Councilman Andy King’s budget
director is a yo-yo champion
BY ALEX MITCHELL
When one thinks of the
duties of budget director in a
city councilman’s offi ce, yo-yo
skills don’t come to mind as
one of the requirements.
Unless of course, that budget
director is one Brian Melford.
He’s a state champion yoyoer
and has been a critical
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, DECEMBER 28 18 -JANIARY 3, 2019 BTR
Melford spinning a trick. Photo courtesy of Brian Melford
part of Councilman Andy
King’s 12th district offi ce for
fi ve years.
Of course, Melford keeps
his two passions totally separate
- he won’t even perform
tricks like the Brain Scrambler
or Breakaway for colleagues,
especially on government
time.
Not even the trick he invented
himself.
Called Mel Hops, when executed
correctly the yo-yoer is
able to form a triangle out of
string while the yo-yo is still
spinning.
Melford began his illustrious
yo-yo career while still attending
Truman High School
in Co-op City.
“I didn’t have any tricks to
show off at school, so people
would say to me, that’s it?”
Melford said.
It was at that time he began
practicing different maneuvers
from the fi ve styles of
modern yo-yo through oline
videos.
Years later, after winning
the New Jersey state championship
in two categories
in 2015, Melford still hasn’t
entered the New York state
championship for one simple
reason.
Why? Because it doesn’t exist
yet.
“There’s no reason New
York City shouldn’t have a
championship (of its own),”
Melford said. Being that he’s
also the acting president of
the New York Yo-Yo Club, he
would know if the city could
handle it.
It’s there, at their weekly
meetings on Wall Street, that
Melford practices upwards of
100 tricks from a collection of
300 yo-yos.
The most effi cient yo-yos
are made of a titanium alloy
and go for as much as $500, according
to Melford.
“(Yo-yos are) just like collecting
sneakers,” the Williamsbridge
native said.
Melford even has his own
custom holster that he brought
to the Yo-Yo World Championship
in Japan in 2015.
It was at that event that he
realized to successfully compete
one was required to know
different trick techniques and
tactics to place well.
Come 2019, Melford plans
to re-enter the Yo-Yo World
Championship scheduled in
Budapest, Hungary, to give
competitive yo-yoing another
try while also getting a chance
to travel around Europe.
Until then, Melford will
continue mastering his craft,
after all it only took him 15
minutes to master one of yoyoing’s
toughest tricks.
He encourages everyone to
give the addictive hobby a try,
even if it’s just the yo-yo staple
‘walking the dog’.
“Give it a chance. You’re
going to get hooked,” the yo-yo
master warned.
Melford after winning the New Jersey state championship. Photo courtesy of Brian Melford