The U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest is the culminating yo-yo competition of the National Yo-Yo League (NYYL). The winner of this event in any of the five divisions is deemed the US National Yo-Yo Champion — the only event to award such a title in the United States. The winner of this competition gains the seed to the semi-final at the World Yo-Yo Contest as the United States representative. The contest has traditionally taken place in Chico, California, home to the National Yo-Yo Museum. Players qualify for the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest through one of the nine NYYL sanctioned Regional competition. The National Yo-Yo League is the officially recognized organizing body for the United States competitive yo-yo circuit. In addition to the contest, they present US National Yo-Yo Museum awards and other honorary awards given to individuals who have contributed significantly to the yo-yo community. There are presently no plans for the 2018 competition.
History The first National Yo-Yo Contest took place in 1993. The contest has been hosted by the Bird In Hand yo-yo store, and owner Bob Malowney, in Chico, California. For many years, the contest took place in the Chico City Park.
Current Champions
There are currently five U.S. National Champions. They each earn the right to represent the United States at the World Yo-Yo Contest, either in the semi-finals for 1A, or the finals for 2A-5A.
Only Zach Gormley, Yuuki Spencer, Gentry Stein, and Evan Nagao have ever won the 1A division more than once. Alex Hattori holds the record for National Titles with 10 in as many years. Shane Karan and Evan Nagao remain the only players to ever win two divisions in the same year. California has produced the most Nation Champions over the years. In 2013, Ian Johnson completed a flawless routine in the 4A division.
+ 2026 ResultsStyleWinner2nd3rd 1A Thomas Rajan Chandler Steele Hunter Feuerstein 2A Matt Szeto Ryan Lai Yoshi Mikamoto 3A Aliyah Tan Ian Smith Danny Van 4A Ryan Connolly Josiah Pulsifer Myles Gregory 5A Sterling Quinn Jared Marcus Michael Ferdico
Past Champions
YearStyleWinner2nd3rd 2025 1A Connor Seals Chandler Steele Hunter Feuerstein 2A Matt Szeto Connor Scholten Will Smith 3A Don Hodgkinson Aliyah Tan Ian Smith 4A Ryan Connolly Josiah Pulsifer Chen Zhao 5A Jared Marcus John Wolfe Adam Reeder 2024 1A Justin Dauer Connor Seals Hunter Feuerstein 2A Matt Szeto Cedric Mar Eusantos Ian Smith 3A Alex Hattori Don Hodgkinson Aliyah Tan 4A Philip White Ryan Connolly Hunter Feuerstein 5A John Wolfe Jared Marcus Adam Reeder & Yingjie Shen (Tie) 2023 1A Evan Nagao Hunter Feuerstein Connor Seals 2A Evan Nagao Connor Scholten John Datoy-Narum 3A Alex Hattori Aliyah Tan Don Hodgkinson 4A Ryan Connolly John Datoy-Narum Ian Johnson 5A Jared Marcus John Wolfe Theodore Munoz 2022 1A Evan Nagao Leo Chan Hunter Feuerstein 2A John Ando Connor Scholten Dennis Shatter 3A Alex Hattori Don Hodgkinson Aliyah Tan 4A Ryan Connolly Myles Gregory Ian Smith 5A Jared Marcus Ian Smith Theodore Munoz 2019 1A Gentry Stein Connor Seals Chandler Steele 2A Tyler Hsieh Hans Yim Yu Tsumura 3A Alex Hattori Don Hodgkinson Aliyah Tan 4A Ryan Connolly Myles Gregory Connor Seals 5A John Wolfe Jared Marcus Tyler Severance 2018 1A Evan Nagao Gentry Stein Nathan Dailey 2A Connor Scholten Robb Kitts Dennis Shatter 3A Alex Hattori Colin Beckford Don Hodgkinson 4A Ryan Connolly Philip White Christopher Chunn 5A John Wolfe Owen Ekblad Jared Marcus 2017 1A Evan Nagao Gentry Stein Michael Ferdico 2A Connor Scholten Dennis Shatter Josh Yee 3A Alex Hattori Don Hodgkinson Aliyah Tan 4A Philip White Zac Rubino Ian Smith 5A Josh Yee Owen Ekblad Jared Marcus 2016 1A Gentry Stein Zach Gormley Colin Beckford 2A Joseph Harris Connor Scholten Yoshi Mikamoto 3A Alex Hattori Hank Freeman Patrick Borgerding 4A Philip White Michael Nakamura Zac Rubino 5A John Wolfe Josh Yee Anthony Rojas 2015 1A Gentry Stein Andrew Maider Nathan Dailey 2A Grant Johnson Connor Scholten Tyler Hsieh 