung in a wide circle, and “rock the baby,” in which the yo-yo spins inside a “cradle” of string.
Instead of scratching his expensive yo-yo by dragging it on the ground to show those tricks, Lynch tends to impress his audience with other tricks.
Lynch said he has a yo-yo on him about half of the time. He owns four yo-yos that range in cost from $15 to $100.
“It’s something unique [and] fun,” Lynch said. “It’s something I can have that’s mine.”
Another advantage for Lynch is that it is a relatively cheap hobby. His most expensive yo-yo, worth $100, was a gift. He learns new tricks through tutorials on YoYoExpert.com and buys the rest of his materials from the site as well.
He participated in the QU After Dark Talent Show this semester and took second place.
“It’s fun to show off and get attention,” Lynch said. “That’s the whole point, really to have fun.”
Lynch certainly does get attention from Quinnipiac’s students. At the SPB Fall Concert featuring Third Eye Blind, Lynch performed to a crowd chanting for “Yo-Yo Kid.”
“I still can’t believe that happened,” Lynch said. “That was intense with everyone watching me. It’s cool that so many people know me. I got more cheers than the opening band.”
If Lynch puts out his hat and perform tricks while waiting in line at Toad’s Place in New Haven, he usually makes enough to cover the entry fee. His favorite trick to do is “Mach 5,” which is a trick that gives the illusion of a floating yo-yo with the hands rotating around it in a circle, because it is simple to execute and easily impresses people.
It takes Lynch anytime from a few hours to a few weeks to learn a new trick. In the beginning of the year he practiced, or “jammed,” nearly every day and now that the weather is colder he still manages to do so five days a week.
“Most time I spend is doing… or changing stuff I already know or [making] stuff I already know faster,” Lynch said. “It’s not work for me, I’m not trying to make it work.”
In the future, Lynch plans on learning different styles such as off-string and counterweight.
Off-string is a freehand style in which the string is not connected to the yo-yo and it is possible to throw the yo-yo in the air. Counterweight is another freehand style in which the string of the yo-yo is not connected to the person’s hand.
On campus, Lynch plans to start a yo-yo club or a more general ized Talent Club for the students either this upcoming spring or fall semester.
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Check out Corey trickin’ out around campus.
Corey’s links
