Diabolo Tricks
Yo-Yo Inspired
(Diabolo tricks created from yo-yo tricks)
Flash Movie Controls allow viewing larger animations with stop/step controls

All animations are of the performer's view.

Ferris Wheel

Ferris Wheel
(Inspired by the yo-yo trick,  'Ferris wheel dismount')
see Flash Movie Controls

source: Mick Lunzer

1) Do a Left Trapeze.

2) Turn right handstick end so it is facing or pointing behind you as you turn (left) to face the diabolo sideways.

3) You should now be facing sideways to the diabolo. The left hand stick should be pointing forward (toward the audience.)   The right handstick is pointed behind you (toward back stage).

Note:  Left handstick is furthest from body right hand stick is close to body and you should still be in left trapeze.

4) Bring the left stick to eye level.

5) Bring the right handstick over the top of the left stick and then down to toward the floor.

Note:  You have just put the string around the diabolo a second time.  Like a double trapeze, except you should be in a vertical position.  Left on top right on bottom.

6) Bring the diabolo near the left hand stick by pulling down on the right stick. Stay in the Vertical position Left on top, Right on bottom; with the diabolo wrapped around the left stick twice as close to the left stick as possible.

7) Now unwind the diabolo by swinging the diabolo over the top and around the left hand stick while the Left stays up and the Right stays low.  It should go around twice and then drop down to the right stick.  Keep the left hand up.

8) As the diabolo drops to the right stick swing it around the right stick, you should now be in a right vertical trapeze.  Left up Right down.  To get out just unwind.

This looks best when it all happens in a smooth motion.

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Animation by: J.S.

Waterfall
(Left Waterfall)
see Flash Movie Controls

1) From the normal position, turn your body to the left and reach out with the right stick so the string off the right stick wraps over the left stick. The sticks are nearly pointing at each other as you do this.

2) Now pull down with the right stick as you go behind the diabolo. This should make the diabolo rise on two strings.

3) Now pull the right stick under the diabolo and to your right. A constant pull should make the diabolo begin a counter clockwise circle around the left stick. Like a barrel suddenly going over a waterfall.

4) After the diabolo reaches the bottom, your sticks should return to the normal position. The diabolo should be as you started on 'open' string.

See Also: Niagara, Double Waterfall, and Waterfall Grind

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Double Waterfall
(two consecutive Left Waterfalls)

source: David Whyte

1) Do a Waterfall on the Left side.

1a) Waterfall instructions: From the normal position, turn your body to the left and reach out with the right stick so the string off the right stick wraps over the left stick. The sticks are nearly pointing at each other as you do this.

1b) Now pull down with the right stick as you go behind the diabolo. This should make the diabolo rise on two strings.

2) Do a second Waterfall on the Left side.

2a) Second Waterfall instructions: From the normal position, turn your body to the left and reach out with the right stick so the string off the right stick wraps over the left stick. The sticks are nearly pointing at each other as you do this.

2b) Now pull down with the right stick as you go behind the diabolo. This should make the diabolo rise on four strings.

3) Now pull the right stick under the diabolo and to your right. A constant pull should make the diabolo begin two counter clockwise circles around the left stick. The diabolo should quickly unwrap twice around the left stick. (Keep the left stick straight ahead.)

4) After the diabolo reaches the bottom, your sticks should return to the normal position. The diabolo should be as you started on 'open' string.

Variation: Triple and Quadruple Waterfalls are also possible, unless your string is too short.

See Also: Waterfall, Niagara, and Waterfall Grind

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Niagara

(Waterfall variation)

source: Muriel van teeseling( the Netherlands)

1) Do a Left Trapeze.

2) Now do a Waterfall on the left side.

2a) Waterfall instructions: Turn your body to the left and reach out with the right stick so the string off the right stick wraps over the left stick. The sticks are nearly pointing at each other as you do this.


2b) Now pull down with the right stick as you go behind the diabolo. This should make the diabolo rise on three strings.

3) Now pull the right stick under the diabolo and to your right. A constant pull should make the diabolo begin two counter clockwise circles around the left stick. Like a barrel suddenly going over a waterfall.

4) After the diabolo reaches the bottom, your sticks should return to the normal position. The diabolo should be as you started on 'open' string.
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Hills n' Falls

source: Adam Hill, England

1) Do the Right Backside, but do not cross your arms, instead let the diabolo continue in a leftward swing under your sticks.

2) With the diabolo's clockwise momentum, do a Left Trapeze.

3) While in the Left Trapeze, point the Right stick towards you and use it to wrap over the left and under the diabolo. This is essentially a Niagara move. Return the Right stick back to the position it was when you were first holding the Left Trapeze.

4) Undo the trapeze on the Left, by unwraping the diabolo upward, then leftward in a counter-clockwise circle. Allow the diabolo to go around the left stick TWICE before it moves rightward in a swing under the sticks.

5) Now using the counter-clockwise momentum of the diabolo, do a Right Trapeze around the Right stick.

6) After landing the Trapeze allow the diabolo's counter -clockwise momentum to continue it under the Right stick and then upward into a toss. This toss is on your right and right of both sticks. Do not throw between the sticks.

