A killer eight meter toss during the 2012 U.S. National Kubb Championship's final round.

The summer is the perfect time to play a little game of kubb. What’s kubb, you may ask? It’s an old Nordic lawn game that (according to legend) has ties to the Vikings – and not the purple ones from Minnesota. The object of kubb is to toss wooden batons to knock over your opponents’ wooden blocks (in Swedish, they’re called kubbs). Once obscure, the game has made an impact in the United States over the past 10 years, and most of the popularity is coming from right here in the Midwest. To bring this game even close to home, Eau Claire is officially the Kubb Capital of North America. The city will be hosting the U.S. National Kubb championship this summer, and you just have to be there. Even though registration to compete in the 88-team tournament has ended, there is always a chance a team may drop out, so grab some friends and get on that waiting list, because – let’s be honest – you know you’ve got a great team name in mind. Even if you’re not playing, the chance to witness teams with monikers like Dark Side of the Kubb, InKubbus, and Leinenkubbels Light should be enough incentive to spend a day or two at the soccer park cheering on the kubb competitors. According to the website, “Kubb unites people and creates peace on Earth,” and who doesn’t want to be a part of that?

U.S. National Kubb Championship • Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14 • Eau Claire Soccer Park, West Hamilton Avenue and Craig Road • competition begins at 9am both days • www.usakubb.org