Kubb All-American Team 2022

The All-American designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur athlete from the United States who is considered to be one of the best players in their sport. Last year, I selected the first All-American team for our sport of kubb. I thank Christopher Jones and Kubb On for publishing it and giving it a bigger audience. I did it because our sport needs more content. It cannot be just previews and recaps of tournaments. Kubb fans deserve more. In my years in kubb, I have witnessed so many people putting in the time—working in snow, working in the rain, and training to be the best players they can possibly be. They travel all across America. Some traveled to where the game all began to see where they stack up against the best-of-the-best. So who is the best in the U.S.? I thought my answers to that question would be good to get people talking kubb in the off-season. I knew all the feedback I would receive would not be positive. With all of that in mind, I published it anyway. I was blown away by the amount of people that reached out, gave me their two cents, but most importantly… asked me to keep doing it. 

So that’s what I plan to do. This year and for many years to come.

Some people will say, how much stock should you put into one man’s opinion? Especially some guy sitting in Michigan, which is far away from the center of the kubb universe. What some people do not realize is that I’m the type of person that constantly thinks of these types of things. I grew up playing a game where we would “draft” our own sports teams based on the sports playing cards we owned. We would draft our teams for hours, debate each choice, rib friends and family that made “poor” choices, and finally debate why our team was better than all the others. When I started playing in tournament kubb, I started to select my “All Tournament” teams on the car rides home. You have to remember that even the closest tournament to me (which is in Michigan) is four hours away. I have a lot of drive time and we always talk kubb. If you’ve traveled to or from a tournament with me in the last eight years, you’ve been a part of these spirited debates. But, after saying all this, I am only one man. I created the Kubb All-American team based on my own opinions. From what I see and hear on the pitch, at home on the computer, and talking with my peers. I’m using a criteria I came up with on my own that I felt would keep it fair and consistent when comparing players from all over the country. Is it perfect? No. Can it be improved? Probably. Does this list need to be the only one? NO! Let’s recognize those folks that were left off my list. There are so many deserving players but I keep my team to six people just like if I was taking a team over to Gotland to compete and wanted the best six players I could find.

And with that, let’s get to the 2022 Kubb All-American team. Here’s a refresher on how it works:

The minimum criteria for selection to my list is that each selected player must have three, top-three finishes in the calendar year. I felt that this was fair because it is similar to other sports having a minimum number of appearances or at-bats or innings pitched to be eligible for postseason awards. My criteria also does not care how big or small a tournament had to be to be considered a “top-three finish at a tournament.” I considered all tournaments. Big ones, small ones, scramblers, virtual leagues, in-person leagues, everything was considered. In 2022, I also had questions regarding international tournaments. I decided all tournaments, regardless of where played, count towards the player resumes. Lastly, and most obvious, you need to be American.

Then I started to consider, how to select a team? Naturally, I decided on selecting six players for my All-American team. One player for each baton on my team. I decided to name two blasters, two 8 meter players, and then have two flex positions. Think of the flex as the flex on a fantasy sports team. They can be that flexible player that can do it all, be an extra 8 meter player, or an extra blaster—whatever we need them to be. I also decided to pick two players to distinguish as the Bästa Inkastares of the 2022 season. They could be players only chosen at that spot or be repeat players from the positions I had already chosen. This season, my Bästa Inkastares were also my 8 meter players. But I felt like in certain years, you could recognize someone who specialized in the kubb tossing phase and wasn’t a blaster, 8 meter, or flex.

Now with the refresher out of the way, here’s the 2022 team…

Blaster: Gregg Jochimsen (Eau Claire, WI)

• First Place Finishes: Kubb VM (World Championship), Kubb VM 1v1, Eau Claire Kubb League (Fall)
• Second Place Finishes: U.S. Kubb Open

Five consecutive U.S. National Kubb Championships. Future first ballot hall of famer. The best player I’ve ever seen in our sport. Excellence personified over many years. But he came into 2022 with something to prove. Could he become the first United States player to finish first in Gotland? Not only did he finish first in the individual 1v1 tournament, but he brought back gold to Eau Claire and sealed his legacy. Greatest of all-time. Along with his overseas success, Gregg finished second at the U.S. Kubb Open and also won the Fall Eau Claire Kubb league. This is Gregg’s first selection to the team, in the first year he was eligible to be selected.

Blaster: Cody Glorioso (Hartford, WI)

• First Place Finishes: Michigan Kubb Championship, Northwoods Classic, The Blasters,
• Second Place Finishes: West Coast Kubb Championships, East Coast Kubb Championship, Kubbapalooza: Grass Games, Illinois Kubb Championship, Kubb for the Kids.

This is Cody’s first selection to the team, and the second consecutive year he was eligible for selection. He was on the honorable mention list in 2021. Cody played on the East Coast. He played on the West Coast. He played in the big tournaments. He played in the newer tournaments. Cody plays with family. He often partners with friends. He doesn’t care where the tournament is or who he plays with. If he can support kubb, he does it. His love for our sport is hard to beat. But beyond that, he’s always playing with something on the line. He’s playing in meaningful games late in the day in almost every tournament he’s been in. Cody is a well-rounded player but has really found a home on most of his team’s as a blaster. He’s not afraid to take any type of shot. He throws with power that opens up lots of options for your team’s strategy. And he has one of the best beards in the sport.

