U.S. Kubb Open 2017 Recap

BELOIT, Wisc. — The second annual U.S. Kubb Open took place Aug. 5, 2017 in Beloit, Wisconsin at Riverside Park. The tournament was welcomed with beautiful 80 degree weather and plenty of sunshine all day, it was a perfect day for kubb. There was 58 teams participating in the tournament that included everyone from national champions to first time players and everything in between.

The tournament started with eight rounds of Klassic play followed by a 16 team championship bracket, the first eight teams losing in that bracket moved to the consolation A bracket. Teams 17 through 34 made up the consolation B bracket and the rest of the field battle in the consolation C bracket.

In the championship bracket, the semi-final teams were made up of three of the top four qualifying teams. Top qualifier Squirrel Damage (Darren Finger, Kyle Weakland) would take on M3-2 (Nicolas Eugster, Pat Rupp) in one semi-final and Kastpinnar Kings (Phil Goetstouwers, Ford Rolfsrud) took on Kubbescent (Matthew Erdman, Andrew Strait).

Squirrel Damage and M3-2 traded punches until Squirrel Damage was able to jump out in front with a strong turn in game one. M3-2 got close and the game eventually went nine kubbs deep. Kyle Weakland was able to clear the nine field kubbs with two batons and take out the king to win game one. In game two, Squirrel Damage jumped out to an early lead and M3-2 was not able to take advantage of their opportunities before Darren Finger cleared the baseline with his first two batons, and finish the king with the remaining baton.

In the second semi-final, Kastpinnar Kings and Kubbescent traded punches back and forth stuck at eight kubbs in the field for a few turns before Kubbescent gave up an advantage line and the Kastpinnar Kings took game one. The next game quickly went six kubbs deep with each team taking out three of the opposing teams’ baseline kubbs. Ford Rolfsrud was able to clear six with two batons, allowing Phil Goetstouwers to go two for two at 8 meters and take out the king to advance to the championship match.

The first game of the championship match stayed pretty even the first couple turns before Kastpinnar Kings had a great turn by both players. It was capped off by Phil Goetstouwers clearing the last three baseline kubbs with his three batons to take game one. In game two, the Kastpinnar Kings held a small lead most of the game before they left an advantage line, allowing Squirrel Damage to take game two on the next turn. In game three the Kastpinnar Kings got back on track, clearing the baseline in three turns and Squirrel Damage couldn’t keep pace. The Kastpinnar Kings cleared the field and the king on the next turn to take the 2017 U.S. Kubb Open title.

M3-2 and Kubbescent squared off in the third place game which was a very evenly matched game that went back and forth every turn and eventually getting 10 kubbs in play. M3-2 was able to clear all 10 field kubbs with five batons and then the king to take third place in the tournament.

Final Results

Championship

1. Kastpinnar Kings (Phil Goetstouwers, Ford Rolfsrud)
2. Squirrel Damage (Darren Finger, Kyle Weakland)
3. M3-2 (Nicolas Eugster, Pat Rupp)

Consolation A

1. Appetite for Destruction (Scott Forster, Gregg Jochimsen)
2. Minneapolis Kubb Society (Christopher Jones, Andrew Thibodeau)

Consolation B

1. Corn On the Kubb (Dan Ivanuck, Owen Ivanuck)
2. Suburban Studs (Curtis Floyd, Louise Floyd)

Consolation C

1. Fowl Kubb (Dahlton Betker, Lenny Betker)
2. Benedict Arnold’s (Justin Kinser, Derek Truninger)