"The Midwest Regional Yo-Yo Championships was one of the first \"Regional\" contests held. A few other annual contests were around, but did not have the \"Regional\" title or the breadth of competitors. There were almost 50 competitors, from 6 different states that first year. Since then it has grown both in competitors, and level of play. It is now held every June at the Mall of America. The history of the event is quite fun, in 1998 it was a fixed axle contest only, as the AYYA membership voted back then to make transaxles be in their own division if someone wanted to use a bearing or plastic sleeve yo-yo. No one even requested to use a transaxle in the contest. Obviously since that date major changes in technology and trick design have occurred to make transaxles more popular and accepted at all contests. Fixed axles are still around, but greatly outnumbered in a contest."@en . . . "US Regional Contest Mid-West"@en . "The Midwest Regional Yo-Yo Championships was one of the first \"Regional\" contests held. A few other annual contests were around, but did not have the \"Regional\" title or the breadth of competitors. There were almost 50 competitors, from 6 different states that first year. Since then it has grown both in competitors, and level of play. It is now held every June at the Mall of America."@en .