The Anti-Yo Bapezilla (also known as the "Bape" for short) is a machined aluminum yo-yo that was initially released on the Fourth of July in 2006. Its name is influenced by the Japanese apparel company, Bathing Ape, which was very popular in the yo-yo community at the time of the yo-yo's release. It is one of the most iconic and sought-after yo-yos in the mid-school era of metal yo-yo design.
It was produced as a follow-up to the Eetsit, which was criticized for a design flaw in the bearing seat, which caused string slippage between the yo-yo half and the bearing. The Bapezilla has the same fundamental design as its predecessor, but the bearing seat was redesigned and the string gap made thinner to correct that problem. Like the Eetsit, the Bapezilla uses recessed Baz Pad response, and features minimalistic laser engravings of the Anti-Heart on the axle hubs.
The yo-yo was finished with Anti-Yo's proprietary Slip Matte coating, which lends a soft, diffused look, as well as optimal grinding performance. It was colored half grass green and half candy blue, a color combination that is commonly referred to as the "Bape" colorway, even when applied to other yo-yos, a testament to the legacy of the Bapezilla.
It was limited to only 400 pieces and all of them had sold out within a few weeks of their release, retailing for $75 USD each. It came stock with a C-bearing, recessed Baz Pads, and a bunch of random goodies, all packaged in a blue folded cardboard box sealed with a golden foil Anti-Yo logo sticker.
Due to the limited number produced, the price for second-hand Bapezillas had inflated dramatically, often times exceeding $150-$200.
Trivia[]
- The Bapezilla's name is wordplay on Bathing Ape and Godzilla, a popular Japanese movie monster created by Toho Studios.
See Also[]
- Eetsit - The Bapezilla's predecessor.
- Gouda - A Yoyonation-exclusive, gold-plated version of the Bapezilla, of which only 10 units were ever made.
- Viszilla - Released in 2012 featuring the Side Effects axle system, Born Crucial Grooved Bearing 2, and Flow Groove response. 200 made.
- Bapezilla.2 - Re-color of the Viszilla based on the original Bape. 400 made.
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