UPSB v4

General Discussion / The future of pen spinning

  1. Soren
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 15:26:50

    Pen spinning is pretty popular in the modern day, with approximately a few thousand pen spinners (im not sure about the values) in several countries and annual world tournaments. With an ever increasing amount of new tricks, pen spinners are enthusiastic to the world of pen spinning. Forums for pen spinning are also becoming popular, where many pen spinners will come onto in order to share their views and help others, or to just learn new tricks, or even, to learn about or buy/trade pens/pen mods. So i have been thinking to myself of how pen spinning could be like in the future (that is, if it picks up popularity). So here are some ideas of mine. Pen tricks: This is probably the most obvious, the ever increasing amounts of pen tricks suggests that there are obviously loads more to be invented, whether it is simple or difficult they have yet to be invented. You may think of all the possibilities how a pen can travel through and across a hand and fingers and think that there can be no more possibilities; however, you never know, they may still be hundreds still to be discovered, or maybe just a few. Additionally, if pen spinning picks up popularity that would mean that more people will try to invent new tricks. Books and magazines: Would a pen spinning book be successful enough to promote and make pen spinning more popular? Or would it make little or no difference? This has yet to be done (i have not seen a pen spinning book before). What could this book include? An introduction and history of pen spinning is a must to inform/give a brief detail of what pen spinning is. Pictured tutorials on all tricks with text explanation, and in learning order, with the headings of fundamentals, advance, conts etc... (with a youtube video link for the target audience if they cant/dont understand the trick in pictured format). Also, there should be profiles of popular spinners. In addition, introduction of pen mods with popular pen mods tutorial. Additionally, there could a guide to pen modding as well, for people who has hardly any of the popular pens to make known mods, so that they can play around with pens that are available to them, hoping that they could invent a mod. There should also be links to forums and pen spinning websites. This book should be hardback and in the size of something like a world record book or an encyclopedia (i dont know the size of these books). Would a magazine be more popular or less popular than just a book? Should it be released weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or even annually? The magazine should include recent news to pen spinning, something like what Tek is doing with his Pen spinning weekly, but in text and pictured format so people could read instead of watching if they dont have access to the internet. It should also contain a couple of pen tricks tutorial and pen mods tutorial. Perhaps a puzzle page too. So a magazine is kind of like the book, with the same thing, but broken down, so a little is released in each issue with a little extra (the news). To promote the magazine, it could include a free mod in its first issue, and then, perhaps a free mod each year. Furthermore, there could be competitions to wins iphones or pen mods etc in order to not only promote the magazine but also to make pen spinning more popular. Popularity: How popular will pen spinning be in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years or even in 100 years? Would it still be as small as a few thousands (im not sure about the exact value of spinners at this present time) in each countries, or will pen spinning become much more popular, making it nearly everywhere you go you will see someone spinning on the go? On ther other hand, if it does gain popularity, what would be the average amount of tricks a person will know, just the fundamentals and a few advance, or will they be dedicated to pen spinning, or will it be that some people just do simple tricks in the office or school to replace fiddling about?If a popular spinner, or just a pen spinner in general have a baby, will the baby inherit the dexterity of the hands (not sure if babies can inherit these stuff) and thus come along the new generation of pen spinners? Merchandise: If pen spinning does become ever so popular, will companies make pens just for pen spinning so that pen spinners dont have to keep buying loads of pens to mods? If they do how will these pens look? Will it be similar, yet different to the pen mods we see today? Could they make it a little more creative, such as adding the lines onto their pen mods so that it could become a ruler, so that children could carry these to school and use it as a ruler and use it for pen spinning? Would these pens still have grips, could the ends just be a bulging round block that is rubbery/grippy? How likely is it that they will make retractable mods? How will the design be for the mods (it will be a design on the pen, no inserts or outserts)? Will they make pens with lights at the ends, or could they add something else to the end (something like parixer's led mod)? Could the pen be in the style of one of those single binoculars? Could the pen have a screen in the middle (has to be round for ease of spinning) to tell the time? It would seem the possibilities are endless. But that would strike up the question of how expensive would these mods be? Furthermore, these pens shouldnt even be called a pen mod no more, as it is not a modification, what could these pens be called? Olympics: If pen spinning has become ever so popular, will it be good enough to appear in the olympic games? Could it become so popular that it will have its own worldwide tournament like the football world cup (soccer for americans)? So these are my views and thoughts on the future of pen spinning. Please tell me what you think of my thoughts and feel free to add on some of yours.