7) As the diabolo rises upward, point the sticks up to let the string slide off. The diabolo should release from the string and go free.

8. Catch the diabolo and you are back to the starting position.

This trick is a nice fluent trick especially if you can add the wrap around the left trapeze with the same rhythm as the diabolo's previous movement. Practice will allow the performer to not allow the diabolo to 'sit' idol too long. Somewhat similar tricks are the Inside Outside Trapeze and the Minetti Whip.
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Animation by J.S.
Lunzer Hop
(Looks similar a yo-yo trick called Eli's Hop)
see Flash Movie Controls

source: Mick Lunzer

1) Do a Right Trapeze around the right hand stick.

2) Center the diabolo.

3) Launch the diabolo straight up. The diabolo does not leave the string. It stays wrapped and can only go as high as the string allows, so as the diabolo goes straight up.

4) As the diabolo is rising bring the sticks together to give the diabolo more height.   The right hand stick needs to be forward about 4 or more inches in front of the left hand stick.  (This position keeps the loops of string from slipping off the end of the right stick.)

Note:  The diabolo should be rising directly above the two sticks.

5. When the diabolo reaches it's peak, sharply separate the sticks. this will jerk the diabolo right back to trapeze position.

This trick looks best when done fast two or three times in a row. It is easy to do but takes some work to make it look good. It is a odd looking trick because it looks like you have thrown the diabolo up then it is immediately pulled back into place.

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Memory Twister
(Inspired by the Yo-yo trick, 'Brain Twister')
see Flash Movie Controls

source:  'Fireman John' Hunter

1) From the normal position with the diabolo spinning, point your left stick behind you and point your right stick is forward; now turn to the right.  Both sticks are pointing at each other and the diabolo is hanging below.

2)  With the right stick come up from behind the left stick and wrap the string over the left stick and then down under the axle of the diabolo.  Bring the right stick back up so the end of the stick is half way between the diabolo and left stick.

3)  Push against the strings with the right stick to make the diabolo swing toward you.  The push is such that it makes the diabolo 'sun' around the left stick and back to the position it was in.  Note that the diabolo isn't is a s much of a knot now.

4)  Now to make the diabolo 'sun' back around the stick in the opposite way, pull away with the right.  This pulling makes the diabolo swing away from you and between both sticks.  The diabolo then swings over the left stick toward you and down to that same position.

5)  Allow the momentum of the diabolo to continue in to a 'Sun' to your right.  As the Sun begins to climb turn your body right and with open arms pointing at the rising diabolo keep turning right so you are facing backwards.  As the diabolo ends up on your (original) left side and begins to fall, keep turning your body so you are facing forward again with the diabolo coming down in front of you.  The diabolo should be on open string.

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Animation by J.S.
Double or Nothing
(Inspired by the Yo-yo trick.)
see Flash Movie Controls
source: Nick Bestor

1)  Begin a Clockwise Sun, but allow the diabolo make it's circle around both your sticks. After the Sun movement the diabolo is hanging down from the right stick and three strings are connecting the top of the sticks. Through out this trick your sticks are pointed straight ahead and level with the floor.

2) Don't allow the diabolo to stop, keep it moving under the sticks and around the Left stick. This is like doing a Left Trapeze (stopover). The diabolo goes up over the Left stick and lands on the three strings stretched between the sticks.

3) Undo the trick by swinging the diabolo counterclockwise undoing the trapeze and then doing a Counterclockwise Sun unwrapping the string off the sticks. The diabolo should return to open string after ending the Sun.

Variation: Triple or Nothing

(You may need longer string and/or a smaller diabolo to perform this.)

Follow the instructions for the Double or Nothing, but instead of one Clockwise Sun movement around the sticks, do two. When undoing the trick two suns will be needed to unwrap the string off the sticks.

Also see Almost Double or Nothing

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Rock The Cradle

(Inspired by the Yo-yo trick.)

source:  Jeff Brake USA

1) Start in standard postion with the diabolo spinning medium to fast.

2) Turn your left handstick end so it is facing behind you as you turn (Right) to face the diabolo sideways. The right stick doesn't move as you turn, so the sticks end up pointing in opposite directions. Keeping the handsticks parallel to the ground, the right hand should be farthest from your body and the left hand closest.  Also, the opposite ends of the handsticks will almost line up.

(3) Now you are going to rotate the handsticks over one another in a fashion similar to the "buzzsaw" trick with devil's sticks -- pull the right stick up and toward your body and loop it over the top of the left handstick.  Continue to bring the right stick down so that it lines up about halfway down the "V" of string hanging from the left stick.  Now continue the rotation (toward your body) with the left stick so that it goes over the right stick and continue to rotate the left stick downward until it is underneath the diabolo.

(4) At this point, you should be holding the sticks (still opposing and parallel to your body) with the right stick on top and the left stick directly underneath it.  A gap in the strings and between the sticks should be about the size of the diabolo and the diabolo should be spinning inside.  Simply swing the diabolo back and forth to give the "Rock the Cradle" appearance.

(5) To exit the trick, simply rotate the sticks away from your body, thus unwrapping the strings.

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e-mail Jim

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