North American Kendama Open
Competition Status: Active
2024 Competition Date TBD
The North American Kendama Open is the largest competition is the US. Players face off in an intense atmosphere against some of the biggest hitters in kendama. The event’s main focus, the Open division, has a unique multi-tier trick list that gets progressively more challenging as the competitor advances. Because of its high attendance list, it has become a popular location for compiling the Kendama World Cup trick list, as well as an opportunity for communities and businesses to become familiar. NAKO is a true test of a player’s technical skills and mental stamina, and to be crowned champion is one of the biggest tasks a competitive kendama player may accomplish.
Est. 2013
2023
Location: Online
Venue: Sweets Studio, Twitch, Zoom
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Jake Wiens, Rodney Ansell
Girls Open (Single Elimination)
1st - Nowa Yamada
2nd - Rin Shibuya
3rd - Chin Yang
Am Open (Single Elimination)
1st - Jaume Salto
2nd - Francois Morin
3rd - Aaron Andrade
Girls Advanced (Double Elimination)
1st - Stacey King
2nd - Kiara Skye
3rd - Samira Hernandez
Open (Double Elimination)
1st - Edwin Tickner
2nd - Liam Rauter
3rd - Zack Gallagher
Performance (One Minute Pre-recorded Runs)
1st - Nick Gallagher
2nd - William Schlageter
3rd (tie) - Jacob Trebil
3rd (tie) - Nonoka Kyodo
3rd (tie) - So Kanada
2022
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Venue: Delta Ballroom & Varsity Theater
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Nick Gallagher
2nd - Johnny Kress
3rd - Kevin DeSoto
Am Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Nick Dodenhoff
2nd - Cam ——
3rd - Logan Moeller
Girls Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Adriana Arciniega
2nd - Keanu Guidos
3rd - Cassie Destremau
Girls Advanced (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Amanda-Rachel Garcia
2nd - Natalia Baykova
3rd - Danielle Ruffilo
Freestyle (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Wyatt Bray
2nd - Zack Gallagher
3rd - Nick Gallagher
2021
Location: Online
Venue: Sweets Studio, Twitch, Zoom
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Jake Wiens, Daniel Robinson, Sweets Kendamas
Girls Open (Round Robin)
Bracket
1st - Shum Ching Yan
2nd (tie) - Cassie Destremau
2nd (tie) - Stephanie Lussier
2nd (tie) - Lisa Komatsubara
Am Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Shum Ching Yan
2nd - Jovani Moreno
3rd - Austin Ayers
Girls Advanced (Double Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Adriana Arciniega
2nd - Mo Square
Open (Double Elimination)
Bracket
1st - So Kanada
2nd - Nick Gallagher
3rd - Zack Gallagher
Freestyle (One Minute Pre-recorded Runs)
1st - Misumi Nakao
2nd - Albert Kirvesmäki
3rd - Nick Gallagher
2020
Location: Online
Venue: Sweets Studio, Twitch, Zoom
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Jake Wiens, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Nick Gallagher
2nd - Bryson Lee
3rd - Zack Gallagher
Am Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Lucas Sobeck
2nd - Zach Finch
3rd - Luke Sedgwick
Girls Open (Double Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Stephanie Luddite
2nd - Lisa Komatsubara
3rd - Rachel Aikema
Girls Advanced (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Nikki DeOcampo
2nd - Emily Caprio
3rd - Loren Morasco
Freestyle (Two 45 Second Pre-recorded Runs)
Bracket
1st - Albert Jokbert Kirvesmaki (99 pts.)
2nd - Bonz Atron (91 pts.)
3rd - Nick Gallagher (86 pts.)
2019
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Venue: Delta Ballroom & Varsity Theater
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Double Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Hiroto Motohashi
2nd - Liam Rauter
3rd - Zach Magnuson
Girls Open (Round Robin)
Bracket
1st - Yukie Yao
2nd - Ruri ——
3rd - Ayaka ——
Freestyle (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Nick Gallagher
2nd - Nobu Norioka
3rd - Oliver Malby
2018
Location: Bloomington, MN
Venue: Double Tree Hilton, Mall of America
Host(s): Matthew “Matt Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Am Open (Double Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Levi Baca
2nd - Jacob Schultz
3rd - Daniel Lee
Open (Double Elimination)
Bracket
1st - So Kanada
2nd - Alex Mitchell
3rd - Nobu Norioka
Freestyle (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Bryson Lee
2nd - Kevin DeSoto
3rd - Bonz Atron
2017
Location: Bloomington, MN
Venue: Mall of America
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - So Kanada
2nd - Kengo Kawamura
3rd - Nick Gallagher
Freestyle (Single Elimination)
Bracket
1st - Nick Gallagher
2nd - Jake Fischer
3rd - Kengo Kawamura
Girls Open (Round Robin)
1st - Misumi Nakao
2nd - Claire Fuller
3rd - Haley Bishoff
2015
Location: Bloomington, MN
Venue: Mall of America
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Single Elimination)
1st - Zack Gallagher
2nd - Lukas Funk
3rd - George Marshall
4th - Jarod Porter
Freestyle (Single Elimination)
1st - Jake Fischer
2nd - Nic Stodd
3rd - Wyatt Bray
2014
Location: Bloomington, MN
Venue: Mall of America
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Single Elimination)
1st - Lukas Funk
2nd - Sam Cannon
3rd - Brandon Meyer
4th - Jake Fischer
7-to-Spike
1st - Matthew Ballard
2013
Location: St. Paul, MN
Venue: Union Depot
Host(s): Matthew “Sweets” Jorgenson, Sweets Kendamas
Open (Single Elimination)
1st - Max Norcross
2nd - William Penniman