Backaround

From UPSB

Trick Information
Family	Around Spin
Rotations	1.0 or more
Creator	David Weis

Backaround is a fingerless, Around trick that uses a horizontal, circular motion of the hand to get the pen moving. For a "true" Backaround, the pen should touch the back of the hand half way through the trick, giving the "back" in Backaround. Most of the time, it is acceptable to just have the pen pass over the base knuckle of the finger that the pen is traveling around. The basic Backaround starting and ending position is between the thumb, index and middle fingers (T12): the writing position.

Hold your hand with your fingers pointing up at the ceiling, now rest the pen/pencil in between the middle and index finger so that it balances there. This is essentially the center point of the trick. We want to find this balance point to determine the easiest starting position. Now, roll the pencil around the index finger to where you can pinch and hold it between the side of your thumb joint and the side of your index knuckle. This is the starting position. To start the spin release the pen by moving the thumb out of the way and smoothly turn your hand down so the pencil rolls back to the balance point that we found. The momentum should send the pencil around to the back of the hand as you continue to turn your hand down. If you can get to this point of the trick, you may end up with the pencil just sitting on the back of your hand, eventually you will make this motion smoother and it will continue around the index knuckle and you will be able to catch it. - David Weis (source)

Normal: the pen rotates in a clockwise motion (right-handed performance) for 1.0 or more rotations throughout the entire trick.
Reverse: the pen rotates in a counter-clockwise motion (right-handed performance) for 1.0 or more rotations throughout the entire trick.

1 Written naming convention
2 Gravity Backaround
- 2.1 Gravity Backaround guides
- 2.2 Gravity Backaround discussions
3 Korean Backaround
- 3.1 Debate on the path of the Backaround
- 3.2 Korean Backaround discussions
4 Related articles

Written naming convention

Backaround (Direction) (number of spins) (starting position)-(ending position)

When writing a Backaround in breakdown form, the above convention will detail what happens throughout the entire trick.

The name of the trick, Backaround, is written first.
The direction can be omitted. When direction is omitted, the trick is assumed to be a Backaround Normal.
The number of spins can be omitted. When the number of spins is omitted, the trick is assumed to only have 1.0 rotation.
The starting and ending positions can be omitted.
- When both positions are omitted for a Backaround Normal or Backaround Reverse, the trick is assumed to be pushed and caught in the writing position.
- If only the ending position is omitted for a Backaround Normal, the trick is assumed to end in the writing position.
- If only the ending position is omitted for a Backaround Reverse, the trick is assumed to end in the writing position.

Guides

Backaround Normal T12-T12

The pen starts in the writing position. The pen is held near the end with the COP on the outside of the fingers.
The entire hand is moved in a horizontal, clockwise (right-handed) motion while the thumb, index and middle fingers loosen their grip on the pen.
As the pen exits all of the finger slots, the hand is rotated into a palm-down position to allow the pen to slide over the back of the hand before entering into the T1 slot.
As the pen enters the T1 slot, the hand is rotated back to the vertical position. The pen is caught in the writing position.

Videos

Backarounds by sketching

Discussions

UPSB

UCPSB

External links

UPSB Pen Spinning History - Backaround

Gravity Backaround

A variation of the Backaround created by pen spinning: Phya. This Backaround uses gravity to pull the pen down and out of the starting position instead of using an initial push.

Gravity Backaround guides

Gravity Backaround Normal 12-T12 The Gravity Backaround is performed the same as a Backaround, except that there is no initial push.

The pen is held in the 12 slot near the end of the pen. The COP is above the fingers.
The index and middle fingers loosen their grip on the pen to allow gravity to pull the pen downwards.
The hand is rotated to a palm-down position to allow the pen to side over the back of the hand before entering into the T1 slot.
As the pen enters the T1 slot, the hand is rotated back to the vertical position. The pen is caught in the writing position.

Gravity Backaround discussions

UCPSB

Gravity Backaround

Korean Backaround

A Fingerless Fingeraround Reverse done at the tip of the fingers. Whereas Fingerarounds are generally thought to be done with a completely vertical motion of the pen around a finger, "Korean Backarounds" have a diagonal or almost completely horizontal motion. This came about as there was confusion about the specifics of the Backaround invented by David Weis when the trick was spread to the PenDolSa (PDS) pen spinning community.

Debate on the path of the Backaround

The original Backaround seems to have needed to end, or at least travel through, the T1 slot at the end of the trick. As spinners started to do more Backarounds through finger slots other than the 12 slot, and use of the "Korean Backaround" gained ground, spinners started to conclude that Backarounds were little more than horizontal Fingerless Fingeraround Reverse variations that only need to travel around a finger. The need to pass through the T1 slot has since been almost completely dropped in normal practice.