Can I play in the U.S. Kubb Open?
Yes! Beloit will welcome the kubb community back to Beloit for the 7th annual U.S. Kubb Open on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at Pohlman Field. Traditionally, the event has hosted 49 teams from seven states. All skill levels are invited to compete to win cash prizes where the payout has averaged almost $1,400.
The event will again be managed by Kubb United with assistance from Visit Beloit and Beloit Parks and Recreation. Organizers are excited to welcome players back to Beloit for another year of kubb action and to showcase everything the community has to offer for visitors. Watch the short video below to learn how kubb is played.
Spectators are welcome to spend the day with us and cheer on the teams! Beloit Youth Hockey Association will be on-site selling food and beverages to benefit their local programs and athletes.
Approximate game times are as follows:
9:00-9:25 am – Qualifying Round #1
9:30-9:55 am – Qualifying Round #2
10:00-10:25 am – Qualifying Round #3
10:30am-10:55 am – Qualifying Round #4
11:05am-11:30 am – Qualifying Round #5
11:45am-12:10 pm – Qualifying Round #6
12:25pm-12:50 pm – Qualifying Round #7
Bracket play will start at approximately 1:00 pm.
Championship bracket will be 2 out of 3 while all other brackets will be single elimination.
For more information on the event or to register your team, visit kubbunited.com.
Where to stay:
To find accommodations, check out Visit Beloit – Stay.
What is Kubb?
Kubb (pronounced koob) is a lawn game where the objective is to knock over wooden blocks (kubbs) by throwing wooden batons (kastpinnar) at them. This lawn game can be described as a combination of bowling and horseshoes.
Play takes place on a small rectangular playing field, known as a “pitch”. To set up the field, “Kubbs” are placed at both ends of the pitch, and the “king”, a larger wooden block, is placed in the middle of the pitch. Some rules vary from country to country and from region to region, but the ultimate objective of the game is to knock over the “kubbs” on the opposing side of the pitch, and then to knock over the “king”, before the opponent does. Games can last from five minutes to well over an hour. The game can be played on a variety of surfaces such as grass, sand, concrete, snow, or even ice.
This game can be a very casual lawn game played at house parties or in a park, but the tournaments get very competitive as you move towards the semi-finals.
The alleged Viking origin of the game has led some players and fans to nickname the game “Viking chess”.
2018 U.S. Kubb Open Tournament
The 2018 U.S. Kubb Open in Riverside Park in Beloit on Saturday, August 11, 2018 was the first televised Kubb tournament in the United States. Organizers from Kubb United, Beloit Parks and Recreation, and Visit Beloit were excited to showcase the community to sports fans across the state via FOX Sports Wisconsin. Also, with 63 teams, the U.S. Kubb Open was the third-largest tournament in the United States. The tournament provides a place for people of all ages and skill levels to compete and have fun. Many players had t-shirts made, and there were also many custom-made drink holders!
The U.S. Kubb Open tournament brought some of the top players in the country, all of which are excited to return to the picturesque setting of Riverside Park in Beloit. “Beloit is a great partner for the U.S. Kubb Open because of the cooperation from the city that we experienced over the last four years.” stated tournament co-organizer, Evan Fitzgerald. Fellow organizer, Josh Feathers, of Des Moines, IA added, “The park is a great setting for a tournament, and the support we are getting from Visit Beloit and Beloit Parks and Recreation.”
