[clunk] [cheering] - Announcer: You guys can start the playoffs now.
Super Smash Kubb against Jean Kubb Picard, pitch 20.
– Katie Stafford: And we are so excited to be here.
– Announcer: Kubbsicles against the Krusty Kubb, pitch 29.
– Mike Davids: It's exciting.
It's an electric atmosphere.
- Kubb Squirrels, Kubb Mudders, 51.
– Eric Anderson: This is the 17th annual U.S. National Kubb Championship, all held right here in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
– Mike Davids: This is kubb at its finest.
144 teams from all across the country.
– Katie Stafford: So many different teams from so many different backgrounds, states, all around the country, all around the world.
- I'm Eric.
My name's Eric Anderson, and I'm the director of the U.S. National Kubb Championship.
Glad you're having fun, buddy.
– Man: Yeah.
– Eric: Kubb's an old Nordic game.
It comes from Sweden.
You throw these wooden batons or sticks, and you try to knock over these wooden blocks.
[clunk] There's a king in the middle.
As soon as you knock over the opponent's kubb, then you can hit the king, knock him over, and that's how you win the game.
It's a game of skill and strategy.
Some would say a little luck.
– Mike Davids: It's a culmination of cornhole, and chess, and horseshoes all at the same time.
– Drew Brandenburg: It is a yard game, but it's a pretty competitive game, especially out here.
I mean, there's some tremendous kubb players.
[clunk] - There it is.
Good job!
– Katie Stafford: We were researching lawn games.
We came across kubb, and my dad brought it up to my grandma's 103rd birthday.
We're all there playing kubb, and we decided we're great.
[screaming] - We got you!
Yeah!
- And so... [laughs] And so, we should go to the national championship.
- Yes!
We got it!
We got it!
– Eric: Minnesota, Wisconsin, like, that's the real kubb country.
And I think everybody would agree it's kind of Eau Claire, it's kind of like that... that's that heartbeat.
– Mike Davids: The scene here in Eau Claire has really set the standard for what kubb is.
This is the Mecca.
– Eric Anderson: I emailed the city manager.
I said, "Hey, I got some ideas about kubb."
He goes, "Come on in."
And I'm like, "Hey, like, I know this is kind of silly, but I'd like to have Eau Claire be the kubb capital of America.
Like, can we do that?"
And he looks at me, he's like, "No."
He goes, "How about North America?"
And I was like, "I like this!"
– Katie: What I love most about the kubb tournament so far, is how kind everybody has been.
It really is everybody out here having a good time, laughing, enjoying themselves, playing the game.
It's just family, friends, and enjoying life.
– Mike: We call this the family reunion for us.
Kind of personal story.
Like, I fought leukemia a couple years ago, and all the kubb community was like, "Hey, man, we're here for you."
It's community; it's family.
– Eric: I can't tell you how many people literally have told me, "Man, kubb changed my life."
"Kubb got me and my cousin to start talking.
We just play kubb and just have fun."
– Drew Brandenburg: Bottom line, it's the people.
Just the culture and community of people.
– Eric: There's something about the game.
It's organic, it's wood, it's grass.
It's a game of nature.
It's this interaction that I think, maybe it does help us be better people.
When people come here, they can feel kubb.
It's life.
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