|
 |
| Hummingbird Trickster - Dennis McBride |
| Exhibit #3480 |
 |
|
| Type | Signature |
| Shape | Concave )-( |
| Axle | Fixed |
| Finish | Painted |
| Color | Laminated pink and green |
| Packaging | None |
| Construction | Three piece wood |
| Response | None |
| Gap | Fixed |
| Condition | Mint |
| Date | 1992 |
| Owner | Rick Brough |
| Compare |  |
|
|
A Hummingbird Trickster, fixed axle yo-yo made out of pink and green laminated maple, with a gloss clear coat; Comet configuration and a black stamp. This Hummingbird Trickster configuration is rather uncommon because it is made in a butterfly-shape profile rather than the usual tournament-shape profile. This special edition, made exclusively for Dennis McBride, was not packaged. Today, these yo-yo models are quite challenging to find because of their limited numbers and the fact that they were never sold in stores. They were either sold or given away by the McBride's. All of Dennis' signature models came without a box.
Side A has the traditional Hummingbird Trickster stamp while side B is stamped on the opposite side with Dennis McBride Yo-Yologist JN 3:15 referring to the book of St. John in the New Testament, chapter 3, verse 16 which reads:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Dennis McBride is one of four yo-yo National Grand Masters in the United States. The other three include Dale Myrberg, Bill de Boisblanc, and Dale Oliver.
The overall shape of the Trickster, Starburst, and Genuine Hummingbird -- either tournament or butterfly -- are virtually identical. The only real difference between these models was their name and foil stamp design.
* * *
Havasu minister continues to amaze as a yo-yo grandmaster
Havasu resident and Bethany Bible Church pastor Dennis McBride, 72, is one of four American Yo-Yo Association grandmasters in the world.
His is a story that begins in 1952 -- and as is the case with many a long story, it all began with a girl.
McBride was 8 years old, and the Duncan Yo-Yo Company held contests at his school in Whittier, California. The daughter of a family friend happened to be the California state yo-yo girl's division champion.
"She was practically unbeatable," McBride said. "She won the championship about five years running. I asked her to teach me, and she did."
It wasn't long before McBride entered yo-yo competitions of his own, winning more than 15 titles before the age of 15. His first professional yo-yo appearance was in Walt Disney's first 3-D movie, which played exclusively at the grand opening of the Mickey Mouse Club Theater at Disneyland in 1955.
After high school, McBride went to work for the Duncan Yo-Yo company, before moving on to other things. "From about the age of 17 until I was 30, I'd stopped doing yo-yos," McBride said.
McBride began to minister at his local church in the 1970s, taking positions as an associate pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and chaplain at Grace to You in Valencia, California. It wasn't always easy, he remembered, but when he brought out his yo-yos, the children came running.
"I've done a lot of school assemblies," McBride said. "In secular assemblies, I usually focus on talking about life skills and choices, and I like to illustrate principles with a simple toy. I can do far more than people would think is possible with a yo-yo, just like people can do a lot more than they think they can in different aspects of their life. I emphasize that principle -- people who have control of their actions can accomplish great things through the power of God."
With the enthusiasm of children at his church, McBride's own enthusiasm returned. He took a job training students at a Christian college with yo-yos in the 1990s. The group of about 20 students were hired to put on displays at stores for Duncan Yo-Yo company, and McBride was hired to teach them more advanced techniques.
"It was fun," McBride said. "I enjoyed meeting the kids, and seeing another generation of yo-yo players raised up."
McBride has performed for Disney, the Mars Candy Company, the Mattel Toy Company, the Bandai Toy Company, Six Flags, BC Yo-Yos, Yomega Corporation and other companies worldwide. He has appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX networks, as well as Nickelodeon, ESPN, the Discovery Channel and the FOX Kids Network. McBride has also been a guest on television programs and film documentaries in France, Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.
In 2001, the American Yo-Yo Association granted McBride the title of U.S. National Grand Master, and in 2007, he was inducted into the AYYA Hall of Fame.
"When I first got back into the yo-yo industry, it seemed like it kind of died out," McBride said. "But it's not a lost art. You don't see many yo-yo players here, but internationally there's a very high level of yo-yo play. Since the late 1990s, a lot of places have been really involved."
While McBride and other competitors used wooden yo-yos in the 1950s, the technology has improved drastically since then. The materials, string and inner workings of modern yo-yos, according to McBride, allow modern competitors to accomplish things that even the best players couldn't manage when he was first beginning.
"The organization of play has really advanced," McBride said. "It started for me with one contest, in one town that I was in. Now it's an international community. It's not a lost art at all -- there are a lot of opportunities for kids to become champions, or even professionals."
McBride still occasionally performs at events for the Boy Scouts, Lake Havasu High School and the Bethany Bible Church's "Good News Club," among other local organizations.
He and his wife, Linda, have resided in Lake Havasu City since 2012.
Messick, Brandon. "Havasu minister continues to amaze as a yo-yo grandmaster." Today's News Herald havasunews.com. River City Newspapers, 05 June 2016. World Wide Web. Last accessed 26 March 2018.
Dennis McBride, 79, passed away Saturday, September 30, 2023 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/havasunews/name/dennis-mcbride-obituary?id=53314711 | |
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
