Rooc (with Signed Photo Card)

‌‌C3yoyodesign - Rooc

The little brother of the Krown, Rooc brings out the fun of string tricks as a high-end metal-rimmed model.

The much-loved Krown has been blessed with a new brother! Using the same body shape as the famed signature model of 2009 1A World Champion, Shinya Kido, Rooc has a polycarbonate body fitted with a metal rim, giving it a powerful spin but a soft catch like its brother.

While "metal-rimmed" describes the parts used in the yo-yo's construction, there's more to this story. The polycarbonate body of the Rooc is machined the same as metal, giving higher precision and a higher quality finish to the surface that is also more durable and solid than injection mold plastics. This has allowed C3 to very carefully change the thickness of the body in some areas to tweak its weight distribution, so that the Rooc performs well alongside full bi-metal designs.

As the power increases, so does the sense of weight, making the yo-yo feel heavier during play than at rest. Compared to the light feeling in the Krown, this may be the biggest difference between the two. But thanks to C3's know-how from making other excellent multi-material models like the Gamma Crash and its variants, they've managed to maintain excellent balance of power and weight distribution, making the Rooc an easy, fun throw that can perform alongside much more expensive models.

The Rooc has the potential to surpass its full metal brothers, and is a supreme string trick model that will satisfy both Krown lovers and those looking for their first bind model.

Comment from Shinya Kido:

Feeling that cannot be experienced with the Krown alone.

It's been over 10 years since full metal designs have become the norm. From the contest scene, we see that metal yo-yos have become an entry point to the stage, and their popularity has launched makers into pushing themselves and evolving the designs more every day. Hundreds of new models are produced each year.

What hasn't changed from the "old days" is that it's important to choose a yo-yo based on the player's style of play, trick repertoire and taste. But the idea that "metal is always better" doesn't always hold, as it's not always appropriate to the situation. The depth of yo-yoing lies in the fact that it's impossible to do all the tricks with just one tool; it's not so straightforward. The variety of yo-yos out there allow players to feel the depth of this sport, and it's why there are still people crazy about it.

Of course, I'm always hoping that players will pick up a Krown to dive into yo-yoing and explore its beautiful waters, from light and fast competition models to big oversize novelties, there's so much to explore and enjoy, I myself have a lot of favorites that aren't made of metal.

The high-end metal-rimmed Rooc lays the foundation for players to step into their own exploration of the wonders of yo-yo. It has a design that is intimate and familiar to me, and I can pick it up and perform my most demanding freestyles, but it still has its own unique personality, and it reminds me what I love about yo-yo.

Difference in performance and feeling to the Krown:

The Rooc has the same size and silhouette as the Krown, and aside from the obvious difference in material and artwork, their biggest difference is that the Rooc seems heavier.

If you dig deeper, there's no big difference in the actual weight, and that the Rooc is actually slightly lighter, but the playfeel tells a different story. The main reason for this is the weight balance.

Rotational force has a strong effect on the feeling of the yo-yo's weight during play. Since the Rooc's body is made of a lighter material than the Krown's aluminum, it creates a more distinct separation of "body" and "rim" in its weight distribution. This isn't just a feeling, but has a real effect on playability. Because of this weight distribution, the Rooc is actually more stable than the Krown. Combined with C3's unique know-how, using the Krown's original edge design, we've created a high degree of control, regardless of that weighty feeling.

There's also bimetal configurations that use two metals with different densities, but it's not the same. Of course there are variations on this theme, but for me I am confident I am able to fully demonstrate the power unique to metal-rimmed yo-yos. It's especially effective for demanding tricks like horizontal play and long combos.

A light Krown and a heavy Rooc. Not just a difference in materials, but also that the design fully utilizes the unique characteristics of each material used. There are sure to be tricks developed especially for these new compositions. With the Rooc, I believe you can open up a new world of yo-yo within yourself.

Aside:

It's been 7 years since the first Krown was released, but the basic concept of the Rooc has existed since 2013, when it all began, and it's finally come to fruition. There's some history to the name as well, deeply tied to the history of the Krown. At the time it was made, there were other yo-yo's already called "Crown," and we needed to differentiate ourself.

At first, the name had the meaning of a yo-yo that became symbolic of the player that held it, but also related to the game of Chess, where the most important and powerful pieces wear crowns. The name "rook" also comes from chess. Just as the rook is an important complement to the king in chess, the Rooc is an important counterpoint to the Krown.

While you might thing that the pairing of king and queen makes more sense, there's a deeper meaning to this. In chess, like in Shogi (Japanese chess), each player moves one piece at a time. However, there's a special rule where you can move the king and rook together under certain conditions. This is called castling, and it's used to protect the king with the aggressive rook. It's the only move of its kind within chess, and breaks several conventions.

The design concept of the Krown and Rooc is such a pairing, and each completes the other. In order to express this concept, we've "castled" the letters used in the name:

rooK and Crown have become rooC and Krown.

The Krown has achieved performance that could not be had with a plastic configuration, and the Rooc has achieved performance that wouldn't be possible with a metal throw. With the Rooc, after seven years of passionate development, my signature concept has finally been completed.