"alternatives" - PREORDERS NOW OPEN.
1. Introduction & Prequel to "alternatives"
Introduction to Jim
Hi everyone! My name is Jim. I’m from Malaysia, and I’m the founder of "alternatives".
I started yo-yoing casually in 2008, took several breaks, and began playing more “seriously” from 2011 to 2015. I returned to yo-yoing in late 2022 and have been playing casually ever since. I’m not a well-known figure in the scene but am mostly recognized for placing 2nd four times at Malaysia Nationals haha.
Why blog?
I thought of starting a blog because I was a huge fan of singaporeyoing’s blog when I was new to yo-yoing, and I was also recruited to be a team member of yoyoacquaintance when it rebranded. Although blogging seems a bit outdated - at least in Southeast Asia - I think it could be a healthy medium to share my thoughts and maybe gain a few readers who are interested. Of course, it also helps drive traffic to our store :).
I believe the main challenge of starting a blog is following through on the idea and not stopping after a few weeks. But I’ll definitely try my best to post often and keep this going as long as possible.
Since this is the first entry, it’s only fitting to share a bit of the story behind "alternatives". Sit tight - it’s a bit of a long one and will stray off-topic a lot. It even involved comics, lore, and a little bit of drama! Here’s a quick prequel to "alternatives"...
Prequel to "alternatives" and MYYC2022
When I returned to yo-yoing in December 2022, it was purely out of boredom—and, I guess, age. I was 30 that year and thought picking up a hobby would be a good way to kill time and have something to fidget with to relieve work stress.
As I restarted my yo-yoing journey, MYYC (Malaysia Nationals) was just a week later. Getting back into freestyling at 30 after a seven-year absence was tough. There was a clear difference in flexibility, and I felt a lot of arm and shoulder stiffness even when I tried tricks that were easy back then. I still registered for Nats for the nostalgia. In hindsight, I do regret not staying in the game and just casually playing a bit - but that’s a topic for another day.
*For context - I still attended some contests like AP 2016 and 2018 and a few smaller ones when they didn’t have enough competitors. But I only did so because I got paid or it was convenient, and if I just happened to be free or in the area. It wasn't that I thought so highly of myself, but it was just that I had no passion for yo-yos during those years*
Anyway, I got 2nd at Malaysia Nationals 2022. After such a long hiatus, it was the first time I wasn’t nervous on stage because I didn’t care about the results. Funny enough, I totally fucked up that freestyle because I no longer had the skills to execute the tricks. I was still sweating balls, though.
*I was using a Trident by ThrowRevolution here*
I’m sharing this because, honestly, I was kinda bored at the contest. The organizers did an amazing job, and it was fun catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in years (like Azrul, Hafiz, Shakeel, etc.)... but the serious nature of National Yo-yo contests had people acting uptight, competitive, and just standing in corners practicing. But that’s just Nationals, I guess. It does mean a lot to some people to become National Champion, so I kinda get it?
So… because I was bored out of my mind, the idea of Stronger Yo-yo Cup was born.
*Side note: Malaysia Nationals 2022 was also the first time I met Quoc Anh who would win Episode 1, 2 & 4 in X-Division, and Xavier Ng, who would eventually become the Stronger Episode 5 & 6 1A champion. It was also the first time I saw Brandon Vu in years, and didn't know he became a yo-yo celebrity haha.*
To be continued...