Steve Brown
From YoYo Wiki
Steve Brown was the Marketing & Promotions Coordinator at Duncan from 01 September 1999 until his resignation on 13 April 2006. His grass-roots, punk-influenced style and quick wit allowed him to gain popularity through connecting with a younger generation of yo-yo players and customers. Steve introduced new product designs, tested new products, guided the development process, wrote all packaging and marketing copy, press releases, online content, and instructional information, managed the Duncan Crew World-Wide demonstration team, art direction, and managed Duncan Toys' image in all communications, media, licensed products, and events. He left Duncan on 28 April 2006 over a salary dispute to pursue a performing career along with freelance marketing and product development work within the toy industry. In October 2007, Steve opened Shoparooni, a retail store in Cleveland, Ohio with his now ex-wife. In April 2009, Steve was removed from the business as a result of the divorce. He is currently active as an administrative member of the Cleveland Yo-Yo Club, and is the Sales & Marketing Manager for Bigshot Toyworks, a full-service design, development, and production studio in the toy and advertising industry. Steve also sells art and artist edition yo-yos through Steve Brown Gallery, an online art gallery.
Shortly after leaving Duncan, Steve embarked on a month-long promotion in Singapore to promote YoYoFactory yo-yos. In addition to yo-yo industry work, he has also performed with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Lucky Stiff Sideshow, and the Brothers Grim Sideshow.
Steve is currently sponsored by YoYoFactory, who has released three signature models for him. The first was a limited edition YoYoFactory eight8eight, the second is the YoYoFactory Die-Nasty, and YoYoFactory recently released an edition of 50 YoYoFactory Severes bearing the inscription "In Steve We Trust".
Steve's a busy guy. But he still tries really hard to answer his e-mail.
Previous companies that Steve has worked for include Duncan, Team Losi, who briefly manufactured a line of yo-yos in the late 1990s, and Infinite Illusions, where Steve got his start as a demonstrator.
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[edit] Yo-Yo Designer
Steve has helped create many yo-yo designs. He was the creator of the original Freehand, Freehand 2, FH Zero,Flying Panda, , Mosquito, Flying Squirrel, and Metal Zero yo-yos, as well as the Freehand Mg, at $400, one of the most expensive production yo-yos ever produced. Before this, he helped design several yo-yos, including the Team Losi Cherry Bomb.
Steve was granted United States Patent #6,371,824 for a yo-yo with a fixed or sliding counterweight. This patent is assigned to Duncan Toys, who is the only US manufacturer of counterweight yo-yos.
[edit] Achievements
Although he is now retired as a contestant, Steve serves as a judge at many large yo-yo contests around the world. Steve Brown won the Bay Area Classic in 2001 blindfolded using his "signature" yo-yo, the Freehand 1.
[edit] 1996
- World Yo-Yo Contest - 4th Place
[edit] 1997
- World Yo-Yo Contest - Single A - 4th Place
- World Yo-Yo Contest - Single A Freestyle - 3rd Place
[edit] 1998
- World Yo-Yo Contest - Single A Freestyle - 4th Place
[edit] 1999
- Bay Area Classic Invitational - Freestyle - 1st Place
[edit] 2000
[edit] 2001
- Bay Area Classic Invitational - Freestyle - 1st Place (while blindfolded)
- National Yo-Yo Master Award Recipient
[edit] 2004
[edit] 2007
[edit] External link
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