alex smith – Kendama USA ®

[2019] North American Kendama Open (NAKO) Recap!

Sharif Boru — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 19:18:21 +0000

We had a blast hanging with the Kendama community at this year\’s NAKO event; renamed from Minnesota Kendama Open (MKO). Repping KUSA were Bryan Scagline, Zach Magnuson, Nobu Nori, Rui Sora, Josh Kim, Daunyé Synigal, Dylan Westmoreland, Oliver Malby, Haley Bishoff, Wyatt Bray, Logan Tosta and Alex Smith. Great job to all those that competed, especially Zach Magnuson who took third in open, Oliver Malby who took third in freestyle, Nobu Nori who took second in freestyle, and Josh Kim who won the Yank Spike Contest!

The competition this year was great! So many players coming from all over the country to play Kendama is always such an amazing and unique experience. And the new venue this year was amazing. The first two days in the hotel were perfect for jamming Kendama and watching the competition go down! And the last day in the Varsity Theater was incredible to see the finals take place! Good Kendama, awesome friends, and amazing weather on Sunday made this weekend unforgettable! Congratulations to Motty for taking first in Open, and Nick Gallagher for taking first in Freestyle! Kendama USA was proud to be able place on every podium this year! We can’t wait to see our players compete at other competitions and the next NAKO!

Post competition on Saturday, the Downspike awards were a huge success! Getting to award the community for all their hard work and creative genius is the best. Thank you to Alex Smith and the Sander Brothers for hosting! Make sure to get on Downspike at downspike.com, or download the mobile app on your phone to always be in the loop with Kendama! And that’s right, Colin Sander was at NAKO this year helping judge freestyle and host the Downspike Awards! Hopefully we will be seeing more of Colin in upcoming events. And of course, a special thank you to Sweets Kendamas and all of the gracious volunteers for hosting another great event!

Thank you again, until next year MN!

Dama Talk – Episode 2 | Kendama Podcast

Sharif Boru — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 16:47:45 +0000

DamaTalk is back?! The first episode was made a little over three years ago by Kendama USA Pro Alex Smith and featured Keith Matsumura and covered a plethora of topics.
In vol. 2 Alex interviews Philip Eldridge, Rodney Ansell, and Craig Langkass. The conversation ranges from life in Denmark to Terra\’s new retail shop in Vancouver. Alex even cover some ‘would-you-rather’ questions, and more…
You can find more Dama Talk podcasts on soundcloud

New York City Sesh Recap

Sharif Boru — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 15:39:42 +0000

During one of our last nights in NYC we held a Jam at the Park Ave Atrium. Sheltered from the frigid air we linked up with some east coast players and had a blast. Shout out to KEN-YC and everyone who showed.

Here is a short clip Dave Mateo put together as well as a few fun pics of our time there.

The Kendama craze in Hong Kong: what is it and what makes it so addictive?

Sharif Boru — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 18:01:44 +0000

Young Post, a Junior Reporter Club recently wrote an article about the expanding Kendama scene in Hong Kong. This amazing article covers some very important topics regarding Education with Kendama and the ability to build a community around it. Alex, Zack, and Jake are all mentioned in the article as well.

Check out the full article below.
The Kendama craze in Hong Kong: what is it and what makes it so addictive?

You’ve probably never heard of Kendama, but think of it as a game similar to cup and ball, with a growing worldwide popularity

By: Alan Yu

Around 10 years ago, skateboarder Smore Chan Chung-yin picked up a Japanese toy made of a wooden spike and a ball on a piece of string, and started playing with it at a skate park after watching a fellow skater do some tricks. Chan was immediately hooked and couldn’t put the toy down for the next three hours.

“I was playing like crazy and even when I left for dinner, I was still playing with it. I didn’t want to give it back. I had to give in and buy a kendama of my own.”

