Who is Sundia
The Taiwanese manufacturer behind the EVO, Magforce, Falcon and Echo, the first ball-bearing diabolo in 2005 and the magnetic bearing in 2021, and why it became the reference brand.
Updated
Sundia is a Taiwanese manufacturer that only makes diabolos and diabolo parts. It brought the first ball-bearing diabolo to market in 2005 and the first magnetic bearing axle in 2021, its EVO is the most played diabolo in the world, and most diabolos seen at the top competitive level in Taiwan and Japan carry its name. In Europe it is imported by DiaboloFocus.
A diabolo company
Most juggling manufacturers make balls, clubs, rings and a diabolo or two. Sundia (Sundia Folk Sports and Acrobatics Products Co., Ltd., Taipei) makes diabolos, sticks, string, axles, hubs, cups and LED kits, and nothing else. Taiwan is where diabolo is a school sport with national competitions, and the company grew with that scene: its models are developed with, and named after, the crews that compete there, such as the MHD Pro.
What Sundia introduced
- 2005: the ball-bearing diabolo. A one-way bearing in the axle lets the diabolo keep spinning while the string slides. It created vertical play and the long-combo style, and every bearing diabolo since has followed it.
- The stability ring. An aluminium hub with a sharp ring, so that when you correct a lean the string touches one point instead of dragging along the cup. Introduced on the EVO, now on every Sundia model, and the reason the EVO became the world’s standard diabolo.
- The triple bearing (3-B) and five bearing (5-B) axles. The 3-B is the training standard; the 5-B was developed for one-minute competition routines.
- 2021: the magnetic bearing. The Magforce places circular magnets in the hubs and axle so the two repel, reducing friction for faster and longer spins. See EVO G2 vs G3 vs Magforce.
- Replaceable everything. Single cups, hubs, axles, bolts, washers and bearings are sold as parts, so a Sundia diabolo is repaired and upgraded rather than replaced.
The range today
| Family | Axle | Character | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo 2.0 | Fixed or 3-B | Entry model for schools and first diabolos | 22 € |
| EVO G2 and G3 | Fixed or 5-B | The world standard; soft or hard cups | 40 € |
| Magforce and Magforce NX | Fixed or magnetic 3-B | The flagship bearing diabolo | 42 € |
| Falcon | 3-B | Dual-injection cups, the outdoor bearing | 55 € |
| Fly | Fixed or 3-B | The toughest cups, built for impact | 40 € |
| Marble, Shining | 3-B | Classic bearing models | 55 € |
| MHD Pro, Soarin | Fixed or 3-B | Crew and designer signature models | 40 € |
| EVO Ultra Light | Fixed | 189 g for three and four diabolos | 40 € |
| Micro | 1-B | Yoyo-style play | 29 € |
Sundia in Europe
DiaboloFocus, founded in Berlin in 2019 by the professional diabolist Guillaume Karpowicz, is Sundia’s official importer for Europe and stocks the complete range with parts. Before Sundia, Guillaume was sponsored by Babache and Henrys, and switched after visiting Sundia in Taiwan; the about page tells that story.
Bottom line
Sundia is the brand that defined the modern diabolo: the stability ring, the bearing axle, the magnetic bearing and a parts system. If you are choosing your first, the EVO G2 is where to start; the guides cover the rest.
Questions
Where are Sundia diabolos made?
In Taiwan, by Sundia Folk Sports and Acrobatics Products Co., Ltd. in Taipei. Design, moulding and assembly are Sundia's own; it is a diabolo company, not a juggling-equipment company with a diabolo line.
Did Sundia invent the bearing diabolo?
Sundia introduced the first ball-bearing diabolo in 2005 and the first magnetic bearing axle, the Magforce, in 2021. Bearing diabolos from other brands followed the 2005 design.
Which Sundia diabolo is the most popular?
The EVO. It is the most played diabolo in the world, in the soft-cup G2 in Europe and the hard-cup G3 in Asia, and most of the diabolos at the top competitive level in Taiwan and Japan are EVOs or their Magforce successors.
Is Sundia a good brand?
It is the reference brand of the sport. The stability ring, the triple-bearing and magnetic axles, the replaceable cups and the range of parts are what other manufacturers are measured against.
