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Duluth
Resident is nominated
for Yo-Yo Hall of Fame
By Bob Rule
"Mr. Yo Yo"
www.mryoyo.com
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's note: A recent quote taken from "The
Yo-Yo Worlds Championship" Web page: "Bob Rule is an inspiration,
not only to yo-yo players, but to everyone. He has spent nearly
his entire life turning his hobbies into successful careers. Bob
is a family man, a businessman, and a yo-yo man. We should all be
so lucky."---eeb)
DULUTH, Ga., JUNE 11, 2002 -- I began playing with yo-yos in the
late 1940s. My career as a Duncan Demonstrator began in 1952, with
a "Yo-Yo Legend" named Barney Akers. He would pay me a
dollar or two to stand on a crate and do two-handed tricks during
his promotions.
I proved my skills, and quickly became a full time demonstrator
for Donald F. Duncan Inc. I worked my hometown of Detroit from 1952
to 1955, while in High School before hitting the road as a traveling
"Yo-Yo Man." I took a brief hiatus but was back with Duncan
in 1960.
The marketing method then was lots of television. We even had our
own 15 minute shows in certain markets. I had one here on WSB for
three years. I guess I became a yo-yo celebrity, with numerous TV,
radio, and newspaper appearances over a four year period.
I got married in 1962 and together my wife, Kathy, and I went on
the road, covering the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. I was fortunate
to work with many of the professional Duncan Yo-Yo men of the 60's.
I was one of the few Duncan pros proficient with both yo-yos, and
the spin top line that Duncan introduced in the early 1960s. Using
the names "Mr. Yo-Yo" and "Mr. Spin Top", I
avoided the self-assigned title of "World Champion" that
so many players of that era used. In 1970 I was granted a trademark
on the name "Mr. Yo-Yo", which I still hold today.
I was the last paid player of the original Duncan yo-yo company.
In May of 1965, I left Donald F. Duncan Inc. The company filed for
bankruptcy in June. In 1965 my wife and I settled down in Atlanta
and began our family.
I have never been without some kind of toy in my hand so I got
into the slot car business, operating a track in 1965 and then went
to work for Champion Slot Racing Products.
In 1971, I founded a new company, BoLink R/C Cars, Inc. manufacturing
R/C cars and related accessories. In the early 1970s I bought the
Slot Racing company, and operated it until 1985.
I also ran promotions for Festival yo-yos, buying and promoting
my own signature model yo-yo from them. I also promoted the "Peanuts"
line, with yo-yos featuring Snoopy and other popular Peanuts characters
for Hallmark.
In July of 1988, my wife, Kathy passed away from cancer. In May
of 1998, I met Elleda Marshall. We were married on September 9,
1999.
My daughter Kim is married with one child and is a Real Estate
Agent (of eight years). Son Steve has a son just 15 months old as
well as two daughters, six and eight. He bought BoLink and it's
sister company, RACEtech Motorsports, from me in 2001 and operates
out of Lawrenceville.
I have just recently been nominated for the Yo-Yo Hall of Fame
There are ten of us nominated and only five will make it. It's an
honor just to be included on that list.
In August I will be awarded the "Harvey Lowe Lifetime Achievement
award" in Orlando. (Harvey was the first World's Champion in
1932.)
I am now retired and now spending my days racing buggies, playing
yo-yo's, cataloging my yo-yo and memorabilia collection, and sometimes
driving my wife out of her mind. It is my honest claim that "I
have never held an honest job in my life."
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Number
2.18, June 11, 2002