3A Alex Hattori Elliot Ogawa Don Hodgkinson 4A Philip White Michael Nakamura Zac Rubino 5A Jake Elliott John Wolfe Chase Baxter 2014 1A Zach Gormley Gentry Stein Anthony Rojas 2A Joseph Harris Connor Scholten Benjamin McPhee 3A Alex Hattori Patrick Borgerding Eliot Ogawa 4A Zac Rubino Michael Nakamura Ian Johnson 5A Tyler Severance Jake Elliott Bryan Jardin 2013 1A Gentry Stein Anthony Rojas Zach Gormley 2A Joseph Harris Yoshi Mikamoto Ian Lawson 3A Alex Hattori Elliot Ogawa Patrick Borgerding 4A Ian Johnson Zac Rubino Michael Nakamura 5A Jake Elliott Tyler Severance Miguel Correa 2012 1A Zach Gormley Gentry Stein Harold Owens III 2A Patrick Mitchell Joseph Harris Connor Scholten 3A Patrick Borgerding Don Hodgkinson Eric Tran-Ton 4A Bryan Figueroa Ben Conde John Narum 5A Tyler Severance Miguel Correa Samm Scott 2011 1A Harold Owens III Anthony Rojas Gentry Stein 2A Joseph Harris Grant Johnson Yu Tsumura 3A Hank Freeman Alex Hattori Alex Curfman 4A Bryan Figueroa Ian Johnson John Narum 5A Samm Scott Tyler Severance Miguel Correa 2010 1A Sebastian Brock Paul Han John Chow 2A Grant Johnson Patrick Mitchell Joseph Harris 3A Hank Freeman Patrick Borgerding Paul Yath 4A Bryan Figueroa Jon Martin Connor Scholten 5A Miguel Correa Tyler Severance Sterling Quinn 2009 1A Yuuki Spencer Eric Koloski Sebastian Brock 2A Patrick Mitchell Joseph Harris Grant Johnson 3A Hank Freeman Patrick Borgerding Paul Yath 4A Bryan Figueroa Ian Cole Jeff Coons 5A Miguel Correa Sterling Quinn Tyler Severance 2008 1A Eric Koloski Sebastian Brock John Ando 2A Joseph Harris John Ando Adam Dennehy 3A Paul Yath Hank Freeman Ryan Lai 4A Bryan Figueroa John Narum Tsubasa Onishi 5A Miguel Correa Sterling Quinn Samm Scott 2007 1A Yuuki Spencer Eric Koloski Paul Han 2A John Ando Joseph Harris Farrah Siegel 3A Kentaro Kimura Paul Yath Hank Freeman 4A Bryan Figueroa Shane Karan Sterling Quinn 5A Tyler Severance Jake Bullock Miguel Correa 2006 1A Paul Han Mark Montgomery Augie Flash 2A John Ando Joseph Harris Kentaro Kimura 3A Kentaro Kimura Paul Yath Grant Johnson 4A Tsubasa Onishi Jake Bullock Jeff Coons 5A Dana Bennet Augie Flash Jake Bullock 2005 1A Yuuki Spencer Augie Flash Mark Montgomery 2A John Ando Patrick Mitchell Adam Dennehy 3A Paul Yath Kentaro Kimura Hank Freeman 4A Tsubasa Onishi John Narum Yuuki Spencer 5A Jack Ringca Augie Flash AJ Kirk 2004 1A Augie Flash Paul Han Mark Montgomery 2A John Ando Patrick Mitchell Masahiro Tanikawa 3A Paul Yath Sky Kiyabu Hank Freeman 4A Shane Karan Cody Tayler John Narum 5A Shane Karan Seth Peterson Jack Ringca 2003 1A Johnnie DelValle Yuuki Spencer Brent Dellinger 2A Matt Harlow Patrick Mitchell Masahiro Tanikawa 3A Paul Yath Sky Kiyabu Mark McBride 4A Cody Tayler Iakona Medeiros Shane Karan 5A Miguel Correa Felix Avellana Jack Ringca 2002 1A Brent Dellinger Mark Montgomery Yuuki Spencer 2A Matt Harlow John Ando Patrick Mitchell 2001 1A Jason Lee Brent Dellinger Yuuki Spencer 2A Masahiro Tanikawa Matt Harlow Joseph Harris 2000 1A Takumi Sakamoto Brent Dellinger Matt Rose 2A Alan Batangan Joseph Harris Matt Harlow 1999 1A Joel Zink Takumi Sakamoto Nalukai HoOkano 2A Alan Batangan Paul Han Matt Harlow 1998 1A Sky Kiyabu Billy Fifield Eric Mitz 2A Alex Garcia Paul Han Alan Batangan
Championship Divisions
The US National Yo-Yo Contest has 5 championship divisions that award the title of 'US National Yo-Yo Champion'
Division NameOther NameExplanation1ASingle Hand String TrickThe player uses a long spinning yo-yo to perform tricks that typically require manipulation of the string.2ATwo Hands Looping TrickThe player uses two yo-yos simultaneously to perform reciprocating or looping maneuvers.3ATwo Hands String TrickThe player uses two long spinning yo-yos and performs tricks with both simultaneously.4AOffstringThe player uses an offstring yo-yo, often releasing the yo-yo into the air and attempting to catch it on the string.5ACounterweightThe player uses a yo-yo with a counterweight on the other end of the string rather than having it attached to a finger.
