It’s hard to believe that the annual Kendama World Cup is less than two months away. Like each year, we’ve got a list of tricks that competitors from around the world will choose from in hopes of racking up enough points to claim a spot on the elusive KWC podium. And like each year, some tricks will inevitably frequent themselves in player’s runs for both prelims and finals.

We’ve taken a look at each of this year’s tricks and made our predictions of which ones would be most popular. So let’s dive in!

Level 1
Big Cup
This may be low hanging fruit, but it’s too obvious to ignore. Many entrants participate in the event just for the experience, so it would be unsurprising to see this trick end up in most beginner competitor runs.

Level 2
Moshikame x 10 or more, Spike
While there are certainly more time efficient tricks in this level, Moshikame is one of the most fundamental ones in all of kendama. That spike at the end might trip some people up, but I’d expect many to be comfortable enough with this one to risk a potential miss or two.

Level 3
Juggle Big Cup, Spike
Juggles have transformed the game completely, and as such, many beginners learn the technique much earlier on. With a forgiving landing point after the juggle, it wouldn’t surprise me to see this one often.

Level 4
Whirlwind
A trick that has embedded itself deep in kendama culture. Many advanced players will sneak this into their finals run for a quick 16, so naturally I’d imagine it would be frequent in both prelims and finals.

Level 5
1 Turn Lighthouse, Insta Stuntplane Fasthand
I’m shaking it up a little bit with this one. While there are certainly “easier” tricks in this level, I think the combination of value and short execution time will be enough reason for players to include it.

Level 6
2 Tap Juggle, Spike
Like juggles, taps have completely shifted the trick landscape. Player’s delving into this level and beyond are probably comfortable with the basics of the modern game, and since taps have become integral to success in competitions, it seems like a safe bet.

Level 7
Kenflip, Juggle, Kenflip, Juggle, Spike
I almost went with the triple tap on this one, but I’d wager that most juggle-oriented players are more confident in this trick. I’d listen to the argument that the triple tap is the smarter choice, but in my opinion, this one is easier and worth the same amount of points.

Level 8
Airplane, 1-2-3 Tap Flip In
I’m not gonna lie, this is a pretty brutal level 8 all around, even by modern standards. I had a tough time deciding between this one and Big Tap x 2, Toss In, but I think people are more familiar with this combo, as Big Tap’s haven’t caught on as much as multi-tap tricks.

Level 9
10 or more Juggle, Spike
This trick has been popular at KWC for years now. At this point, I’d argue that it belongs in level 7 or lower considering how early on players learn the juggle technique, but that’s for another article…

Level 10
1 Turn Border’s Balance, 1.5 Handlestall, Kenflip Swap In
You might be thinking, “Okay, it finally happened. D Ro has lost his damn mind.” And you might be right. But I’m willing to bet there will be a high number of players that cheese that BB by insta-ing it directly to handlestall.

Level 11
3 Tap Lighthouse, Insta 3 Flip Swap Juggle, 3 Kenflip Juggle, 3 Toss Stuntplane Fasthand
There are simply no easy tricks once you’re at this point, but if you find yourself here, I think this might be the safest. The trickiest part of this is the ender, but the first three portions shouldn’t give advanced players much trouble.

Level 12
1-2-3 Kenflip, Juggle, Kenflip, Juggle, Spike
This trick is not simple by any means, but I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised to see it ranked this high. With no late Kenflips or Taps to worry about and a straightforward pattern to follow, I think some unlucky string action is the only major threat to players attempting this on finals day.

Learn more about this year’s Kendama World Cup here.

View past winners here.