SPYY – Technology for Players

a shout out.

i’m doing pretty well. you know, having a good week. good month. good year. i got a cool new yo… fly colors and it has my name on it. i get a lot of stuff, y’know? some great free toys… some folding money… get to go to lots of great contests… receive far more attention and praise than i deserve, and yet i don’t seem to need to do anything apart from what i really enjoy to get it.

today, i wanted to send a shout out to those who aren’t having such a great week, or maybe just a typical mundane one – who don’t get free stuff and all expenses paid. to players whose every throw isn’t met with undue congratulation. to players who keep their egos in check and throw because throwing is a joy, and its own reward. i also wanted to say thanks to players who push their tricks up a mountain like sisyphus every day, and don’t complain when they roll right back down – who invent cool moves that no one besides themselves will ever care about. thank you to the players who yank up their sleeves and compete despite positively no chance of placing (and thanks to the wonderful naivete that protects some of those kids from that searing revelation). a shout out to all the old men who came up at a time when we weren’t too jaded to throw a wicked spinner and simply REGARD it as something magical, marveling at the forces involved (and props to the folks who STILL do that). my humble gratitude goes out to kids who actually mow lawns, sit babies, sweep out garages, and vacuum the steps so that they can shell out for jensen’s superstar or guy’s punchline, or else afford to make it to worlds. a tip of the hat to players living in utter ‘return-top isolation’, hundreds of miles from the nearest contest or other dedicated throwers, who do their thing alone, day after day, their creativity forced to feed upon itself. also a nod to those who are of so strong a will as to remain their own primary inspiration, despite being surrounded by incredible players every day. props to the players who finally, FINALLY nail that elusive trick, pause smiling after the catch, and pump the air with their fist… only to look around and find that no one was watching. sincere appreciation to those denizens of the online forums who actually conduct themselves with the same level of respect and sense that they would use in person, and to those who drop the majority of their posts in the guide, help, and beginners’ sections, despite having ‘outgrown’ them. thanks also to the LADIES, who dig throwing enough to confront a 35:1 ratio, only to be perpetually objectified by adolescent nimrod-boys. and above all, thanks forever to those who recognize that the drama of ‘who’s sponsored by whom’, or that bold new colorway, or the audacity of the latest contest results… pales in comparison with the simple glory of the act.

to all those folks, my gratitude and respect (though i understand that you don’t need it). more than the top 3 finishers at worlds, more than the hyped new throws all prepped to drop, more than the death grudge between forum x and forum y, and more than teams swelling with names swelling with pride… it’s you who keep our little world spinning.