  2. Enigmatic
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 15:44:26

    I think it would be more practical to make an online book that could be downloaded into phones and Ipads and all the other forms of electronics that are popular already, sort of like an app or an organized website that can be updated easily because a lot of the stuff in pen spinning is probably going to keep adding up and I think it would be better than just a book only lol

  3. Soren
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 15:47:13

    Enigmatic wrote: I think it would be more practical to make an online book that could be downloaded into phones and Ipads and all the other forms of electronics that are popular already, sort of like an app or an organized website that can be updated easily because a lot of the stuff in pen spinning is probably going to keep adding up and I think it would be better than just a book only lol
    true, that would be more convenient but also, some people might prefer books or magazines, so it would be better to release books, magazines and apps/online book

  4. Enigmatic
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 15:52:37

    yeah lol it should be something easy to work with, like user friendly lol and there should be some kind of way to get pen spinning out there, like with commercials or gatherings in public or something, some way to get noticed through the media maybe? idk just a few ideas

  5. Breezy
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 15:57:00

    Pen spinning pretty much isint goin anywhere...

  6. Enigmatic
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 16:01:34

    Breezy wrote: Pen spinning pretty much isint goin anywhere...
    well if you do nothing about it then you're right but I'm pretty sure there's other ppl that would like to see the opposite happen and probably will try to make it happen

  7. MonsterPandasEatTofu
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 19:06:51

    A LOT of people can spin a pen, and by spin I mean do a TA and Reverse TA but only few people actually take pen spinning seriously and can actually do much more than that with this said I don't feel that pen spinning will go anywhere, and I'm pretty happy about that only because it makes what I do unique and different ^.^ people respect me more when they try to do what I do and I prefer to keep it that way >.<

  8. shoeman6
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 20:47:11

    I'd like to just add a little bit to this thread. I'll use your headers as guidlines Pen tricks: Expect to see more 2p2h 1p2h and spinless trick development in the future. Books and magazines: There are a number of pen spinning books in asia, which come with dvd's and media teaching pen spinning, Also, there used to be PS magazine with online releases but I think that was abandoned, (spinners don't usually have the best work ethic/ commitment to projects :p) Popularity:I think it's clear that the popularity of pen spinning is growing, Tends to attract a 12- 16 year old audience. And is still globalizing, if the resources are there, people will learn to spin. Merchandise: I doubt companies will manufacture pens solely for spinning, or at least not mainstream ones, the audience just wouldn't be large enough imo. Also, a large part of spinning is the joy of modding your own pens, not to say you couldn't with manufactured ones, it just doesn't bode well with some aspects of spinning. I forgot his name, but there is a spinner working on digital pen modifications, and was working on a prototype that would write out messages while you spun, like those digital business cards. I think spinz/penzgear may serve as a lesson learned. Olympics: Pen spinning is not a sport in itself, it would be exciting to have some kind of competitive object manipulation in the Olympics though.

  9. Raos
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 21:01:12

    everyone forgot pen modding, its a big part of pen spinning. New mod ideas. I agree with all the other people's suggestions as well.

  10. Sc00t
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 21:14:27

    MonsterPandasEatTofu wrote: it makes what I do unique and different ^.^ people respect me more when they try to do what I do and I prefer to keep it that way >.<
    amen

  11. Soren
    Date: Thu, May 5 2011 22:00:54

    shoeman6 wrote: I'd like to just add a little bit to this thread. I'll use your headers as guidlines Pen tricks: Expect to see more 2p2h 1p2h and spinless trick development in the future. Books and magazines: There are a number of pen spinning books in asia, which come with dvd's and media teaching pen spinning, Also, there used to be PS magazine with online releases but I think that was abandoned, (spinners don't usually have the best work ethic/ commitment to projects :p) Popularity:I think it's clear that the popularity of pen spinning is growing, Tends to attract a 12- 16 year old audience. And is still globalizing, if the resources are there, people will learn to spin. Merchandise: I doubt companies will manufacture pens solely for spinning, or at least not mainstream ones, the audience just wouldn't be large enough imo. Also, a large part of spinning is the joy of modding your own pens, not to say you couldn't with manufactured ones, it just doesn't bode well with some aspects of spinning. I forgot his name, but there is a spinner working on digital pen modifications, and was working on a prototype that would write out messages while you spun, like those digital business cards. I think spinz/penzgear may serve as a lesson learned. Olympics: Pen spinning is not a sport in itself, it would be exciting to have some kind of competitive object manipulation in the Olympics though.
    i appreciate it that you are sharing your views, this is exactly what i like to see thanks for contributing

  12. Hippo2626
    Date: Fri, May 6 2011 00:36:40

    I think that PSing would grow in a similar trajectory as yoyoing has. Probably more live tournaments (Like yoyoing maybe a lot of the tournies would be held in Singapore!), some shops a ton of new tricks, linkages concepts etc etc.

