NATIONAL YO-YO CONTEST

EVERY YEAR CHICO PLAYS HOST TO THE NATIONAL YO-YO CONTEST

And it's the longest running National Yo-Yo contest in the world!

YO-YOing: CHILD'S TOY OR SPORT?

Well, this is a far cry from the couple of yo-yo tricks I did as a kid before my string tangled on me - Walk the Dog . . . Around the World. Innovations in yo-yo design (including ball-bearing performance design) have vastly improved the quality of tricks that are possible with current-day yo-yos. If you're like me, you won't believe what you're seeing!

If you've not seen this new sport in action, you need to come to Chico! The Chico Yo-Yo Club meets in Diamond Alley (behind Bird in Hand) every Saturday from Noon to 2:00 p.m. You'll see newcomers, as well as experienced players, working side-by-side to practice and improve their yo-yoing skills.

The Club also hosts a regional contest on one of the first Saturdays in June (the first day of summer break for most of the area's schools) to showcase local kids who come from Chico and other Butte County towns, as well as from places like Redding and Yuba City.

But the really big event is the Nat'l Yo-Yo Contest, which is held on the first Saturday of October every year. There's a National Championship crown for the winner in each of 5 styles of yo-yoing.

And a little added treat - The National Spin-top Contest is held in conjunction with the Yo-Yo Contest. People vie for the title of Best Spin-top Player in the United States.

And participants range in age from early under 10 to over 45 (with no upper limit!). The youngest person to win the World Yo-Yo Championships was 12, and the oldest was 54.

Here are some other Chico Events that you'll want to know about:

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