abstract
| - The Duncan Freehand 1 (often abbreviated FH1), designed by Steve Brown, was the very first yo-yo to be developed specifically for Freehand (5A) play. It came packaged with a casino die counterweight for this very purpose. Released as part of the Hardcore series, the Freehand 1 was also the first Duncan yo-yo to use the company's Friction Sticker response pad system. Upon release in 2001, the Freehand 1 was widely renowned as one of the widest yo-yos yet designed at the time, and had put Duncan back on the map. Alongside yo-yos such as the SuperYo Renegade, the playability and availability (at the time) of the FH1 enabled many advancements that defined the Mid-School era of yo-yoing. It was also popular for modding. Freehand 1 yo-yos were used by players such as Jason Lee to win the U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest in 2001, as well as Yuuki Spencer when he won at the 2002 World Yo-Yo Contest. Production of the Freehand 1 came to a halt when the original production mold became irreparably damaged. Original packaged FH1s' prices soared in value as a result. Duncan released three new versions of the Freehand since then: the Freehand 2 (based on the design of the ProYo Turbo Bumble Bee GT), the Hyper Freehand (for the Hyper Yo-Yo line in Japan), and the Freehand Zero, which also became very popular for modding. Duncan had also released a very expensive, high-end version made of magnesium in 2004, the Freehand Mg, along with the aluminum Metal Zero and Metal Drifter. In 2013, Duncan released the Freehand Al, considered a true full-metal Freehand. The Freehand 1 was initially available in red, blue, and yellow. Other colors were available, but less commonly for special editions. For instance, orange is rare, green was sold exclusively at Yoyoguy, and bionic silver also. There were also special edition Freehands sold with custom side caps or in special event editions, such as the Yo-Yo Ninja Boy Freehand at the U.S. Nationals and Worlds.
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