Advice for growth in the kendama Community in ohio? Help appreciated!!!

[BrandonYoder]

So, the Kendama Community here in T-County, OH is probably decent but i really want the community to start booming here. Does anyone have any advice on how to het things growing faster? anything at all would help.

Ive been playing for about a year or so, and about 6 months ago i think my friend and i were the only ones in our area, who even knew what a kendama was(possibly almost all of ohio for all i know)other than the people who saw us and asked. But now some time later  we have maybe 10-15 people. we have a solid group of 6 or 7 people who get together regularly and just Sesh and chill but the rest just show up occasionally or just show interest.


Can anyone please give me some advice on how to spread the word about kendama in my community and the whole state of ohio if possible?

[PikWik]

im in the states too. and while i know some people play kendama, i cant wholeheartedly recommend someone start kendama unless they have some Time to dedicate. its just such a niche interest to start a craze. even more than yoyo/juggling/hackysack. think like a notch below those popularity-wise and thats where kendama is. im not saying thats a bad thing and is actually a big part of why i enjoy it. no one does it so its kind of 'my thing', i found it and i worked on the tricks without this huge influx of people pressuring me with constant competition. if kendama took off in america and i started seeing commercials with big celebrities trying to cash in and exploit kendama to make a buck or to be "cool," i would look at it in a different way. but the chances of that happening are pretty slim. it would take someone like bieber playing kendama to set this off...

but back to the topic; i would say to start hosting competitions and public events that are loaded with people. like, find out where alot of people hangout. parks/music festivals/skateparks/community centers/schools, and host random comps there.

[BKA]

Be visible. Practice where other people can see you, and always be prepared to tell people about that funny cup-and-ball toy. You already have a small crew, so get a regular meeting spot and time. And always be there every week. Even if it's only your local park, it's important for people to know that "the kendama players meet on Wednesday afternoons" (or whenever).

Since you already have a bit of a scene... Run an "event"! Advertise it in advance, with some relevant details. Tell your local skate shop, juggling store, local newspaper, local tv news show, get it known that "The Kendama Jam" is happening soon, that there will be a beginner's workshop, a stall selling kendamas, prizes to be won, etc.

That might sound like a bit of a scary prospect if you haven't done any of those things before. In which case, have a trial run, small scale, and make sure as many of your 15 regulars as possible show up. Give it a go, see how it feels, and I bet you find that everyone has a great time, and immediately starts asking "when's the next one?".

Wait... There are 15 players in your area? Why are only 2 of them on the Member Map? Tell them all to join! We said "be visible" earlier - that includes in online resources.

[Waylon]

I live in lexington ohio. Where is T County?

[AlexSmith]

What we did in Edmonton:
purchased a number of kendamas to sell locally. The goal was NOT to make money (we didn't take a dime from the sales), rather it was to make a little bit of money to buy prizes / refreshments for local contests. We sold Shin Fujis and Ozoras to all of our friends for $20 a piece (the ozos may have been $25? can't remember now), this put kendamas into the hands of a ton of friends, and gave them something to practise for. Worked out pretty well!

[Bahama Kendama]

FYI - Bahama Kendama is based in Pennsylvania, about an hour from the Ohio border.  We sponsor a lot of events and donate Kendamas to groups that have competitions or classes, anything that promotes kendama.  We were a recent sponsor at the World Yo-yo Competition in Orlando.

My point is that we are close by and would be happy to work with anyone in Ohio who wanted to do some kind of event.  You can find us on Facebook or email us at sales@bahamakendama.com if you want to work together.

Not just Ohio, we are game for kendama events anywhere in the world.

Cheers,
BK

[BrandonYoder]

Dover, Ohio to be exact.
about an hour and a half East of you i believe!
Dude, come sesh with us! we play right in the downtown square here all the time.
and we have a lit shelter that we walk to when it gets dark.

[Waylon]

Seems like everything skill toy related is about an hour and a half away. Maybe we could stage a meet some Sunday near Wooster or maybe Millersburg. I'm sure there's a park somewhere that would be perfect for a day of wearing out the old knees. And getting stared at by Amish people

The Lorain County yoyo club meets in Elyria every Saturday. I've been once. I'm going to try to make it once a month, at least. Lots of kendama goes on there. It's a yoyo club but kendama is dominating it from what I can tell.

[BrandonYoder]

dude, add me on FB and send me a message. we have a whole crew we play with.(new and good players) we would love to set up a meet with some people would be fun.

Im trying to get them to join the forums...they don't find the time to internet  every day like i do. haha

Also, put yourself on the Members map! its cool to see whos around you.

[Waylon]

You'll have to add me. There are a ton of Brandon yoders out there

[killa_jilla]

I'm from Cleveland, OH! I started playing about a month or so ago :\ Trying to get my friends into it but I think I'm the only serious one lol.  Keep me updated on meet ups! 

[Kendama+cliniK]

 I'm in P.A. right now for the holidays. Normally I'm an Ohioan. B-yodes, when I get back I'm gonna hit you up. I've been gettin' a lot of people into it as of lately. Even lending out my old kendama for someone else to jam on. He finally purchased his own so I will have my old one back in possession soon to hand off to any person interested in our area. Kendama down with your town.

[jayden reed]

I live in ohio and I don't have anyone to sesh with. Please contact me on facebook. My name on there is jayden reed.

[BKA]

You can send people private messages via this forum too, y'know. It's the speech bubble icon in their profile.

[Jeremyab5]

I'm near Cincinnati, Ohio and i've only been playing for about 3 months now. It's just me and one other person over here that I know of.