The kendama is a toy that is similar to cup and ball; the only difference is that the kendama has three cups, a wooden spike, and the ball has a hole in it. Players try to flick the ball back onto the spike, but it’s become much more than that, as players try to do tricks shots like landing the ball on each of three cups attached to the spike, toss the toy in the air and catch it again before getting the ball on the spike, balance the spike on top of the ball, or even holding the ball and balancing the spike with just the string. It’s not unlike how people have taken the yo-yo and created all kinds of tricks with it.

Chan has been honing his kendama skills ever since he discovered it. He has won several competitions, including the first ever competition in Hong Kong in 2006 and an international video competition with another player in 2007. The 26-year-old now works as a tour guide, but he founded Pak Fuk Kendama in Fanling, where he sells kendama products and coaches new players.

Kendama is steadily growing as a sport. The US has a team of professional players, and even Pak Fuk Kendama in Hong Kongsponsors seven players, meaning those players get free kendamas and coaching. Sunny Wong, a bartender who helps Smore Chan run Pak Fuk Kendama, says there are around 200 enthusiasts in Hong Kong who practise every day, and that it is a serious discipline.

“The Japanese have judo, ken-do (the art of sword fighting), kado (ikebana, or flower arrangement) and chado (tea appreciation.) For the serious players, kendama is just like one of those pursuits.”

Some people even make their living from kendama, like Alex Smith, a player on the US team who is also a woodworker and makes his own kendamas; and Jake Wiens, another US player who also does a lot of the film production and editing for the team.

People like them are rare though, and Hong Kong doesn’t have a kendama scene like the US just yet, but more and more players are following in Chan’s footsteps and taking kendama seriously.

Wu Tsz-ki is 14 and she’s one of the sponsored players with Pak Fuk Kendama. She only started playing with the kendama in May 2014 after she saw it on Instagram, but she practises every day and spends at least an hour each weekend working on new tricks. In October, she entered a competition and came fourth out of around 50 players. She says her parents are still surprised that she hasn’t gotten tired of this toy already, but she says she’s also hooked.

“Don’t underestimate this toy. It may not look very athletic, but it’s very effective in working up a sweat and honing your arm muscles,” she says. “My reflexes have certainly improved. My accuracy in swatting mosquitoes has gone from 50 per cent to 80 per cent.”

Wing Tang kin-wing, 16, is also one of the Pak Fuk Kendama players. He started playing two years ago, and back in mid-December, he entered the TKA Kendama Contest in Taiwanand beat all the other players from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to win the timed contest, where the players try to do as many difficult tricks as they can within two minutes.

Chan says his group performs and hosts workshops at schools and universities. He says his next goal is to organise parent-child kendama classes.

Zack Yourd, a professional player for the US team and recent college graduate, wants to develop a curriculum to introduce it to schools in the US. The 22-year-old started playing with the kendama around eight years ago and he says whenever people ask him what the kendama is, he’ll show them a few tricks and they are always impressed.

“I have yet to see somebody who’s like, ‘Oh that’s stupid.’”

Yourd travelled across the US with the team, and he says he was struck by how enthusiastic the players were.

“As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, there would already be hundreds of people waiting, and they were just screaming.”

He also designs his own kendamas with different designs and types of wood, and he gets royalties every time one of those is sold. He enjoys brewing tea and coffee, so his latest model features engraved tea leaves and coffee beans. One of his kendamas costs around US$35.

“As kendama becomes bigger, it’s becoming more of a possibility to live off kendama and make it your profession. Some people that I know are doing that and it’s incredible. Right now though, it is kind of hard to make your living from competing. You would need another job.”

Lau Chun-ho (left) and Chan Chung-yin admit they’re totally addicted to kendama.

Photo: Bruce Yan/SCMP

Van Jam 2 Recap

Sharif Boru — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 23:13:37 +0000

At the end of the summer, the Terra Kendama workshop celebrated one year of being open in Vancouver, after moving to the coast from Edmonton last spring. The ‘Van Jam 2’ is an event that celebrates the core of what kendama is: having fun while hanging out with friends, learning some new tricks, and maybe a little bit of competition on the side.