  13. daniel0731ex
    Date: Fri, May 6 2011 04:17:33

    Regarding pen tricks, I have been thinking about how yoyoing came such a long way. I mean, for example the hubstack is something so outside the box from typical impressions of yoyoing, it makes me think "why not penspinning develop new styles of play that is completely outside the box from our current 'conventional' spinning?" I actually have been thinking about attatching ribbons on both ends of a pen mod, and pay attention to the paths of the ribben to create stunning visual effects? Unfortunately I don't have the skill to actually put it into practice, hopefully either I'd become capable to do this in the future or at least someone will pick it up :P EDIT: ninja'd by @Hippo2626

  14. Rabbid
    Date: Fri, May 6 2011 05:14:07

    DrakeOhMeteor007 wrote: everyone forgot pen modding, its a big part of pen spinning. New mod ideas. I agree with all the other people's suggestions as well.
    It could be fun with modding mods:D

  15. Soren
    Date: Fri, May 6 2011 15:07:46

    daniel0731ex wrote: Regarding pen tricks, I have been thinking about how yoyoing came such a long way. I mean, for example the hubstack is something so outside the box from typical impressions of yoyoing, it makes me think "why not penspinning develop new styles of play that is completely outside the box from our current 'conventional' spinning?" I actually have been thinking about attatching ribbons on both ends of a pen mod, and pay attention to the paths of the ribben to create stunning visual effects? Unfortunately I don't have the skill to actually put it into practice, hopefully either I'd become capable to do this in the future or at least someone will pick it up :P EDIT: ninja'd by @Hippo2626
    o.O thats a pretty good idea of tieing ribbons to the ends, ive seen them girl performers who have a long ribbon tied to a stick and they spin it around and stuff imagine that, but on pen spinning too, that would be totally innovative it would be great if someone practised that

  16. shoeman6
    Date: Fri, May 6 2011 15:57:54

    @Daniel. What a wonderful idea. :] I feel as if there are many relationships between various object manipulations. For isntance, if you think about pen spinning as baton tiwrling, or staff on a smaller elvel, and poi as staff w/ a cord rather than a stick, you would end up with soemthing like minature poi for the fingers, sounds cool! and it could be done with headphones/earbuds or something :p. Adding ribbons to the end would be like what they do with flag manips, or flag poi to some extent. (I think I might go home and try that :D)

  17. M@V3R1CK
    Date: Fri, May 6 2011 16:45:15

    I don't think pen spinning can go anywhere. Adding ribbons to your pen mod doesn't change much about pen spinning, think about how evolved pen spinning became with tricks like the bakfall and basketball spin. I know it takes a lot of time and patience to develop and master tricks especially if they're new. Look at the "famous spinners" section in the wiki and think about how many are still active on the boards. We recently lost Vic and Eso, and there are still a lot of good spinners like Spinnerpeem but you don't see them in tournaments because tournaments are looking for over-all pen spinners not just one specific style everyone remembers Bonkura (R.I.P.) because he was such a great spinner but it's not like anyone is going to remember me for my spinning. I'm not comparing myself to Bonkura and I'm sorry if that's the impression I gave but what I'm saying is that we need a new generation of pen spinners and we need to do something to create that generation we need something to get people to remember us and how we changed pen spinning but until we do I honestly don't pen spinning is going anywhere.

  18. Soren
    Date: Sun, Jun 12 2011 17:25:38

    imagine having a pen that could play music depending on the way the pen moves, if the pen spins more smoothly it would sound better, but if it looks choppy then it will play crappy music, so spinners coulde create music through different movements of the pens. Does anyone know if this is possible? Also, i added a poll, please vote

  19. wings
    Date: Sun, Jun 12 2011 17:50:48

    Same with Supergirl, imagine if someone make mp3 player pens... well I hope it writes and doesn't weigh like a buster lol

  20. bonkey12
    Date: Sat, Jun 18 2011 15:34:41

    WOAH dude you write too much -.-

  21. Awesome
    Date: Sat, Jun 18 2011 16:08:32

    I voted no on the poll cuz to me at least, the wiki is supposed to be a collection of knowledge, not a collection of speculation. Nothing wrong with it though, just not wiki material imo Pen spinning hasn't really went anywhere for a while though. There was a company that made "spinz" pens, but those were a commercial failure. I think JEB had a book, if someone could confirm or deny this that would be cool/ There was an online magazine "fingerless" but that got cancelled. To my understanding of genetics, parents do not pass learnt traits down. I also don't think penspinning will ever reach mainstream status, people care about "usefullness" of what they learn far to much these days for that to happen.

  22. felix1429
    Date: Fri, Aug 19 2011 01:34:04

    there is an android app for pen spinning, but it only has fundamentals, and is therefore worthless XD