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While its name might sound new to some, oh make that many, the game itself has been around for centuries, deeply rooted in a far away country only to find a solid footing years later in South Pasadena.
It’s called Kubb, pronounced “koob,” and, according to John Pettersson, it is Scandinavian in origin, and rumored to have been played by the Vikings, who used skulls and femurs of their vanquished instead of the wooden blocks and batons used today.
Pettersson, knows a thing or two about the sport, serving as the current commissioner for the LA Kubb Club (lakubb.org) that has been based in South Pasadena for about nine years and is gearing up to host the 8th annual West Coast Kubb Championship Sunday in the city’s Orange Grove Park.
Starting play at 9 a.m., the tournament will welcome players of all levels of ability and ages, with competition throughout the day. Those unfamiliar with it are highly encouraged to stop by, give it a look, even seek out Pettersson, and ask questions.
“Kubb (pronounced “koob”) is a fun yard game,” he explained. “Two teams (of 1-6 players each) face off at opposite ends of a small pitch. The object is to knock down the wooden blocks (kubbs) that are lined up on your opponents end by throwing wooden batons underhand at them.”
For a full demonstration, he recommends viewing a video tutorial at http://lakubb.org/how-to-play-kubb/)
Pettersson claims the sport is gaining popularity in the United States, especially catching on with a huge following in the Midwest, where year-round leagues are well established and regular tournaments are held in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan, among others.
“It’s a fun game that’s easy to learn and that doesn’t require any particular strength or athleticism to play – just a positive attitude and a bit of hand-eye coordination,” he noted. “It’s pretty straightforward, but as the game progresses there are different skills and strategies that come into play that make it a bit more complex and interesting than other yard games like corn hole or horseshoes.”
A small core of dedicated kubb enthusiasts have been working behind the scenes in bringing Sunday’s annual West Coast Kubb Championship tourney town. Some, including Pettersson, Julian Petrillo and Wayne Busic, all South Pasadena residents, have travelled to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to regularly compete in the national championships. Calling themselves the “Beverly Drillbillies,” last July the threesome walked away with third place following the competition.
A much larger group of kubb players come to a variety of local events, participate in a fall league to elevate their play in anticipation to the big tournament at Orange Grove Park each spring.
Sunday’s action will feature a full morning of group play followed by two afternoon playoff brackets, Pettersson promising “several hours of “kubbing fun,” and a chance, of course, to take home some hardware, even for those who are not touring players.
Since 2016, the LA Kubb Club has brought the sport’s best from around the United States to join collection of area and South Pasadena players of all levels for what Pettersson calls “a day of fun and friendly competition.”
Among them will be reigning national champions – all descending on the city to show off their top talent in what he describes as “wood chuckin’ and block tossin” in their bid for another title.
“So, if people want to see what this game is all about, this is a great opportunity,” stressed the good-natured Pettersson.
