On July 23, 2023, Sol Kendamas reached a milestone that once felt unimaginable for a niche skill toy brand: 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. At the moment the channel crossed that threshold, Sol Kendamas had published 693 videos, accumulated more than 82 million total channel views, and helped push kendama further into the global spotlight as a legitimate and growing sport.
This achievement did not happen overnight. It was the result of nearly a decade of consistent effort, creative risk-taking, and a deep belief in kendama’s potential to reach audiences far beyond the core community.
The Sol Kendamas YouTube channel launched in 2014, the same year the brand itself began. From the start, the channel served as a living archive of the kendama scene. Our channel focused on sharing kendama edits, competitions, new pro announcements, and moments that reflected the culture as it evolved.
In the early years, uploads were not bound by a strict schedule. Content ranged from kendama edits and Battle at the Border trick lists, to full event finals matches, unboxing videos, team announcements, and experimental kendama content created purely for fun. This era helped establish Sol Kendamas as a brand deeply connected to the community and committed to documenting kendama history as it unfolded.
A major turning point came on June 12, 2021, when Sol Kendamas committed to an ambitious and disciplined upload schedule: two long-form YouTube videos every week, published every Wednesday and Saturday at 5:00 PM EST.
This schedule was maintained without interruption for a full year, with the last consistent upload being on June 29, 2022. For twelve straight months, Sol Kendamas delivered consistent long-form content to its audience, an uncommon level of discipline for any YouTube channel, and especially rare within the kendama space.
This period helped solidify viewer trust, improve algorithmic performance, and significantly expand the channel’s reach. It also laid the foundation for the next major evolution of Sol Kendamas’ YouTube strategy.
After completing a full year of twice-weekly uploads, the team paused to reassess how kendama content was being consumed online. The decision was made to pivot strategically toward YouTube Shorts, embracing short-form content as the next major growth opportunity.
At the center of this shift was Sol Kendamas pro player Alex Mitchell, who became the creative strategist for the channel’s Shorts. At the time, the channel had fewer than 10,000 subscribers. Over the next two years, that number would climb past 170,000 subscribers, driven largely by the success of short-form video.
Alex Mitchell pioneered a filming style that would permanently influence how kendama is shared online. The approach was simple in concept, but powerful in execution: holding the kendama in the dominant hand, while filming in the non-dominant hand using a phone or GoPro.
Alex focused on tricks that were visually striking not just to experienced kendama players, but also to viewers seeing kendama for the very first time. Every clip was filmed in 240fps slow motion, with the entire trick kept in frame. The start and finish of each trick were carefully planned to maximize clarity, satisfaction, and viewer retention.
This method proved remarkably effective. Other kendama players and brands began adopting the same filming style, and many saw similar results. In doing so, Alex Mitchell permanently shaped how kendama content is created, consumed, and shared across social platforms.
Alex served in this role from 2021 through 2024, leaving behind a creative blueprint that continues to influence kendama media today.
Fittingly, Sol Kendamas reached 100,000 subscribers while in Japan—the birthplace of kendama. At the time, the Sol Team was attending Kendama World Cup 2023, and the milestone occurred on a day spent at Funabashi Meeting, a monthly kendama gathering held in Chiba, Japan.
Reaching such a milestone while surrounded by the global kendama community underscored what the achievement truly represented: not just channel growth, but kendama’s expanding presence on the world stage.
While creative strategies evolved over the years, Sol Kendamas owner Chad Covington has been actively working toward this milestone since 2014, continuously pushing the Sol Kendamas YouTube channel forward. Today, that effort is shared across the entire Sol Kendamas Pro Team, who consistently create and contribute content throughout the year.
Reaching 100,000 subscribers is a massive achievement for kendama, but Sol Kendamas was not the first to do it. Sweets Kendamas was the first to reach the milestone, gaining most of their subscribers primarily through their extensive number of kendama trick tutorials. Japanese kendama player Yutaro has also since surpassed 100,000 subscribers, as well as Chandler Gantt, an American pro player for Kendama USA known for his trick-shot content.
Each of these creators has helped expand kendama’s reach in unique ways.
The larger kendama’s reach becomes across platforms like YouTube, the more people are introduced to the sport, many for the very first time. Increased visibility leads to more players, stronger communities, and greater recognition of kendama as a legitimate global sport.
For Sol Kendamas, the journey to 100,000 subscribers represents more than a number. It reflects years of experimentation, discipline, innovation, and a long-term commitment to growing kendama worldwide.
And this milestone is not the finish line. it is proof that kendama’s story is still being written, one video at a time.
