Eau Claire, WI
Saturday August 07, 2009
U.S. Midwest Kubb Tournament & Fundraiser
All proceeds went to USA
for UNHCR and Eau Claire County's Girls
on the Run program.
The event had 48 teams and 115 participants representing six different
states. There were teams from Wisconsin (21), Minnesota (14),
Illinois (7), Michigan, (4), Iowa (1), and Ohio (1). The event
raised $2900 for the two organizations. The proceeds to USA for
UNHCR provided survival kits to refugees from the Darfur region
of Sudan. The proceeds to Girls on the Run provided shoes and
costs for girls from low-income families in Eau Claire County
who want to participate in the Girls on the Run program.
Here are a few of many highlights from the day.
The day before the 2009 U.S. Midwest Championship, a light rain
dampened the parched ground of Boyd Park. That night, just hours
before the third annual Eau Claire kubb tournament, the most violent
storm of the year rolled through Eau Claire, shook houses, and
dumped over two inches of rain at the park. The morning of the
Championship, a few of the pitches had standing water. By 7:30,
the numerous battlefields were ready, standing water was taken
care of, and long shadows were casting west from the kings and
kubbs, courtesy of the low morning sun in the east. Soon, the
American and Swedish flags were raised. All 48 teams registered
and many hellos were said between teams that now have become acquaintances.
After the Swedish and U.S. anthems, the newest episode of the
kubbolution began with 24 games being played at one time on U.S.
soil. Soon, the red, blue, and white of the Norwegian flag were
seen alongside Old Glory and the Blue and Yellow.
Around noon, the round-robin games began to conclude
and the wood carving instruction from Norden Folk was in full
swing. Dozens of kids ended up making wooden butter knives. The
playoff round started around 1:30. Some teams had byes from their
round-robin records. A husband and wife team from Savage, MN,
did not earn such a bye and began their march, which was to end
over six hours later. Soon, the kubb gods decided that it was
time to make their presence known and dropped buckets of rain
for 30 minutes or more. This did not slow down the push towards
the finals, as teams like The Farfars and Grinnell Good Wood and
Kubb-a-What? and Kubb – Son of Kubb played grueling slugfests
in the downpour. Around this time, Kubb-la Khan, Annihilators,
Coulee Kubb, and Kubb Scouts, who all finished 1-2 in their groups
pressed on and made it to the consolation semi-finals. After gut-wrenching
quarterfinal matches and more off and on rain, the semifinals
were set between four teams from Minnesota. One of which included
father/son team Kubb – Son of Kubb vs. the father’s
daughter and her husband. Now, the sun was casting long shadows
to the east, mist and humidity were visible coming from the Eau
Claire River and the Koobie Doos finally outlasted Tad Kubbler.
The championship match was set. After a win by both teams, the
Stick Flickers landed the first big punch. The next turn, the
Savage duo had four kubbs in hand and one on the baseline. Four
well-placed short field kubbs allowed Stephanie Miller to get
four with two and then punish the final baseline kubb. Then, at
7:56pm CST, with Rob Miller’s first toss at the king, the
Savage Stick Flickers became the 2009 U.S. Midwest Kubb Champion.
Photos Photos
from John Connell (these will be the real good ones) TV
News (search for kubb on the right)
2009 RESULTS: 1. Savage Stick Flickers
(Savage, MN)
2. Koobie Doos (St. Paul, MN and Winona, MN)
3. Kubb - Son of Kubb (Rosemount, MN)
4. Tad Kubbler (Minneapolis, MN)
Quarterfinals
Kubb - Son of Kubb
Kubb-a-What? (Eau Claire, WI)
The Ringers (Eau Claire, WI)
Savage Stick Flickers
Kubbra-Kai Dojo (Shafer, MN)
Tad Kubbler
Koobie Doo
The Two Farfars (Rockford, IL)
Consolation Bracket: 1. Kubb-la Khan (Chicago, IL)
2. Coulee Kubb (La Crosse, WI)
3. Kubb Scouts (Minneapolis, MN)
3. Annihilators (Roscoe, IL)
Round Robin
Group A:
1. Kubb - Son of Kubb 3-0
2. Jason Kubbel 2-1
3. Punks 1-2
4. Kubba Troopers 0-3
Group B:
1. Kubb-a-What? 3-0
2. Schleppers 2-1
3. Red Delicious 1-2
4. Queens of Kubb 0-3
Group C:
1. The Pickled Herrings 3-0
2. Lakerol Originals 1-2
3. Kubb-ra Kai II 1-2
4. Lunde 1-2
Group D:
1. Uber Kubbers 3-0
2. Grinnell Good Wood 2-1
3. Hrvatska 1-2
4. Rubbiks Kubb 0-3
Group E:
1. The Ringers 3-0
2. KUBBOOM 1-2
3. Kubb-la Khan 1-2
4. Team Lutefisk 1-2
Group F:
1. Kubbitz 3-0
2. Serenity 2-1
3. Kubb Scouts 1-2
4. Two Kauffmans 0-3
Group G:
1. Kubbra Kai Dojo 3-0
2. Savage Stick Flickers 2-1
3. Traverski 1-2
4. Burn The City 0-3
Group H:
1. Tad Kubbler 3-0
2. Kubb-ra Kai 1-2
3. Kubba Libre 1-2
4. Platteville KUBBSTERS 1-2
Group I:
1. Red Cedar River Yacht Club 3-0
2. The Kubbin' Cigars 2-1
3. Lucky Lefse 1-2
4. Twin Cities Kubbligans II 0-3
Group J:
1. Oberlin Ohio Fighting Yeojackets 3-0
2. Kubb Noobs 2-1
3. Coulee Kubb 1-2
4. Ta Ingen 0-3
Group K:
1. Koobie Doo 3-0
2. Block Busters 2-1
3. Annihilators 1-2
4. The Dragonslayers 0-3
Group L:
1. The Two Farfars3-0
2. Kill the King 2-1
3. Multeberry Magic 1-2
4. Twin Cities Kubbligans I 0-3
Championship toss