This year’s event brought players from across Canada, the US, and Japan to the Terra workshop. Turner Thorne, Haley Bishoff, and I were the repping Kendama USA, and it was awesome having teammates in town! We spent a lot of time seeing sights, eating good food, and jamming kendama around the city.

Last year KendamaUSA’s own Colin Sander won the game of DAMA tournament at the Van Jam, but this year it was Brandon Meyer that took home the first place prize. Good times were had by all, this certainly won’t be the last of the Van Jams!

KWC Setup Recap

Sharif Boru — Wed, 09 Sep 2015 21:00:40 +0000

dave-kwc
Over the past two weeks we’ve shared what each Kendama USA team member used in the KWC qualifiers and finals.
We wanted to recap it all into one area and offer a limited 15% discount on these items with code: KUSAWorldCup15

1. Zack Yourd – Zebrano Ken x Tribute Half Split Red/White Tama

Recipe:

1 Zebrano Kendama

1 Tribute Half Split (Red/White)

\”It’s a mash-up of some of my favorite kendama parts, and I like when the tama is a couple of grams heavier than the ken. Half splilts also help for tracking which is nice for more stressful/competition play.\” – Zack Yourd.

2. Wyatt Bray – TK16 Master Ken x Turner Thorne v4 Pro Model Tama

Recipe:

1 TK 16 Red

1 Turner Thorne v4 Pro Model

“I wanted a freshy, competing with a fresh is the best. TK 16 are one of my most memorable damas because they were the first I played when I first started.” – Wyatt Bray

3. Turner Thorne – Kaizen Zebrano Ken x Turner Thorne v4 Pro Model Tama.

Recipe:

1 Kaizen Zebrano Kendama

1 Turner Thorne v4 Pro Model

\”Strictly for the balance ratio between the ken and tama. It was also the one that was most broken in around the bevel which helped with bird tricks\” – Turner Thorne

4. TJ Kolesnik – Colin Sander v4 Pro Ken x Tribute Red/White Half Split Tama

Recipe:

1 Colin Sander v4 Pro Model

1 Tribute Half Split (Red/White)

\”The v4 ken matched super well weight-wise with the tama, and the half split is a reallygood visual. The bottom white half makes the tama hole pop. Once playing a few days the silk paint on he tama breaks in really nicely.\” – TJ Kolesnik

5. Keith Matsumura – Colin Sander v4 Pro Model

Recipe:

1 Colin Sander v4 Pro Model

\”I like the 3-tone tama, it’s easy to track for spike tricks. Also in the past I’ve gotten good vibes from playing Colin’s pro models.\”
– Keith Matsumura

7. Haley Bishoff – Kaizen Zebrano Ken x Kaizen Silk Turquoise Tama

Recipe:

1 Kaizen Zebrano

1 Kaizen Turquoise

\”I like the look of it, the color-way was nice. Matching is key. It played well for me too, I landed all of my tricks in my 2 runs. When choosing a Kendama, 60% is based of looks, the other on playability.” – Haley Bishoff

8. Dave Mateo – Kaizen Zebrano Ken x Kaizen Translucent Wine Tama

Recipe:

1 Kaizen Zebrano

1 Kaizen Red Wine Translucent

\”I’ve lately found that I’ve been able to lace nutty multiple J-Sticks/UFO’s with the grip from the translucent paint. Also this tama is a bird machine. Once beating it in, the bevel allows the tama to just sit n grip.\” – Dave Mateo

9. Bryan Scagline – Kaizen Birch Ken x Tribute Black / Yellow Half Split

Recipe:

1 Kaizen Translucent

1 Tribute Half Split (Yellow / Black )

\”I wanted to rep the hometown colors, and the half split is good for tracking. I found this useful when performing up on stage and during on-the-spot play.\” – Bryan Scagline