Championship Division Structure There are a series of preliminary rounds before the final round at U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest. In the past, anyone could enter the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest. Competitors were allowed a one-minute routine, and a set number of players would make the finals. Presently, to compete in the preliminaries, a player must qualify top 5 in a Regional Competition. There are currently two rounds of competition. Semi-Final (1 minute) Top-5 at a sanctioned Regional Competition seeded directly to Preliminary Final (3 minutes) 9 Regional Champions Top performing competitors from Semi-Final
Sanctioned Seeding Competitions Players can earn a seed to various rounds of the preliminaries through one of the eight NYYL sanctioned Regional Competition. Bay Area Classic (BAC) Pacific Northwest Regional (PNWR) Southwest Regional (SWR) Midwest Regional (MWR) Southeast Regional (SER) Mideast Regional (MER) Northeast Regional (NER) Mid-Atlantic Regional (MAR)
Non-Championship Divisions The US National Yo-Yo Contest currently has 7 non-championship divisions that award the title of 'US National Yo-Yo Champion'
Division NameOther NameExplanationWomen's N/A A division reserved exclusively for female competitors.Advanced Youth 1A N/A A single-handed division consisting of advanced young players.Over 40 N/A A division reserved exclusively for competitors over 40 years old.1A International International A division for international players to compete at the US National Contest.Sport 1A Amateur Beginner competitors in the 1A division are able to compete.Sport X Amateur X Beginner competitors competing in X divisions (2A, 3A, 4A, 5A) are able to compete against each other.Doc Lucky's Duos Division Duos Two competitors perform a routine together.
+ 2026 ResultsStyleWinner2nd3rd4th5th Women's Katie Thompson Shterna Srugo Kai Tyner Maria Jones Talia Jamison Advanced Youth 1A Taichi Lim Emerson Huang Claudio Presti Miles Huber Aspen Hartmann Over 40 Adam Brewster Howard Huang Mark Allen Yoshi Mikamoto Todd Rollenhagen 1A International Park Jun Sang Karthik Devaraj Shuyun Tang Sebastian Lavin Ryan Cooper Sport 1A - Ages 9 & Under YoYoCool Nicholas Aiden Hua Owen Ross Reid Haydon Logan Lau Sport 1A - Ages 10 to 12 Connor Pflueger Kai Levy Oliver Browner Ron Belyavsky Noah Leung Sport 1A - Ages 13 to 17 Beckham Baldwin Bentley Gilchrist Balam Celaya Colin Cloyd Jesse Lau Sport 1A - Ages 18 & Up Pete Filice Tomoaki Clark Jonas Phlox Alex Bucsit Max Lantos Sport X Harrison Breaux (4A) Elijah Rieves (4A) Kai Tyner (5A) Tucker Boddy (3A) Reese Smedley (4A) Doc Lucky's Duos Division Dr. Throw & the Monster - Connor Pflueger & Lucas Pflueger CBC Light - Grayson Rhea & Annabella Rhea The Yo-Tubers - Taichi Lim & Aspen Hartmann Toybox Bros - Tron Spindler & Ben Thomas Generational Swing - Nathan Boddy & Tucker Boddy
References
External links National Yo-Yo Contest The National Yo-Yo Contest Web Site World Yo-Yo Contest The World Yo-Yo Contest Web Site