The Championship, was one of the first yo-yos produced by Russell as part of their classic line-up of advertising yo-yos. It was also known as the Professional yo-yo in some countries (particularly Latin America). In France, it was known as the Champion yo-yo.
It was first manufactured and released in Australia in 1961. It was the only Russell-branded yo-yo that can be used for Coca-cola yo-yo tournaments (earlier Coca-cola promotional yo-yos were made by Duncan), as the only other Russell-branded yo-yo was the Russell Beginners yo-yo, which was a tin yo-yo made in Hong Kong. The Beginners model cannot be used for performing the long sleeper.
The Championship yo-yo had a slimline shape similar to a Duncan Professional, with each sides molded in 2 colors of plastic, with text and graphics for advertisements engraved and painted on. These yo-yos promoted mostly Coca-cola products, although advertisements for other products or companies existed as well during this time, such as McDonald's and Kolynos toothpaste. The yo-yo also featured a fixed wooden axle complemented with very faint starburst lines. It performs quite well for looping, although the rough wooden axle meant that strings need to be checked frequently for fraying.
In 1970, Russell would release a heavier, transparent plastic version of the Championship called the Russell Super. A black version of the Super would be given away as prizes in Australia.
Beginning in 1981, Russell Championship yo-yos were redesigned to have bulged faces. Because the Championship was already renamed the Professional around the world at this time, bulged-face yo-yos labeled "Championship" were uncommon, and mostly released in Australia.
Gallery[]
Slimline (1961 - 1970's)[]
Bulged Face (1980's)[]