10. Alex Smith – Kaizen Birch Spike x Maple Cups x Alex Smith v4 Pro Mod.

Recipe:

1 Kaizen Translucent

1 Alex Smith v4 Pro Model

\”Can I get a glass of water?… The tama was nice and solid and the tama’s weight matched well with the ken. The hybrid Ken was not planned and was pieced together after some Kendama mishaps, but it played really well.\” – Alex Smith

KWC Set Ups: Alex Smith

Sharif Boru — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 22:58:00 +0000

“This project highlights each of Kendama USA’s players and the specific kendama set ups they chose to use for the KWC while also adding my own style into the mix. Every photo was taken with instant-print cameras (Polaroid OneStep SX-70 and Fujifilm Instax 210) and every word written by hand. I like taking the foreign route in todays technology era and crafting things by hand. Having a limited amount of film for the cameras also added a surprise/suspense element to it all because each shot was a make-or-break on whether or not it would come out in focus or not. I really want to thank Jero, Cecilia Chow, Luke Evans, and the K-USA team for their contributions on making this come together ”

For our last players page we are featuring Alex Smith! Look for our KWC Setup Recap here soon!

Kendama World Cup 2015 – Mini Recap

Sharif Boru — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 17:59:31 +0000

“This year’s trip to Japan was one for the books. Every time we trek on a new adventure, more and more memories are made. We made our way abroad with two new additions, Tribe Team members Wyatt Bray and Bryan Scagline. It was both their first time out of the country and a great time to experience Japan. I was in the same position exactly 1 year ago and for all the trips I’ve been on, this has been one of the most memorable and fun for me.

The 2015 Kendama World Cup started off with a bang. Zack Yourd, Bryan Scagline, Dave Mateo, Turner Thorne, Jason Morrison, and I all met up at the San Francisco International Airport to hop on a plane to Japan. It was 13 hours of pure fun, rowdiness on the plane, and teaching passengers and flight attendants how to play Kendama. We managed to film an entire edit that features the new Mugen Musou… #TEAMFUEGZ! Coming shortly.

Yes, finally touched down in Japan. Let the adventures begin.

10 long, sleepless, adventure filled days were about to go down. The best and most talented Kendama players all under one roof, competing against each other for the top prize. Luckily, the entire World Cup (2 days) was on a live stream so those who weren’t there were able to catch the live footage and see the craziness go down. For me, the last 10 days blurred together because there was so much going on all at once. So many exciting things happened every day and the level of skill in Kendama has risen to new heights. I’m happy and proud to congratulate my own teammate Wyatt Bray for taking it home for Kendama USA! GO WYATT! WE LOVE YOU!

To check out Wyatt\’s winning run click HERE

Let’s just give a quick recap of events. Plane rides, no sleep, Japanese beer tasting, long nights, down pours, early mornings, scaling roof tops, amazing sushi, walking, LOTS OF WALKING, onsens, vending machines, 7/11, alpaca, Japanese style housing, hostels, dama village, polaroid sessions Osaka, Hiroshima, Kendama Street, okonomiyaki, subways, laughing, friends, family, team, Kendama. I hope everyone reading this gets to experience Japan and the Kendama World Cup at least once. For those who did go this year, I hope you read this and smile and think back to all the great memories.

A big thank you to Tamotsu Kubota, Yuka Hyuga, Hajime Ishibashi, Kota Kagoshima, the rest of the Gloken Crew, Kendama USA, and of course, Jeremy Stephenson. Cheers to the future of Kendama! See you all next year.” -Tj Kolesnik

Freestyle 15 Winners Announced!

Sharif Boru — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 17:28:22 +0000

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Freestyle 15 Video Contest!
We had a lot of submissions and it took the judges quite a while to go through them all and pick winners.
Be sure to check out the winning submissions as well as honorable mentions below.

