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The world on a string

David Albert, 14, started with a hobby that turned into much more. He competes this weekend in the biggest contest of them all.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published August 10, 2006

TAMPA - Don't ask 14-year-old David Albert to pick his favorite yo-yo. He'll just look at you and scratch his head.

"My favorite one?" the Plant High School freshman said. "They're all like my children."

Late last year, David turned his hobby of two years into a club that began meeting monthly in Brandon. This weekend, he'll be in Orlando with others in the club, called the Sultans of Spin, to compete in the 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest.

"They will yo-yo all day and all night," said Debbie Albert, David's mother, who took him to the contest last year. "This is not just playing with a yo-yo. It's pretty upscale."

She said yo-yo enthusiasts at last year's world championship spent every waking moment practicing for competitions and dishing out tricks. By the end of the week, they were walking around with bloodshot eyes, said Mrs. Albert.

"It was kind of bizarre," she said.

David said he can't wait for this year's event. He left after school on Wednesday. The competitions start today and go through Saturday.

About four members regularly attend the Sultans of Spin meetings. Mrs. Albert said the group wants to get the word out to more people that they exist, and they're considering a new meeting place somewhere in Tampa.

David seemed to have a knack for the yo-yo from the first time he borrowed one from a friend, his mother said, adding that the tricks have taught him patience that extends even to his schoolwork.

"The fun thing is, he makes it really look easy," she said. "Anybody else who picks it up gets frustrated. I can't get the yo-yo to go up."

Besides bragging rights, David stands to snag a pretty nifty trophy if he comes out on top this weekend. Win or lose, David and his mother said he's already gained a lot more.

"I didn't have that many friends when I went last year," David said. "I was just one of the kids in the corner with my yo-yo."

"Now, he's part of the pack," his mother said.

TO LEARN MORE:

- For more information about this weekend's 2006 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando, log on to www.worldyoyocontest.com.

- For more information on Tampa's club, the Sultans of Spin, call (813) 254-2214.

[Last modified August 10, 2006, 01:21:30]