Interviews are very interesting to read. It's real pen spinners' views on pen spinning. I try my best to get them for you so here you go...

Zombo (Kaiwen Zhang) Interview

Zombo is a member of the Pentix message board. Only people that visit the forum will really know about him. He has dedicated a lot of time to Pen Spinning and it has obviously paid off! Here’s our interview.

First off, before we start I would like to thank you Zombo, for taking your time to take this interview.

AC: What inspired you to start Pen Spinning?
Zombo:. Well it started when I noticed one of my friends was spinning his pen, doing a thumbspin. While it isn’t something very impressive, it was enough to catch my attention. I tried to mimic him but I couldn’t get it. After one week, I began to understand the thumbspin and I was able to get it fairly well. That’s how I started. I didn’t know about pen spinning sites back then, so it took me a long time (two years) to master the basics. I have been pen spinning for 4 years now.

AC: Where do you see yourself in the world of Pen Spinning?
Zombo:. I guess I’m a very discreet pen spinner, in the sense that I don’t have a website nor do I film tricks (due not having a camera). I think I have mastered most of the tricks I came to find on the Internet, but I still have some problems with a few tricks (Halftaps, to mention one). However, I do take a very active part in the Pentix Forum, whether it is answering to the questions of beginners or giving my opinion on the latest combos and tricks. Apart from the Internet, I am recognized by my friends (and other students at my school too) as the regional pen spinning master (laugh). People often come to me to learn about pen spinning. I kind of founded a local pen spinning school! (laugh)

AC: Do you think that Pen Spinning is growing in popularity? If so, why?
Zombo:. Definitively yes. Pen spinning is becoming more and more popular especially in the Asiatic community. I attend Chinese courses every Saturday, and some of the students (all Asians of course) there have become very interested in pen spinning. Some of them have become especially good and are learning very fast. Aside from the pen spinners of this Saturday school, I know pen spinners from my regular school as well, and most of them aren’t Asiatic. I also want to mention that Pentix, KAM’s pen spinning website, even got featured in a small show at a local popular television channel!

AC: What tricks did you find the hardest and easiest to learn?
Zombo:. The hardest tricks in my opinion have to be the reverse variants of the 3 basic moves : charge, sonic and thumbspin. When you are trying to learn the reverse of one of these move, you really have to completely “deprogram” the normal trick. One very obvious example of this is the reverse charge. It is very hard at first to think about rotating the pen in the opposite direction. This makes the learning process more time-consuming (and sometimes very frustrating). I think once you know the 3 bases and their 3 reverse variants, every other trick will be significantly easier to learn. In my opinion, the easiest trick I had to learn was the neo-sonic, which is a very simple variation of the basic sonic.

AC: How would you overcome difficult tricks?
Zombo:. I think that the learning of a new trick consists of two steps. First, you need to analyse the trick itself. Watch a video, re-read closely the description of the trick, etc… Sometimes, it can be hard to learn a new trick because you don’t even know clearly what the trick really is. You have to take some time to really focus on deciphering the process of the trick. Second, once you understood what the trick is, you have to repeat over and over again the trick until it becomes automatic for your fingers to execute the trick. I think that learning a trick in these two steps greatly increase your chances of success.

AC: What do you believe is the most important part of Pen Spinning?
Zombo:. When I started to go really deep into pen spinning and knew quite a few tricks, I realized that the core of Pen Spinning lies within linking these moves. Knowing a trick is very good, but linking it smoothly with another trick is excellent. Combos also make Pen spinning almost like a science. Combos are formulas, and each trick, each element has to be combined smoothly in order to produce a good visual effect. You have also to understand which tricks work best together (or look more impressive) and rework the formula, extending it, replacing some tricks in it, to achieve a better-looking result. Combos promote originality. While there can be a limited number of original moves, there can be an unlimited number of combos.

AC: What influences have the likes of KAM and David Weis had on you?
Zombo:. I think they are the engines of Pen Spinning. They are constantly innovating in that field. Without them, we obviously wouldn’t have got as far as we are currently. While I could be a good pen spinner, I need tricks to work on, and it’s because of people like KAM, David Weis, or Hideaki Kondoh that I was able to practice this art to such an extent. I tried to create some new tricks too, but it is very hard to create something completely original. I only came up with a rather weak reverse neo-sonic (laugh) and a basketball-inspired spin “basketball spin”.

AC: What tips would you give to beginners out there that wish to be as good as you?
Zombo:. The first tip is of course to persevere, especially at the very beginning. The 3 bases and their reverses can be very time consuming and frustrating to learn, but once you get these, you have already mastered the big chunk that Pen Spinning has to offer. The rest of the tricks are learnt way more easily. Another tip is to always look out for a new trick. I’m not saying to constantly learn a new trick or set very precise goals, but not to say “I’ll learn only a few tricks and I’ll stop learning definitively”. It is very important to always try to expand your pen spinning skills. There’s a saying that goes : “if you stop trying to be better, you already stop being good” I believe that saying applies in pen spinning.

AC: Why do you think that people have become fascinated about pen spinning?
Zombo:. The first reason that comes to my mind is the visual effect pen spinning creates. I’m not saying that it’s the main raison, because pen spinning does appear in the category of “show-off” skills to impress your friends. I think what pen spinners are looking for is performance. When you learn a new trick, you always get a very good feeling, because you have spend a lot of effort into learning this trick and you feel very gratified. Pen spinners are always trying to be better, to surpass themselves. Pen spinning also develop originality and creativity, because people can invent new tricks, new combos, or even very original pen modifications. The other reason is the practical side of pen spinning. It only takes a simple pen to create such an amazing visual experience.

Thank you very much Zombo for this interview. If you wish to just say anything please do here:
I am glad that Pen Spinning is becoming more popular. It was often considered as a “geeky” hobby for people who were bored out in their class, but it is so much more. I am glad that people are now more open-minded towards pen spinning and some are not afraid to ask pen spinners about learning tricks or to search on the Internet about it. I am myself very open about pen spinning and I’m not afraid to say that I am a pen spinner, that it’s one of my passions and that it’s a very interesting thing. For me, pen spinning is an art, a science, and a great hobby.