I had the chance to meet up with Muhd. Shakeel, the 6-time Malaysian National Yo-yo Champion and owner/founder of YoyoSkeel. He’s in Kuching this weekend to support the Sarawak Regional Yo-yo Contest and to launch YoyoSkeel’s latest offering: The Stalker 2. I had given it a few throws and for those who are interested in buying it, here’s a quick write up.
Specs (from 28spin.com):
Weight: 69g
Height: 57mm
Width:43mm
Bearing: Custom 10-Ball Concave-style bearing
Pads: YYS pads (CBC/K-Pads also compatible)
Pros
Good Price
10-ball concave bearing
Great Stability
Cons
No grinding surface
Shape still pointy; a bit uncomfortable to catch.
Detail
The Stalker 2 is the sequel to YoyoSkeel’s debut, the Stalker. A lot of changes have been made to this yo-yo, most glaringly the overall width of the yo-yo has been decreased, as seen in the comparison pics above with the YYF Supernova. Other major changes are with the weight distribution, making the yo-yo feel much more solid rather han the fast-but-floaty feel of the original Stalker. You can still pull off those crazy long finger grinds thanks to the Stalker 2’s unique shape, a signature feature that the Stalker 2 retains.
The Stalker 2 uses it’s own proprietary YoyoSkeel pads, make of a rubber-type material that is made to last longer than conventional silicone pads. However, if you choose so you can replace it with any CBC/K-pad sized silicone pads.
Conclusion
What does this mean? Well, to put it simply, the Stalker 2 is the new and improved version of the Stalker, with plenty of tweaks and changes to give it a more polished feel than the original. So if you liked the original Stalker, this is a definite must-buy. But if you didn’t like the original Stalker or never tried it, I say it’s worth a shot given that it has been improved tremendously and will price below most metal yo-yos available today.
If you’re in Kuching, Sarawak, drop by the Sarawak Regional Yo-yo Contest where Shakeel is personally launching the retail version of the Stalker 2. Or, you can check out the the limited edition Splash Series Stalker 2s that are still available at 28spin.com. Hurry, stocks are limited!
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