The story of ARTIFICE

Release date: November 3rd 8PM EST worldwide

(Japan time November 4th 9AM)

Price：55-60 USD

The Yoyofriends' Artifice is the first signature yoyo of James Heder. We first scouted James at the 2024 National Yoyo Contest when he was 12 years old. He was using a Shortcut at the time, and was a fan of Yoyofriends. He showed us some of his tricks, and the entire Yoyofriends player team was instantly blown away. We then contacted his parents and officially offered him a sponsorship at the World Yoyo Contest 2024. James then proceeded to improve at an exponential rate, through his dedication and talent. He placed well in both the ANTE 2024 and PNWR 2025 contests. We realized James had potential to excel on the world stage, so we decided to make him a signature yoyo to help him further succeed in the yoyoing scene. 

Ante Yoyo Cup 2: https://youtu.be/TK5ie1oxfyI?si=Ml9omU4RsUTlTByZ

PNWR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKDyn4oZhXk

In the same way that Matthew Wallsten's signature, Replicant, came to fruition, team leader Philip and James got on Discord and talked for hours about yoyo designs, specifications and expectations. We discovered James is really smart--even at such a young age, he already had a great concept of the attributes he wanted in a yoyo. These included yoyo width, diameter, and weight distribution. He specifically requested a monometal so it would be less expensive to produce, making it more affordable for everyone. James' competition yoyo at that time was the Netrunner. He also was able to try Matthew's signature, Replicant, at PNWR, and he loved it. Both of these yoyos are all-out competition bimetals. Matching or coming close to their performance would be a monumental task. 

(Picture of the Netrunner and Replicant)

With the dimensions set by James, we started brainstorming the design ideas. First was the shape--James really liked Replicant, which has an organic element to add a splash of fun. Analyzing James' trickset and competition routines, we concluded he needs a yoyo with high pacing and power. Since the yoyo would be a monometal, the ratio of the V shape and O shape needed to lean more towards V. To get that golden ratio, team leader Philip's signature, Overclock, came into play. The Artifice profile is based on Replicant (simplified Graviton series) with the Overclock V/O ratio. 

(Profile of Replicant, Artifice, and Overclock side by side) 

James requested a high level of power and stability in the yoyo. To achieve that, we implemented Stingray's undercut rim design in the Artifice. We found this undercut rim design enhanced the overall rim weight distribution, somewhat mimicking the feeling of a bimetal. 

(Side by side picture of Stingray rim and Artifice rim)

For the center cup design, we wanted something that slightly adds weight for acceleration. After looking through multiple designs, we decided to use the Raytracer center cup. This gives the yoyo a unique look while adding modest weight towards the center. 

(Side by side picture of  and Arifice cup) 

James also requested the center response area to be polished for a crisp bind, like that of the Ultracut. 

(Polished response area of Ultracut and Artifice)

Combining all these design elements into one was a challenge, but we succeeded and the prototype was made. 

(Picture of Artifice prototype)

James received the prototype a couple weeks before US nationals and he instantly loved it. We found that this yoyo, despite being monometal, had a surprising amount of stability, even achieving the level of our flagship bimetal lineup! The overall specifications, weight distribution and undercut design came together to make this happen. Despite our suggestions, James immediately switched over to his prototype for the US national yoyo contest. He then proceeded to place 6th in the 1A finals division! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEB20qi2S_A

After consultations with the players and the manufacturing team, we decided to greenlight the yoyo for production without any changes. James then went on to use his prototype at the World Yoyo Contest and placed 16th at the 1A finals division! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=462wGu3KtKE

James decided to name this yoyo Artifice. Artifice means a clever or artful skill. It communicates what James aims to achieve in his yoyo performance--both high-level technical skill, and artistry that gives the audience a memorable experience.

(Logo of Artifice)

Artifice is the signature of James Heder and our ultimate monometal flagship. It combines the essence of multiple Yoyofriends' designs into one. Artifice redefines the performance of a monometal yoyo in terms of stability and usability, and challenges our flagship bimetals' performance in every aspect.