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Yo-yo Contest Tier List (2023 - 2025)
When I came back to yo-yoing in December 2022, I wanted to make the most of this journey. I started a yo-yo company, recruited some of the best players in Southeast Asia, organized contests, and attended a lot of them too. In fact, I’ve attended 18 contests over 29 months — that’s a contest every 1.61 months, or every 48.33 days!
Here’s a chronological list of every contest I’ve attended:
- MYYC 2022 – Malaysia Nationals 2022
- EP1 2023 – Stronger Yo-yo Cup Episode 1
- EP2 2023 – Stronger Yo-yo Cup Episode 2
- SYYC 2023 – Singapore Nationals 2023
- EP3 2023 – Stronger Yo-yo Cup Episode 3
- THNYC 2023 – Thailand Nationals 2023
- MYYC 2023 – Malaysia Nationals 2023
- EP4 2024 – Stronger Yo-yo Cup Episode 4
- Expressiyon 2024
- EP5 2024 – Stronger Yo-yo Cup Episode 5
- INYC 2024 – Indonesia Nationals 2024
- SYYC 2024 – Singapore Nationals 2024
- THNYC 2024 – Thailand Nationals 2024
- MYYC 2024 – Malaysia Nationals 2024
- VNYC 2024 – Vietnam Nationals 2024
- EP6 2025 – Stronger Yo-yo Cup Episode 6
- Showcase Vol. 2
- SJYConcepts 2025
However, not all contests are created equal. Some were better than others — and a few, not so much. So here’s my tier list of every contest I’ve attended since returning to yo-yoing.
These are some of the criteria I considered when putting the list together. Some are more important than others, and I’ve probably missed a few things too.
Venue – For both spectators and competitors
Audience
- Stage visibility
- Lighting
- Acoustics and sound: Was the emcee good? Was the music too loud or too quiet? Were announcements clear?
- Seating or standing space: Was it comfortable to watch?
- Temperature and comfort: Too hot or cold?
- Location perks: Food options, walkability, accessibility
- Backdrop: Did it distract from the player?
Competitors
- Ceiling height
- Stage size
- Practice space
- Music mishaps
- Prizes
Schedule
- Did the contest run on time, or did it overrun?
- Were transitions between divisions smooth?
Vibe
- How was the overall energy?
- Was the audience excited and engaged?
- Was there a good balance of competition, social interaction, and vendor presence?
- Did it feel like just a contest, or a community event?
Player Lineup and Prestige
- Did well-known players attend?
- Was there international participation?
- Production value: How was the post-contest footage and coverage?
Competition Quality
- Were the freestyles worth watching?
- How was the judging?
Memorability
- Did I get post-contest depression?
- Will we still be talking about this contest years from now
Organizing Team
- Was the event well promoted?
- Was info (dates, venue, divisions, registration) announced early and clearly?
- Did major brands participate/sponsor?
- Did vendors/sponsors get proper visibility?
- Did the registration fee match the venue?
Here’s my tier list! Do take note I am more critical to National contests over non-sanction/independent contest. Also note that because a contest is good/bad today, it doesn't mean the next one will still be equally good/bad.
*Typo above - Expressiyon is in 2024*
Even though SYYC 2023 might have been my least favorite contest in recent years, others have told me they really enjoyed it. Likewise, even though EP6 made it into my SS tier, I felt the judging needed work and it also had some scheduling issues.
That said — these are just my opinions.
Do you agree or disagree? Did I miss anything?
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