The Convoy is the September release in the year of maddness - 12 months, 12 yoyos.
Quick review:
The Ducc, The Loonie, The Retro-Rocket, The Metalhead, The SETI, The Loonie (American Edition) The Sk8r (SB Edition), The Author.
I’m stunned and delighted that not only have I managed to keep up the rate of releases, but you all have been so supportive! Much thanks!
Onto the Convoy
I’ll get into the backstory on the name below, but we’ll start with the release details.
The convoy is a hybrid ‘0’ shape yoyo. The gap curves out from the bearing area, then flattens out for the rim. This makes for a really comfortable feel in the hand, as well as a unique weight distribution. We opted for 7075 aluminum for this release, a decision I’m very happy with. Aside from the increase in durability, 7075 aluminum can be machined thinner than 6061 and allows for different weight distribution options (Learn more about yoyo materials in my book “How to Run a Boutique Yoyo Business”).
Weight - 64.2g
Diameter - 54mm
Width - 47.5mm
Bearing - Groove Concave
We initially decided to offer 2 colourways. Cory picked a Navy blue and sand fade for the USA, and I selected colours based on the Canadian Red Ensign, Canada’s flag during World War 2. Since September ended up being the release month, it only made sense to release it on ‘International Talk Like a Pirate’ day, Sept. 19. So we added a solid black yoyo with Skull and Crossbones engraving. Waylon Crase did the design for the engraving, as well as the fantastic release logo.
The unboxing experience is exactly what you’ve come to expect from a Rain City release. Cory and I put some serious effort and a lot of facebook discussions into packaging. As alway, I wanted to be able to offer an affordable yoyo with an amazing experience. We decided to deliver your yoyo in a packing crate. A durable craft paper box with a yoyo packed tight with shredded wood for extra protection for those long sea voyages!
The box also includes a bunch of rain city stickers and trading cards, a small wood piece (anchor or steering wheel) and a mini figure. We matched those to the colourways. For the Canadian yoyo I picked a British sailor with musket (old school, right?). Cory went the other direction. I didn’t catch it until they arrived, but he picked a Star Trek figure! Which kindof fit the stereotype of the US military vs Canadian. Of course, there had to be a pirate, so the black yoyo comes with a set including a pirate, treasure, parrot and a skeleton!
You can find the Convoy on September 19th at
raincityskills.com
yoyoexpert.com
yoyosam.com
yoyostorerewind.com
The Story
Cory Gardener (the madman behind Broke Village) approached me a while back. I usually try to relate the theme of a yoyo to something about the people involved. The Sk8r fit Coffin Nachtmahr becuase he’s an avid skateboarder. The Metalhead was a great fit for Thomas Velto becuase he’s a guitar player and a heavy metal enthusiast.
Whilst brainstorming, Cory’s day job (The USA Merchant Marine) came up and there was our connection.
When I was one year old my mom divorced my biological father and moved back up to Canada from the USA. We moved into my grandparent’s basement suite (I’ve go a picture somewhere of me age 3 holding a hammer because I was ‘helping’ with renovations). My grandfather was the main male influence in my life. He is where I get my terrible sense of humour from (allll the puns). One of my must amusing memories of him was the many times my grandmother would be yelling for him across the house. I’d run in and tell him. He’d take a minute to turn his hearing aid back on, then go see what she wanted, muttering about the hearing aid needing a new battery.
Grandpa lost his hearing as a result of his time in the Canadian Merchant Marine during World War Two.
For those who don’t know what that is, the merchant navy was arguably the deciding factor in Britains survival during the war these ships carried supplies across the ocean that kept the English fed and armed in the year before the USA finally joined the conflict. These boats were prime targets for German submarine attacks. According to this article, over 50% of the Merchant ships were sunk. Sailors who managed to survive the initial sinking all too often died in the freezing Atlantic Ocean.
The really crazy thing was that these sailors (including my grandfather) weren’t considered veterans, and thus didn’t receive any of the government support or recognition the rest of the armed forces did after the war. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that my grandpa was recognized and received a small pension. The money wasn’t the issue, it was the acknowledgement.
The United States Merchant marine transports supplies all over the world in support of military efforts. One of the reasons you’ll Cory posting about this yoyo only intermittently is because he’s often out at sea and out of range of internet!