I have talked to a few people who were at Worlds, and one thing comes up again and again.  Jensen’s Freestyle.

This is the video.  Some context for you.  Jensen was virtually unseen up until this point of the contest.  The announcer had just called him to stage and stated that “Jensen requests complete and total silence for his freestyle”

Thanks to YoYoFactory for capturing this

Added this version for a reference on “Jensen’s Request”

Requesting compete silence, and then only throwing for 2 min 30 seconds. From my on scene informants, the entire crowd was glued to the edge of the seat. Every eye was on stage and people were holding their breath. At the Worlds (lil) party at my house, the room was silent except me banging away at the keyboard. Even the Chat room slowed down, it was quite a sight. At one point, I think Jensen starts whistling along with the song. The effect of silence and flow was almost hypnotic.

Jensen may have cost himself the Championship by cutting the routine short but I don’t think he we there to win it. Jensen was making a statement. He used an unconventional song, requested silence, threw none of the high scoring Vertax tricks that we all know he can do, and ended early. If you kept track, once he got going he only had one throw and a string of extremely smooth regens. My guess is that Jensen was saying he is doing this his way only. Not a freestyle designed to rack up points or speed combo, just pure showmanship.

This the equivalent in yoyoing to (in my opinion) Babe Ruth calling his shot. At the time it was apparent that Babe could show up and destroy any pitcher he wanted. When the Yankees came up against the Cubs, Babe Ruth pointed out to over the center field wall and then proceed to knock the ball over the same wall. Ruth set his own terms and did exactly what he intended to do. It was ballsy, unheard of, inspiring, and has lived on as a legend.

Now I am not comparing Jensen to Babe Ruth nor am I calling Jensen the Babe Ruth of yoyoing, I am talking about the action here. Jensen called his own shot by asking for complete silence. He then went on to deliver an artistic, poetic, inspiring, nail-biting performance that never intended to take first place. It was only two and a half minutes, but it was two and a half minutes no one in that room will likely forget. It had champion level yoyoers glued to the edge of the seat. Love it or hate it, I would not be surprised if yoyoers talk about this freestyle and “Jensen’s Request” for a very long time.

- Editorial by Chris Allen