I started to write a reply to IndySteve's post below but it got me thinking on something more. (And for the record, if you can't afford it, you can't afford it, Steve. There's always the next event).

I've been very open, I believe, about the fact that I show up at events and support the scene not because of the play but because of the people. I have some great friends and generally just like the people I hang with at yoyo contests. I try to pick up a few tricks while I'm there but usually I find myself saying, "No, show me a simpler trick".

Now a lot of the non-competitive players are modders and others are collectors. So I don't think they feel the same pressure because people know their deal. I'm sure Eric Wolf feels no pressure to be an amazing player at a yoyo contest because everyone respects him for.. well, just about everything else.

So those of us that do not mod, or collect or own yoyo companies are defaulted to feeling like we simply suck. Which is silly because we have no push to be competition quality. I'm perfectly content with my silly little combos and moves from 1999. I know that I have other things in my life after 3pm besides finishing homework. But yet somehow there's this attitude left over from those days that if I can't amaze the next guy-- well, why did you bother showing up?

Now if I may flash back for a second: A few years back I went to AP, it's where I first met Fajar. ANd feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here, anyone, but as I remember it: a bunch of us were hanging out one night and I said, "You know I should be more indignant about the fact that I'm not some hot-shot player. I am going to start shunning fast, quick new tricks. We should make that like something we wear on our chests." and half jokingly I said, "Old school is my religion." And Fajar was the one who picked that up and said, "Hell yeah." And high-fived me and I think he made it his signature for a while. Of course what is funny is that I think Fajar is one of the top off-string guys around and can hold his own at any contest, so he's not really one of us casual, party-players.

But that said! I'm bringing it back!

Not as "Old school", because I don't think that really accurately describes how I feel. I think there is a better term, a better phrase for all of us who simply like doing tricks that we can recognize as they happen, ones that are more fun for the guy doing them than the audience, ones that impress women and make children think you're somehow magic. Ones you can do on a yoyo you didn't have to clean and tune 5 minutes before you threw it.

So I would like to stand up here (as best you can stand up on a web-board) and say:

Lo-Fi Players Unite!