This year’s UYYC Kendama Freestyles on Saturday, June 7 consists of each player performing a 2-minute freestyle synchronized to the music choice of the competitor. In addition we are adding 2 days of offstage Kendama ladders with each trick learned earning multiple entries into a Friday drawing and Saturday drawing for prizes from our sponsors. The weekend also celebrates National YoYo Day on Friday, June 6; we encourage everyone to collaborate on both skill-toys and pick up not only a Kendama but also learn new yoyo tricks from players coming from around the country! UYYC Kendama Freestyles are scheduled to finish the weekend as the last event on the main stage!
Friday Ladders: Friday, June 6 UYYC Kendama & YoYo Jam with a DJ; this is also National YoYo Day and the DJ will spin vinyl from 7pm – 9pm. UYYC Kendama & YoYo Jam is from 6pm to 10pm with beginner, intermediate, advanced, and master ladders will include 2 ways to win prizes at the STL City Foundry. For every ladder trick learned you will receive multiple entries into a drawing for prizes. Also if you complete every trick on a ladder card then your entered into a separate prize drawing making you eligible for extra prizes from our sponsors! The Kendama Ladder prize drawings are at 9Pm on June 6 and the Kendama Ladder judges on hand for Friday night include Daniel Dietz, Brian Melford, Coffin Nachtmahr, and CJ Atkinson. Don’t forget that all your food and beverage options for Friday night are in the main food hall at the City Foundry as well as exceptional St. Louis bbq at EXPAT!
UYYC Kendama Ladders
Saturday Ladders: Saturday, June 7 the 2025 UYYC Kendama Freestyle contest is at the Missouri History Museum in a 300 seat auditorium with full sound and stage! There is also a Kendama practice area in the Atrium with the UYYC registration table. If you attended the Friday UYYC Kendama Jam you can work on your remaining ladder tricks however you won’t get checked off twice. If Saturday is your first day you can pick up Kendama ladder cards at the UYYC contest table. On Saturday every Kendama trick learned will get a free raffle ticket to the main drawing at end of event. To get a free raffle ticket just show your ladder trick at the contest table when ready!
Note: to be eligible to earn prizes from our sponsors in the Friday or Saturday Kendama ladder drawings please register day of the event and pick up your Kendama Ladder 2-day Pass. For players competing in the Kendama Freestyles you’re also eligible to earn prizes in the Kendama Ladders on both days, included with your Kendama Freestyle 2-day Pass!
Beginner:
Intermediate:
Swing Small Bird, Flip to Spike
Master:
Advanced:
One Turn Lunar, Lunar Flip, Flip In
Handlestall, Bird, Nightingale, Spike
2-Turn Lighthouse, Double Lighthouse Flip, In
UYYC Kendama Freestyles – main stage
All players perform a 2 minute performance. It is recommended to focus on putting together a synchronized freestyle with as many hits/spikes with as few misses as possible; showing the judges a clean freestyle with a good base of tricks and exhibiting control of the Kendama.
Kendama Finals will begin immediately at the conclusion of all the Yoyo divisions; because of this please be prepared to go earlier than the time posted on the schedule.
Music -2 min
All competitors are competing to their preselected song that they uploaded online. Just go to our registration page and once registered upload your track. You may edit your track to 2 minutes before it is uploaded or upload the entire track. Either way music will cutoff exactly at the 2 minute mark.
Note: If you wait to register in person then your freestyle track will be selected randomly for you.
2024 UYYC 1st place Kendama Champion
2023 UYYC 1st place Kendama Champion
Judging
Judges for the 2025 UYYC Kendama Freestyle Contest this year are Daniel Dietz, Coffin Nachtmahr, and CJ Atkinson! In regards to scoring, negative points will not be scored for any missed spikes, drops, or switching kendamas. That being said if you keep missing your trick your not scoring points. So set your goal to land as many spikes as possible and sticking to your practiced freestyle. A player can also repeat the same tricks and repeatedly score points towards their total tech points but will risk a lower score in difficulty. Higher risk tricks will receive a higher score in difficulty. We have included all three Kendama freestyle score cards to familiarize yourself better with the expectations of the judges. Each category of scoring is judged independently then all 3 scores added for final rank.
Tech Score (Judge 1)
Left clicker: number of spikes
Right clicker: number of times the dama hits a basecup, smallcup, or large cup. All elements will count as 1 click for example 360 flips, tosses, or rotations. If your element ends with a missed spike you still score the element but will not pick up points for any missed spikes.
Note: At the end, Judge 1, will multiply total spikes x 5. The total score from both categories makes up your tech score.
Difficulty (Judge 2)
On a scale of 1-10: Judge 2 will score based on the difficulty of tricks you predominately feature in your freestyle. 1 pt being beginner level tricks and 10 pts being advanced level tricks.
Note: Repetition of tricks won’t score negative points but may not yield the highest difficulty score.
Originality (Judge 3)
On a scale of 1-10: Judge 3 will score based on the originality, style, composition, and flow of how well player synchronized their trick combos to music
Awards
Prizes from our sponsors can be won on Friday and Saturday Kendama Ladders for completing different levels at the City Foundry and the Missouri History Museum.
Additional sponsor prizes will be handed out for 1st – 3rd place Kendama Freestyle winners at the History Museum.
The award ceremony is scheduled for 3pm or immediately following Saturday’s Kendama Freestyle Finals.
Kendama freestyle prize bags and awards will be given out from our sponsors onstage for 1st-3rd place.
UYYC medals for the Kendama Freestyle division will be awarded to 1st – 3rd place Overall.
In addition all UYYC Kendama freestyles will be uploaded to YouTube on the contest channel!
