Yo-yo tourney puts new spin on competition

AMHERST - South Hadley native Marian Matheson told her daughter to watch for the yo-yos swirling and looping around her, but Caroline, 6, needed no reminder as she wandered transfixed by the tricks executed around her.
The two came for a Sunday afternoon of entertainment, but 78 contestants found themselves in the Cape Cod Lounge of the University of Massachusetts Student Union building pitted against one another for prizes and bragging rights in the forth annual Massachusetts State Yo-yo competition. Sponsored by a host of yo-yo industry companies and organized by UMass grad student and former yo-yo player Andre Boulay, individuals spent the afternoon comparing Suicide Catches, Eli Hops and Kurukuru Milks. Other players have come from as far afield as Virginia to compete in the event that for the first time features cash prizes, enough to attract top yo-yo players.
But the prizes are not the only thing they are going for. While Eric Koloski, of Easthampton, national champion and ranked fourth in the world, said the prize is a motivator, he added that being around people with similar interests is a reward in itself. Koloski, 18, has been practicing for 10 years and said, 'It's great because you have this hobby that you love to do and being here with other people doing the same thing gives you the opportunity to interact.'
Koloski is generous in saying the others are performing similar tricks. Koloski is sponsored by YoyoJam and has his name on his own yo-yo model, the Eric Koloski Extreme K-OS. His mother, Teri Koloski, still describes him as a 'quiet kid,' despite the fact that he often takes the stage for packed rooms and performs. Eric is an employee of Northampton's A2Z Science and Learning Store, which doubles as a dojo of sorts for local yo-yo players. There, he teaches and participates in classes and offers expert advice in all areas of the activity.
Teri Koloski said the network of yo-yo players is a supportive group. They compare tricks and get excited about learning from one another, and she credits the dynamic to A2Z's yo-yo guru, Jack Finn.
While watching one of his students, Nate Gendron, accept a raucous round of applause mid-performance, Finn said it was great to watch the youngsters he teaches grow and develop.
Nate started competing four years ago and has since won the world championship in the 11 and under division of sports looping.
He allowed only a quick smile to the crowd, choosing instead to focus on the yo-yo spinning around his leg in a premeditated and well-executed web of string.
Finn holds classes in his King Street shop three times a week for people of all ages and has done so for the past 10 years. Finn started practicing at age 50 and often marvels at how quickly his younger students pick up on more advanced tricks.
Don LaPlante is the captain of Team LaPlante, but only because he has a driver's license. He and the other members of his team, who happen to be his grandchildren, went to compete but to be together, as well. His team is a model of the A2Z store with players of different ages helping one another through trick sequences.
'It's great because with other sports, like baseball or soccer, they are out on the field. With this, they are right there, and you can interact with them directly,' said LaPlante, sporting a Team LaPlante T-shirt.
Boulay said the competition is a great opportunity for people to come out and compete as the season is a slow one for Massachusetts players.
Judges furiously clicked on counters held under the tables in front of them as they kept track of the positive and negative aspects of each performance, but LaPlante wasn't too distracted by that during his chance to compete. With little competition in the Beginners 65 and over competition, he sat back amused by his grandchildren on what he said was for him 'a perfect day.'