Ben Herald is one of the newest Grain Theory pro kendama players and the pro division champion of the Sakura Classic Championships this year.
In this interview we learn about the annual Sakura Classic contest held in Japantown, SF, his pro model design and more!
Head to shop.kendamausa.com/ and use the code: CLICKCLACK to get 10% off your next order.
Special thanks to:
Ben Herald
Jack Baker
Molly Harney
Haley Bishoff
KendamaUSA
Grain Theory
Josh Flow Grove – Rhythm kendama sounds
San Francisco’s Chronicle covered the Cherry Blossom Festival and although it rained it didn’t deter anyone from enjoying the festival. Tony Bravo, SFGate & Chronicle contributor, ran into Jake during the festival and had this to say…
Away from the food bazaar, the Japanese skill game Kendama, in which a player juggles a ball on a string between three cups and a spike on the same stick, attracted its own crowd as some of the 90 competitors in the festival’s Sakura Classic demonstrated their techniques.
“The sport has been around for about 100 years,” said Jake Wiens, a professional Kendama player from Oakland.
“This is my third time as part of this competition. It’s a really great event, and we get a lot of support from the Japanese consul general to make it happen. We literally have players as young as 8 years old from all over the Bay Area that have discovered it.”
The Sakura Classic is going down during the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco on April 8th & 9th from 11AM – 7PM. It’s Totally FREE including Pro Workshops, mini-games, prizes, and more!
The Sakura Classic is made possible by the Consulate General of Japan San Francisco, Kendama USA, The Kengarden, the KG Tues Crew, Grain Theory, and the NCCBF.
Be sure and head over to the Sign-Up Page to learn more, sign-up & get a schedule of events & trick lists.
The first ever Sakura Classic was a blast! We had a great turnout and it was a great seeing so many people enjoying and supporting what we love so much; Kendama. Our booth was full each day of the NCCBF and we couldn’t have asked for a better turn out. Thanks to the Consulate General of Japan for hosting us and to all those who came out and helped make this a success.
Here is a look early look at our booth on the 1st day.
Here are your Speed Ladder Winners.
Here are your 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners for the Sakura Classic
1st – Nic Stodd
2nd – Keilan Cancino
3rd – TJ Kolesnik
Congratulations to everyone!
For more information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival and attending next year visit http://sfcherryblossom.org/
