RC Soaring, Topnosis®, and more!...
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11.21.2005Updated the look and
feel of the overall site.
November 18, 2005
Update!: Wow, I went down to NY City again with my wife to
F.A.O. Schwartz almost four and a half years after my original
purchase of the Topnosis® (July 7, 2001), and I ran into Mr.
Rubin, the inventor, again! He is such a super nice guy and mentioned
that there is something on this page that is incorrect. He remembered
my site and that we had once communicated via email and plans to let
me know what I have that needs to be fixed. Apparently he now owns
the domain name for Topnosis®(once again?) and there will be a
website at
www.topnosis.com
soon. It now just redirects to the
horizonshinetoys website.
I have written below that doing the topnosis backwards is very
difficult, and I find it to be so. However I saw Mr. Rubin
effortlessly demonstrate going forward and backward at will.
Apparently you can get the top going even faster by going backward
than forward due to centripetal force trying to fling the top outward
but the backwards motion keeping the top on the board. I find that
there is a speed limit to forward play since the top moves outward on
the board. I have to practice more, I guess! If you ever get to NY
City on a Saturday you might meet Mr. Rubin demonstrating. His toys
are upstairs at the end of one of the crossways aisles where the
regular games, like Chess, Stratego etc. are.
I also just found out that I am the #2 link on a Google
search for the Topnosis® toy. If you have come here after a
Google search I appreciate your visit and hope you will send me your
feedback on the toy at the email address below. There is a
Topnosis® forum at my site also located at http:
//www.fprintf.rchomepage.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3
February 28, 2004
February 2004 I received an email from Mr. Rubin - he has a
website dedicated to the Topnosis® at
www.horizonshinetoys.com
that provides instructions, ordering info and more for the
Topnosis®. What an incredible find! Apparently the toy really did
take off, but FAO went bankrupt twice. He now has them for sale
online. Thanks for the email Mr. Rubin!!!!
Here are some pictures of one of my favorite toys, a
Topnosis. I purchased this toy in FAO Schwarz in NY City in July 2001
from the game's inventor. This thing is neat! Unfortunately it seems
that the game didn't take off as I have been unable to find anything
on the web or otherwise. So in the interest of documenting the game
for others to see here are some pictures. I can keep the top going
for as long as I want, but usually get bored after 15 minutes and end
up doing tricks like jumps, flipping the board or going backwards.
The back of the board. This has a "cardboard" feel to it
when spinning the top. It makes the top go much slower and requires
more exaggerated movements. The back of my board is signed by the
inventor.
The front of the board. This seems like very thin lexan
or some other stiff clear plastic. The top really can fly on this
side, and this is where I do most of my spinning.
Here I am about to spin the top. For the children I give
it a really hard spin so that it stays going on its own for quite a
while. For myself I will spin it just enough to get the top moving
and then will move the board back and forth to get the top really
going.
When I bought the board I bought two tops, seemingly
knowing that I'd never be able to find any replacements in the
future. Mr. Rubin, the inventor, suggested that he has tried many
different tops and specifically engineered this shape to work with a
minimum of movement and to spin forever with the right inputs unlike
regular tops which will not continue to spin even given the tipping
and twisting done in Topnosis. I believe him because once the top is
going it takes very little wrist movement to keep the game going. I
bought two different colors and frequently get both of them going at
once. They each make a unique sound and I like each one
differently.
So after looking at the pictures do you wonder how this
toy works?
You spin the top in the middle of the board. Then you
make the top go in a circular direction by tilting the board
slightly. It takes some practice but in a few minutes you can have
the top rolling smoothly all the way around the edges of the board or
more agressively in the center of the board. The direction of your
initial spin determines whether you try and get the top to move
clockwise or counter-clockwise. I prefer to spin with my right hand,
giving the top a clockwise spin. This means that "forward" movement
is clockwise. Going clockwise, with patience, you can keep going
indefinitely. I have never been able to master going backwards
indefinitely, although I can keep it going quite a while.
Here I am having a little fun with the board and top.
Jason, my 7 year old, took the picture with my Zire71 PDA camera.
Pretty good!
I have played with this toy on my visit to New York City
in Central Park. I got lots of inquisitive looks and probably could
have sold quite a few based on the people who stopped by. My Topnosis
board has been all around New England as I sometimes keep it in my
car when I am traveling. It has even been with me to my sailplane
contests.
If you have a Topnosis please let me know via email at
fprintf @ fprintf.rchomepage.com. Don't forget to visit the Topnosis
forum as well at http:
//www.fprintf.rchomepage.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3. Thanks!
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