Designer's Notes

The name petrichor is that smell after rain hits dry earth — the one that makes you stop whatever you're doing and just breathe for a second. Earthy, familiar, a little unexpected. Which is kind of exactly how this yo-yo came to be.

This design has been in progress since summer 2024, and calling it my "pro model" still feels a little weird to say out loud. That was never the goal. Honestly, I never cared about making some stunt plastic that proves a point about performance. Gentry did that better than anyone ever will, and that was a decade ago. I just wanted to make a great plastic yo-yo — the best one for me — and then figure out the rest later. Turns out the rest took care of itself.

The shape is the Kairos (my personal favorite ETC. release) stretched out to 52+ mm. If you've thrown the Kairos and wanted just a little more to hold onto, this is exactly that — same DNA, more presence. Weight distribution pulls from the SF PLSTC and Mowl Hybrid, with a touch more mass dialed in for a real competitive edge without sacrificing that floaty, effortless feel that makes a good plastic so fun to throw in the first place.

I kept competing with it — and winning with it, Florida States and East Coast Masters — not to make a statement, but honestly just because I didn't want to switch. Every time I throw this thing, it reminds me that yo-yoing isn't supposed to be that serious. It feels like a toy. Bright colors, light in the hand, stupid fun to use. That's the whole point. I think somewhere along the way the community started treating plastic like a consolation prize, and I just... don't buy that.

The rounded, soft edges aren't just aesthetic either. In 2023, a bad throw landed me three stitches to the face — genuinely not my finest moment — and since then I've been a firm and very personal believer in yo-yos that are kind when things go sideways. No sharp rims, no drama. Just a clean, forgiving throw you can actually enjoy. Being machined plastic puts it in its own lane too — you're getting the precision and consistency of a machined process at $45, which goes a long way toward bridging the gap between a budget plastic and a full machined metal.

It's not trying to prove anything. It's just the only yo-yo I use.