Post Stargazing Night 2025

What began as an experiment turned into something living, evolving - something none of us wanted to let go of.

Eventually, it made sense to move beyond a one-off collab. Canopy became its own standalone brand - still rooted in the same values, but with space to grow at its own pace, and in its own direction.

From the start, our goal was simple: to craft a narrative through products, videos, and experiences that felt cohesive and intentional. And most of all, to create something meaningful for the community

The journey was personal. For me, Canopy began during what I called my extended gap year - a year without a clear end goal, just a commitment to follow anything and everything that sparked my curiosity. That meant backpacking across Europe and Asia for months at a time, starting a small-batch pottery business, bouldering constantly, going to concerts, and - building Canopy from the ground up with Coleman, Reuben, Mark, and Steve.

It was one of the most fulfilling years of my life. But eventually, reality caught up.

We had to ask ourselves - what now? Do we want Canopy to become a full-time thing? Or does it live better as a passion project?

Each of us was entering a new chapter. I picked up a part-time job. Coleman was finishing his last term of film school and beginning the search for work. Reuben shifted focus to other projects and Atmos. Mark started taking on more freelance gigs. The early energy - the go-go-go of our first year - faded. In its place came something slower, more uncertain - but also more real.

We had to sit with the hard questions. Why are we doing this? What do we want Canopy to be? Can we keep this going, not just creatively, but practically and sustainably?

The first few months of this year were spent navigating those questions - late-night calls, early morning syncs, brainstorming across three time zones. We often didn't land on answers. But we kept showing up?

So - what's our why?

The community. The craft. The shared belief in doing good work for good work's sake. The joy of building something together that none of us could do alone.

Canopy gives us a container for our creativity - something that feels true to who we are. And maybe, at some level, it's also just about continuing. Trusting that things don't have to move fast to be meaningful. That there's still value in slow growth, in trying, in staying curious.

The yo-yo community has always been at the center of this. It's where we came from - and what we keep returning to. The support, inspiration, and quiet encouragement we've received have made a huge difference.

So when we were brainstorming what we wanted to accomplish with Canopy, one things was clear: If we could make it happen, we wanted to host Stargazing Night again - this time in Prague.

We set a high bar for ourselves and didn't know if we could match it

When I first started yo-yoing, there was such a strong emphasis on individuality: your own tricks, your own music, your own style. To fit in, you had to stand out. You needed to lean into what made you, you. You were rewarded for just being yourself. Looking back, I'm so grateful to have grown up in that kind of community - a space that encouraged self-expression and gave me confidence in how I showed up. That energy shaped so many parts of my life far beyond yo-yo.

That's what we wanted Stargazing to celebrate: The people, the players, the community that makes yo-yoing so special.

And this year, with everything going on, it (somehow) all came together again. The level of play, the tricks, the energy people brought to the stage - it felt like a culmination. A snapshot of everything that makes this community so unique. A place where creativity, individuality, and passion were celebrated in their purest form.

To all the competitors, staff, the World Yo-Yo Contest organizing committee (especially Tomáš and Ann Bubak) and every person who showed up and made the night what it was - thank you. We were genuinely blown away.

We'd love to see more events like this in the yo-yo community. If you're interested in hosting a battle or experimenting with alternative formats, please don't hesitate to reach out - Harrison or anyone on the Canopy team would be happy to help however we can.

The best way to support is to pick up something from our webstore. Everything goes back into building more for the community.

We've kept building. The pace has shifted. It's less chaotic now - more considered. But the intention is still there.

And maybe that's the point.

This doesn't have to be a constant sprint or a straight line forward. Maybe Canopy is something seasonal. Something that changes shape over time. Slowing down, growing again. Evolving. Meaning something different to each of us as we go.

We're learning to trust that rhythm.