Sol Kendamas was founded in June 2014 by brothers Chad and Shelton Covington with one clear vision: grow the kendama community and foster meaningful relationships through play.
At the time, kendama was rapidly growing outside of Japan, yet most products and opportunities within the space were limited. While attending the University of Kentucky, Shelton encouraged Chad — then a sponsored player for Kendama Co — to combine his passion for kendama and design with Shelton’s background in entrepreneurship. Together, they set out to contribute something new to the evolving sport.
Sol Kendamas entered the industry with a simple goal: offer originality while strengthening the culture surrounding kendama.
Sol Kendamas launched as the first brand focused entirely on natural hardwood kendamas, introducing models made from Beech, Cherry, Maple, and compressed Bamboo — a material never before offered in kendama production at the time.
These early releases quickly gained attention, especially the Cherry and Maple models, establishing Sol as a brand committed to innovation and thoughtful design rather than imitation.
Within the first year, community feedback shaped the company’s next step. After surveying customers, Sol released its first painted line — the original Sol Pastels — bringing uncommon colors and accessible pricing to new players entering kendama for the first time.
From the beginning, Sol wasn’t built behind a desk. The brand grew on the road — traveling across the United States, attending events, hosting tours, and personally introducing players to kendama wherever possible.
The name Sol, meaning sun, reflects both nature and connection — two ideas central to kendama culture.
Kendama trick names often reference space and movement — Lunar, Earth Turn, Spacewalk, Around the World — making the symbolism feel naturally connected to the game itself. The Sol logo was designed to stand alone: a sun marked with a kendama bevel, allowing the icon itself to represent the brand without words.
Sol Kendamas has always believed that kendama grows through people, not products alone.
Since its founding, Sol has contributed to the global kendama community through:
Hosting major events including Battle at the Border, Throwback Kendama Open, Sakura Classic Nashville, Race to Lace, and Battle at the Delta
Nationwide tours across the United States
Teaching kendama at schools and Japanese cultural festivals
Supporting local jams and grassroots communities
Collaborating with leading kendama brands and artists
Sponsoring an international team of players
Donating products and prizes to events worldwide
Through online media across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, Sol continues to introduce kendama to new audiences while supporting active players pushing progression forward.
Sol Kendamas focuses on three key areas:
Accessibility — creating entry-level kendamas that make learning approachable for anyone picking up kendama for the first time.
Collaboration — working with artists, brands, and creatives to bring fresh ideas into kendama and reach audiences beyond the existing community.
Player Support — developing professional signature models with sponsored players who receive royalties, while supporting developing team members through collaborative designs.
In-person events remain the heartbeat of kendama culture.
Events create lifelong friendships, inspire creativity, and push progression forward in ways online interaction alone cannot. Sol Kendamas actively hosts, attends, and sponsors events worldwide because shared experiences are what sustain long-term community growth.
The Sol Team represents more than skill level.
Team members are selected for their positive impact on kendama — hosting events, teaching newcomers, creating media, supporting local scenes, and inspiring others both online and in person. Each player shares a commitment to growing kendama through creativity, kindness, and community leadership.
While rooted in the United States and closely connected with Japan, Sol Kendamas supports players and events across the world. Through sponsorships, donations, collaborations, and travel, the goal remains the same everywhere: connect passionate people through kendama.
Everything Sol Kendamas does returns to one principle:
Grow the kendama community and foster relationships.
Kendama is more than a toy.
It is creativity, focus, travel, friendship, and shared experience.
Have fun.
Create.
Share.
Be kind.
Inspire others.
Over the next decade, Sol Kendamas aims to help kendama gain broader international recognition as both a sport and creative culture. By encouraging players to host events, teach newcomers, create media, and build local communities, Sol hopes to inspire the next generation to shape kendama in their own way.
Because at its core, kendama is simple:
People coming together to have fun.
