AS LEGEND TELLS IT, the friendly and strategic game of “kubb” originated thousands of years ago when surly Vikings played it with the skulls and femurs of their enemies. This can’t be proved, but it adds a certain mystique to a game most often played at barbecues and picnics.

WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT KUBB (PRONOUNCED “KOOB”) IS AN INDIE LAWN SPORT –

... huge in Sweden and other parts of Europe – played with batons and blocks of wood instead of bone. Over the past decade, kubb has taken root in Eau Claire, which is the official “Kubb Capital of North America.”

All year long it’s played in backyards and at schools across the city, but things really heat up in July when the U.S. National Kubb Championship sprawls across the Eau Claire Soccer Park – a two-day battle attracting hundreds of players from around the country. And there’s no experience necessary – every year novices have a blast competing at the Championship, learning on the fly as they dive into the kubb community.

Fun fact: an Eau Claire team took 2nd place in the World Championships held in Sweden in summer 2014. We live and breathe kubb around here, so get to know it!

Learn more and find official rules at USAKubb.org and WisconsinKubb.com.

Put simply, it’s an addictive outdoor game perfect for casual and competitive players alike.