In January, I released the AKURA MG, a yoyo made from Magnesium. This material has a very low density and I talked about how it performs more like a plastic than anything else. But what made that yoyo really special is the aesthetic. I loved the lines on that yoyo. The proportions with the chunky rims were just perfect. One of the biggest aesthetic challenges though were that after the ceramic coating the lines were quite subtle which hid the design.
I set off with this concept to create a model that carried this design but with two goals in mind - highlight the unique ring design and to keep the proportions. Originally I wanted to make this model as a full aluminum yoyo but I quickly realized that going back to developing a Ti-7068 would just make it perform a lot better. This decision made the second part much more difficult - keeping the proportions.
As mentioned, Magnesium is super light, so the large chunky rims would make a yoyo like this way too heavy. I played around with the diameter slightly going for a more conventional 56mm size - but it was still not enough. The rim would become too thin and just looked like a generic yoyo from other available brands. I prototyped a few more and just didn’t find the proportions that good.
I developed the Fluid Print Dynamics Yoyos with holes back in 2014. I would 3D print yoyos with actual holes in them and see them before I started Luftverk. This thought popped into my head as an option to create a super thick chunky rim and just machine a hole inside.
You can see the cross section here. The Hole looks pretty significant but I can assure you the body has plenty of power.
In hindsight it is essentially a capped yoyo with such a big pocket of air. The ring sits beautifully flush so no one would actually know. With this pocket it feels slightly less rim weighted and actually plays similar to a yoyo with a double wall feature. The concave meniscus is highlighted with the parting of the machined titanium ring and the aluminum body.
The unique blue I chose took some trial and error but the green is directly lifted from the R34 Skyline “Millennium Jade” which I have also run in titanium before. Only a few of the silver and raw ones were made as A Grade - so I expect those will be the first to sell out.
The example shown here of the “Millennium Jade” which was first featured on a Triple Zero back in 2017. Blow is a nice comparison shot of the blasted AKURA vs the raw uncoated aluminum one:
Overall this was a pretty simple fun project of mine so I apologize if this blog is a bit short - Luckily somehow avoided any manufacturing hiccups. It has been a while since I have created a yoyo with this brutalist design language - something I think that has been missing in the recent years. I also wanted something I could work on while taking a break between the last plastic release and the Christmas season. To everyone thank you for your continued support. Crazy to think next year will be 10 years of Luftverk…
AKURA TI-7068 will be available on September 29th, 2024 10:00pm EST. AKURA TI-7068
When I first designed the Triple Zero in 2017, I didn't expect this yoyo to become the flagship it is today. Almost 8 years later, this yoyo has been a staple in the Luftverk lineup - one of the first "ultra minimalist" organic yoyos at the time. This design language has slowly worked its way from the first titanium model, the widely loved Plastic Triple Zero, and the aluminum variants as well. So it only makes sense to continue that tradition with a hybrid version.
When I first moved to Japan, I specifically moved to Osaka for drifting. But more so - it was the first place where I made a friend that immediately welcomed me with open arms. As someone who grew up in Canada all his life, I felt like I had bit off more than I could chew. Moving to another country is one thing - but going to a place where you don't even speak the language, where the culture is completely 180 from the western world now that was a different story.
When I released the titanium version of the Revora, I had one goal in mind. Challenge myself to design a solid state product in an era where that is no longer the normal. In a way - it was a challenge to myself to see if Luftverk's evolving design language could stack up against todays multi-material engineering marvels.
Jeffrey Pang
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