The Story of Carp

In 2020, yoyofriends launched its first O-shaped yo-yo, Koi. Koi showcases a different side of yoyofriends by focusing on flow and feel. It has an overall organic shape that still packs performance. KOI has an optimized center/rim weight distribution to give a relaxed experience when throwing normally. It also has optimized power and acceleration to handle all the tricks when pushed. Koi is an everyday carry that gives users a fun and pleasant experience no matter the situation. The Koi took the world by storm and showed everyone a different side of yoyofriends. We are very happy with the design and released multiple variants of the Koi. Stainless Steel Koi, Titanium Koi, XL Titanium Koi, and Mini Titanium Koi. Every single one was a hit among the yoyo community. The Koi series became one of our brand's most iconic models. 

Then, in early 2025, we thought of a budget, plastic Koi. It can be either POM or PC.  Since PC has slightly higher durability. Plus we are really good at making different PC colorways. We decided to tackle this project with PC first. However we still might design a POM Koi in the future. 

We then proceeded to brainstorm about the spec. For diameter, we want to keep it around 56mm so the yoyo is still very portable. The width we decided to go around 50mm, to bring the yoyo to a more modern spec without being too wide. Then it's the weight. We know going from metal to plastic while keeping the same diameter might decrease in power. So we decided the weight will be around 66.6g. This is only a minor weight increase over the original Koi. We still want the yoyo to be easy to play with while being flowy and fun. As for the design and profile, we went even more organic than the Koi. We want to maximize the organic factor. The center design is a 6061 aluminum core with a small PC cap to replicate the aesthetic of Koi and to add that center weight for even more fun. With all the design queues and parameters set, we went prototyping. 

(Picture of Carp prototype 1)

The prototype arrived in the hands of multiple yoyofriends' players. Most of the players really like the yoyo. It is everything that we aimed for. It is fun and flowy. Also with the added width and weight, the spin time is great as well. Unfortunately, two of the player's prototypes were vibey out of the box. One of them was borderline unplayable. This raises a huge concern on this project. We value smoothness and durability a lot. The manufacturer team proposed a solution. Adding a spacer in the middle to stabilize the assembly. We have two options here. 6061 spacers or SS spacers. Both will add abit of weight onto the yoyo. Especially SS because of higher density. We proceeded with 6061 spacers so the total weight of the yoyo will not skyrocket.

(Picture of Carp spacers)

One more thing we have different opinions on the design is the rim. A player wanted to make the rim more flat for a more unique look. This also slightly adds power to the yoyo. Currently the rim is super rounded, just like the original koi. The rounding is a lot more pronounced because plastic is alot thicker than aluminum on a yoyo. Giving it a different look. After consideration we are sticking with the rounded rim. We think the rounded rim is more comfortable to catch, also giving it a more fun and flowy weight distribution. 

(Picture of Koi rim and Carp rim)

With all the changes in place, we proceeded with prototype 2 with added 6061 spacers. 

(Picture of Carp prototype 2)

With prototype 2, we even did a small limited run for the US national yoyo contest. The durability issues are now completely solved. The overall weight of the yoyo is around 68+g. Although we really like the performance of the yoyo. The fun factor dropped a bit in our opinion. The power and stability new kind of override the flow feel. After consideration we decided to drope the overall weight back down to around 66.6g even with the spacers. We then greenlit it for production.

(Carp production)

For the naming, we want to keep it very closely related to Koi. So we decided on Carp. It tells everyone they are both related and shares almost the same goal.

(Carp logo)

We hope you enjoy Carp, the PC version of Koi. Now even more organic, more fun and more modern.