Cognition is a diverse yo-yo. Although its weight is on the heavier side at 67 grams, the distribution of the stainless steel ring and the yo-yo’s wide shape allows it to be able to move freely like a lighter yo-yo but have the stability of a yo-yo at its weight, making it able to tackle any trick type - something tricky to get right for Colin’s diverse style in two divisions, 1A and 3A. Primarily related to the other UNPRLD inner-ring bimetal yo-yo, the Ignition, the Cognition is a more stretched out version in width, increasing trick execution capabilities.

The name “Cognition” is defined as “the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses”. To Colin, this is one of the most important parts of being a competitive yo-yo player, and the Cognition gives him the technology to being the best player he can be because of its versatile capabilities. 

Designer comments:

Colin gave me a blank canvas for his signature yoyo. You may think that this provides me with an easier time to design the yoyo, but it was actually harder. Imagine people asking you to draw something. You have no idea. But if they ask you to draw something with a bird in it, an image pops up in your head. It was the same concept.

I reviewed footage of Colin throwing the yoyo, both with his left hand and his right hand. The key part of this was tackling his different approaches to 1A and 3A. The yoyo had to be heavy enough to withstand his long 3A combos, and bind with a shorter string, and it had to be nimble enough and unresponsive enough to do his long rail combos that often move through an antispin state.

Upon looking at the specs, you may think the yoyo is too heavy, but by placing most of the weight on the inner side of the rim, as well as having a bit more center weight, the yoyo stays stable, and remains nimble as if it were 3 or 4 grams lighter. The width on paper may seem too wide for 3A, but the profile is carefully made to accommodate both 1A and 3A. A key aspect to 3A is making sure the yoyos are straight for it's initial approach to the string. That is why the wall is slightly higher than other UNPRLD yoyos, to guide the yoyo vertically to promote success.

I hope that you enjoy the yoyo as much as Colin and the UNPRLD team does.