Nicholas Stodd has been announced as the newest pro for Kendama USA. The news was released at this most recent North American Kendama Open, complete with a mind-bending edit and signature model of Stodd’s own design.

This move from KUSA is exciting and a bit surprising. Stodd has been in the game for well over a decade now, with previous experience as a pro player and even a company owner. He has performed exceptionally on big stages over the years and is popular among those in the kendama community, earning affectionate nicknames such as “Stodd Father.”

But as I mentioned, the announcement is surprising.

I mean this sincerely. I have the utmost respect for Nicholas Stodd. We’ve known each other a long time. I’ve slept on his couch. He’s an awesome human being. So when I say the move is surprising, you could interpret it more as intriguing with no objection from me.

I’ve got a few years on Stodd, admittedly, but none of the players from our “generation” are spring chickens anymore. For many, the days of grinding hours at a time on a singular trick are well behind us. We have more responsibilities and less time to dedicate to our passions, in this case kendama (and my knees hurt!) I’m sure he is more than capable of prioritizing what needs to be done, but I’m interested to see to what extent his involvement is in the next year.

Will he be entering all major competitions moving forward? Can we expect consistent content from him online? Could he be involved with more things behind the scenes at Kendama USA?

We’ll see, but in the meantime, take a moment to watch his announcement edit and be sure to show him some love.

I’m rooting for you, Bearpaw.