Utility: Matt Green (Appleton, WI)

• First Place Finishes: Wisconsin State Kubb Championship, East Coast Kubb Championship, Kubbapalooza: Ice Games
• Second Place Finishes: U.S. Kubb Championship
• Third Place Finishes: Keystone Kubb Virtual Kubb League (Fall), Illinois Kubb Championship, Michigan Kubb Championship, Stoughton Invitational

This is Matt’s first selection to the All-American team and the second consecutive year he was eligible for selection. He was on the 2021 Honorable Mention list. Matt made most of his success in 2022 as an 8 meter player. He makes my list as a Utility because he’s alway unselfish and moves himself to whatever position is needed within the team he’s playing with. Matt is high in demand when it comes to playing with, and you can certainly see that in the list of teammates he had this season. This year he had to do a little bit of everything. inkast, blast, and 8 meter. But he did it all with high levels of success and always with class. He came up with huge, momentum shifting turns in Wisconsin just a few weeks apart in the U.S. Championships and the Wisconsin State Championships. Few will forget “Matty Ice” going two-for-two in a throw-off with a trip to the cage on the line. He came up short of his goal that day but would avenge that disappointment by coming out on top in the Dells against many of those same teams that competed in Eau Claire. Matt played all over the U.S. again this year and was a huge supporter of tournaments big and small. 

Utility: Gordon Kauffman (Chippewa Falls, WI)

• First Place Finishes: U.S. Kubb Open, Paw Print Kubb Tournament, Stoughton Invitational, Illinois Kubb Championship, Dallas Oktoberfest
• Second Place Finishes: Eau Claire Kubb League (Fall), Midsummer’s Festival Kubb Tournament
• Third Place Finishes: Eau Claire Kubb League (Spring), Pre-Nattys

This is Gordon’s second consecutive selection to the All-American team. There is not enough good things to say about Gordon. He is a model of consistency. He is a symbol of good sportsmanship. He speaks softly and throws a great baton. This is his second selection at the utility position, and that’s a bit of an understatement for someone of his talent. If you are selecting the six players you want to win any big game anywhere in the world, you want him on your team. No moment is too big. No shot is too tough. He is lights out in the clutch. You feel lucky when he misses. You need to take advantage of every baton to get ahead of him and put him away. Gordon’s year was highlighted with three tournament victories, but none bigger in my eyes than their win at the U.S. Kubb Open. Winning two out of the last three years and coming very close to a three peat (a close 2-1 loss in the finals in 2021). Not only that, but to defeat Gregg and Grant in the finals as everyone was ramping up to the U.S. National Championships. Gordon also continued his great play in the best club league in America, the Eau Claire Kubb League. His team’s finished second and third in the most competitive league in the land after sweeping them in 2021.

8 Meters: Adam Holtz (Chippewa Falls, WI)

• First Place Finishes: Dallas Oktoberfest, Kubb on a Stick, Captain Ken’s Loppet Kubb Tournament, World 1v1 Championship, West Coast Kubb Championships, Michigan Kubb Championship, Stoughton Kubb Invitational, Illinois Kubb Championship, Northwoods Kubb Classic 
• Second Place Finishes: East Coast Kubb Championship, Paw Print
• Third Place Finishes: Kubb City Winter Scramble 

This is Adam’s second selection to the All-American team. He was selected to the same 8 meters spot last year and finished as the Runner-Up for the 2021 Player of the Year. In 2021, Adam was going back-and-forth with Ethan Forney on first Place finishes and competing for National Player of the Year. No one came close to matching the number of victories he accomplished in 2022. He won in the snow, he won with six-player teams, he won with three-player teams, he won in 1v1 against the best-of-the-best. He won in established tournaments and he won in newer tournaments. He won close to home, and he won on the coasts. It was one of the most dominant years our sport has seen. Adam has become one of the most consistent 8 meters players in our sport. He also is one of the very best drillers to play the game. 

8 Meters: Chad Stute (St. Paul, MN)

• First Place Finishes: Pre Nationals Tournament, Dallas Oktoberfest
• Second Place Finishes: Captain Ken’s Loppet Kubb Tournament, Kubb on a Stick, Stoughton Invitational
• Third Place Finishes: World 1v1 Kubb Championship, Paw Print Kubb Tournament, Kubb Society Fall League, Keystone Kubb Virtual Kubb League (Fall)

This is Chad’s first selection to the All-American team. He’s been a staple on many St. Paul Kubb Society teams throughout the years, and a player that has gotten better each year. Chad had a very dominant season as an 8 meters player, and I saw a tremendous amount of consistency in his drilling this season. I lovingly started referring to him this season as the Flamingo, as he has a very noticeable one leg finish to his 8 meters shot. He had big wins at the Pre-Nationals and Dallas this year along with a host of second and third place matches that show off a very versatile resume. Chad also had several fourth place finishes that don’t count towards your criteria for selection, but show just what a high level he played at this year.

Inkastre: Gregg Jochimsen and Adam Holtz

You really couldn’t go wrong with a long list of competitors in this spot, but I give the nod to these two gentlemen. This is Adam’s second year selected in this spot. 

National Player of the Year: Adam Holtz

Runner Up: Gregg Jochimsen

Nine total championships for Adam in 2022. Three additional second or third place finishes. He played all over the country, played with many different partners, but always finished at (or near) the top. A season that will be remembered and hard for anyone to match.