SPYY – Technology for Players

Summer Adventures with a look at the Stryker

Hey everyone, from now on I’ll be adding little insights to the blog every so often. My first one will be a small account of my jam packed summer travels.


Three days after I got out of school, I flew up to Arizona to hang out with the YoYoFactory boys and travel to California for the Bay Area Classic. Tyler and Miguel were quite the hosts. Next, I flew home and then off to St Louis for a week of family time. I saw the Arch, participated in a Breast cancer awareness walk, and helped earn money for a family member going into surgery. After that I spent some time in Virginia Beach going to the water and seeing friends.


I was lucky enough to be able to drive up with fellow Virginia player Mikhail Tulabut to Mid Atlantic Regionals where I was able to see Joe Mitchell’s store YoYoJoe’s and compete in the 1A division. I placed 2nd overall which has earned me a spot to compete at Nationals, which I will be attending.





For those that do not know, I attend a 4 year college for Mechanical Engineering on a Navy ROTC scholarship, part of my commitments have me do summer training while still in school. This year I went on the USS George H. W. Bush, CVN 77. This is the newest aircraft carrier in the fleet: a jostling, busy, industrial city on the water. I worked and slept on the ship for a month gaining insight and experience on the enlisted way of life. Most of my time was on the flight deck with F-18′s (jet)and SH-60′s (helicopter) for search and rescue training. I learned a lot and stayed quite busy.



Right in the middle of my big adventure Steve was kind enough to invite me to join the team. Upon returning from my voyage on the sea, I found a nice little package waiting for me at home full of all the best supplies SPYY has to offer. The Flying V, Punchline, Pistolero, Pro, and Stryker. Most people have seen and possibly had some playing time with most of the line so I’m going to focus a little more on the Stryker, SPYY’s newest release.


The Stryker is a solid undersized addition with a strong profile. The weight feels consistent with the others like the Trainwreck or Punchline. It can be used for speed or take its sweet time as you roll though your arsenal of trickery. Its small stature make it pleasant for chopstick style tricks and complex maneuvers. One of the biggest surprises to me was the Stryker with the addition of a counterweight; personally, this is how I like to play with mine. It has the perfect weight for 5A and while it is undersized, the shape makes it open up for big time tricks. As with most of Steve’s newer stuff, it comes with a large bearing and recessed pads so playability is outstanding. The Stryker is definitely a promising addition to the SPYY list of throws so please, go to your favorite store and pick one up





As of right now I am in Iowa with Seth Peterson, Dave Poyzer, and Danny Severance getting in some practice before Worlds. You can expect a small vid of the Stryker in play over the next week See you all in Orlando!


Kindest regards,
Joey