Alex Smith Winner: Walter Cummings

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Walter Cummings III (@waltaboi808)

Turner Thorne Winner: Rolf Vigganer

Trevor Starnes Winner: Dylan Westmoreland

Honorable Mentions:
Tony – @Bonesicle
Daunye Synigal – @daun_yon
David Mock – @mocklemore

Don’t fret if you didn’t win take 15% off your next purchase with code KUSAFF15, grab a fresh dama and practice to win our next contest!

Learn how to string a kendama.

Sharif Boru — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:42:30 +0000

So you want to learn how to string or restring a Kendama huh? Well you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve put together a step by step guide that will teach you how to do it properly as well as a few tips.

Got a Classic, Kaizen or Traditional Kendama? This video is for you.

Got a Tribute Kendama? This video is for you.

Need a new string? Visit our shop and get one today!

Kendama USA Releases NEW Trick Tutorials

Sharif Boru — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 20:01:00 +0000

We are excited to bring you the Kendama USA Tutorial Series. We’ve released over 40 Kendama Tutorial Videos to help you and your friends learn all sorts of tricks. From core basics to high level advanced we’ve got them all.
If there are any tricks that you want to see as a part of our tutorials submit them to tricks@kendamausa.com.

We’ve put together a playlist that you can play through with all of our tricks organized by difficulty as well as skill level playlists. Check them out below or visit our tricks & tutorials page here.

Click to watch: Beginner Level Trick Tutorials
Click to watch: Intermediate Level Trick Tutorials
Click to watch: Advanced Level Trick Tutorials

Freestyle 15 Instagram Video Contest

Sharif Boru — Fri, 29 May 2015 17:28:17 +0000

All right, here\’s the deal. We\’re holding an Instagram contest and we want to see your most creative 15 Second Freestyle with only one rule…No spacewalks! Judges Alex Smith, Turner Thorne & Trevor Starnes will be looking for creativity, style & flow. Grab your gear and enter to win!

Deeply rooted in the Kendama community, judges Alex, Turner, & Trevor are always trying to improve and help others improve on their skills in freestyle sports. We\’ve thrown together a prize pack that represents their love of not only Kendama but also Skateboarding for this contest.

All submissions must be tagged with hashtag #kusafreestyle15 and received by Sunday night, June 14th, 2015. Only 1 submission per person.

#kusafreestyle15

Alex Smith
Turner Thorne
Trevor Starnes

No Spacewalks.

Alex Smith Winner:

New Bamboo Pill
Alex Smith v4 Pro Model
Denim Blue Jumbo Pill
Autographed Natty Beech Pill
Kendama USA Logo Skateboard

Turner Thorne Winner:

New Wenge Pill
Turner Thorne v4 Pro Model
Sienna Red Jumbo Pill
Autographed Cherry Pill
Kendama USA Seal Skateboard

Trevor Starnes Winner:

New Padauk Pill
Kaizen Select – Natural Beech
2013 A.Smith Trad\’l Cherry Pro
Autographed Purple Pill
Kendama USA Kaizen Skateboard

Introducing New Terra Pills: Bamboo, Padauk, Wenge

Sharif Boru — Tue, 19 May 2015 00:11:39 +0000

We’ve got three new Pill Kendamas available from Terra in bamboo, padauk, and wenge. These new additions to their “exotic” line of pills is not only beautiful but was hand selected for their playability and durability. Pick yours up at Kendama USA!

The Pill Kendama is a skill toy and the brainchild of former Kendama USA Pro, Alex Smith. The idea came to him after a day of hand-turning Kendamas. This clever, simplified design makes the Pill a perfect companion to Kendama to test your coordination and creativity on a uniquely shaped toy.

Kendama USA "Hipsters" Featured on Fox News at Toy Fair 2015

Sharif Boru — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 04:54:37 +0000

Good times at the 2015 NY Toy Fair. Maybe Fox News doesn’t get it yet, but that’s ok. They’ll catch up eventually.
Check out their news coverage of the NYC toy fair including Kendamas where our very own Pros can been seen below.

Read the full story here.