World Record Kubb Rescue

ALANSON, Mich. — On May 21, 2022, the Great Lakes 1v1 Kubb Championship held a special event during lunch. As host organizer, Phil Dickinson decided to offer a skills test that would result in a self-proclaimed world record for the longest kubb rescue. 

What is a kubb rescue? Kubb rescuing is a little known, but important part of the kubb game that deserves attention. This is how it works. Sometimes there is a kubb that has been placed deep in the upfield by an opponent as a penalty kubb, or it might be there because of a poorly inkasted kubb. During offense, a player may attempt to knock this field kubb out of the pitch with another kubb during the inkasting phase to gain a rethrow (and two, if necessary) of that kubb in order to place it in a more strategic location. The thrown kubb will be allowed one rethrow as long as it goes out of the pitch as well; and it only makes sense to do so or the result may be additional field kubbs that are deep in the pitch. The rescued kubb may now be inkasted with other kubbs in a tight group closer to the attackers. When is the best time to attempt a kubb rescue? The location of the field kubb to be rescued and the likelihood the thrown kubb will go out of play must be factored into the decision. Also, if a team is far behind, there may be nothing to lose. Who knows, it may give them one last baton for a king shot and a win.

So, after much thought, a challenge was designed with the following parameters and rules:

1. Each participant would have 10 kubbs in their possession.
2. Each participant would stand on the same baseline, and, in turn, try to rescue a kubb placed at any distance of their choosing.
3. When a kubb is placed on the ground, it would be “assumed” to be on baseline in the far distance and automatically “rescued” if knocked over.
4. A steel pin would be inserted in the ground to designate its position on the ground before being knocked over.
5. Players can change the kubb to be rescued at any time either closer or farther away as long as it was beyond the last established record distance mark.
6. When a player establishes a new distance, a new marker is placed on the ground and any of the unused kubbs in their possession are held in reserve for later use. If all ten kubbs are thrown, that player is now out the competition.
7. The event must be videotaped from start to finish without interruption. The final winning kubb rescue must be measured with a continuous tape and confirmed as accurate by participants.

Before the event, participants were skeptical. Some said it would take hours to complete. Others said it would be too hard and no one would do well on a long distance throw.  But Dickinson was hopeful and asked everyone to keep an open mind and give it a go. The response and results were staggering! Anyone could have won the event! The randomness of the throws and what the kubbs did while rolling was exciting! Players were cheering and erupting in applause at every throw. And, for a moment in time, all players held a world record for something in their life—albeit for a few minutes—and could hold that memory dear. But after the final throw, Joe Hrejsa from Indian River, Michigan, established the world record of a kubb rescue with a distance of 21.4 meters. He had seven kubbs left in his possession when no one else had one to beat his mark!

Dickinson hopes that other tournaments around the world might do a similar event using the same ruleset to try and further the distance and share out the results as a challenge. If you only watch one kubb skills video this year, don’t pass this one by!