Join us in celebrating the newest Kendama USA Pro; Zachary Magnuson! Zach’s dedication to the sport and community can be seen in his progression as both a player, a member of the community, and a videographer. Zach began his Kendama journey in 2014, while in high school and started competing shortly after. We first met Zach at Dama in the D2 and was asked to join Kendama USA’s Tribe team in 2018. Zach’s tenacity to pursue his passions and perfect his skills lead him to exactly where he wants to be.
Zach is currently a senior in college studying photography and film. When he isn’t studying he’s either playing kendama or working on a project he continues to be an inspiration to people and players around him and shares Kendama wherever he goes. Lets all welcome Zach to the team!
This month’s player is Lisa K all the way from New Zealand! We took some time to catch up with her and this is what she had to say:
My name is Lisa Komatsubara, and I’m from Auckland, New Zealand! As a child, I grew up owning a traditional Japanese Kendama, and funnily enough, I actually thought it was a boring toy because all I could do with it was cups and spike. In 2016, I met Joe & Todd from @kumafilms and they showed me that you can do so much more with a Kendama! They taught me how to do Airplane and Juggle, and that’s how I fell in love with Kendama!
I literally practiced only those 2 tricks for a few months, then I played on & off then only occasionally. It wasn’t until August 2018 that I decided to start practicing properly and introduce myself to other tricks. Since then, my love & passion for Kendama has been growing bigger & bigger! When I’m not playing Kendama, I’m either juggling, capturing photos & videos, painting, or doing anything creative!
From the beginning, my Kendama inspirations have been null & null. They were the only 2 players I knew about when I first started. Another big inspiration is a fellow player Nicholas Jennings also from New Zealand. He continues to inspire me every day!”
Lisa’s progression is inspiring! Be sure to check out her feed and practice!
