Trompo - Whipping Top
by Anne Watcher on Thursday November 14th, 2013 at 9:49amChildren love to play no matter where in the world they live and here in Nicaragua they live up to that reputation. Although many electronic devices abound, toys tend to be more of the simple nature. Lately we have noticed many playing with a Trompo, spending hours upon hours playing with them in the streets.
Originally made of wood, many are now made of resin or plastic. We have noticed that most of them here in Leon are made of a plastic material. Also important is having the right thickness of string. It must be strong to hold up to the whipping motion but can't be too thick or it will not wind up properly.
The neighbourhood children have entertained us many evenings with their trompos and the skills they have. They have even included us in some of the tricks.
Technique is very important to get a good "spin" to your throw.
One end of the string is attached to a flat plastic ring that sits on the wide top part and then the string is held firmly while being brought down to the bottom tip. You then start winding around the trompo from that smaller tip end, keeping the string tight and even as you move up the thickness.
When the string is all wound on you do the "perfect" hold in the same hand that you write with - and then whip it out sideways on a diagonal. It is amazing how even small children have the technique down just right.
Once they have mastered the basic toss, tricks are the next step. We watched as they scooped a spinning top off the rough cobblestone streets up into their hands, spin intact. Passing from one person's hand to another person is also a popular trick.
It may sound basic and simple but we have tried to do this with the help of our neighbours. Believe me it is not easy and takes practice. However once mastered hours of fun will be the result!
Additional Info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompo
Detailed Technique : http://www.ehow.com/how_7727156_throw-spinning-top.html