Kubb state championship happening this weekend in Chicago suburb

BATAVIA, Ill. - The state championship of a little known sport is happening this weekend in the northwestern suburbs.

It’s called Kubb, and it has a pretty creepy origin.

"Legend has it this game goes back over a thousand years. The Vikings played this game. They used the skulls and femurs of their vanquished enemies," said George Sloan, co-founder of the Energy City Kubb Club in Batavia.

Kubb is a game played with three inch wooden blocks and batons. Many times all homemade. Opponents toss the batons, trying to knock down their adversaries wooden blocks. With teams of one to six.

"I think you could compare it to bags or horseshoes. It’s a kind of outdoor lawn game. Although we can play our game on grass, ice or snow," said Sloan.

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Over the past decade, the sport has grown in popularity in the Midwest, with the national championship held each year in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

This Saturday, the fifth annual state championship Kubb tournament will take place in Batavia’s Engstrom Park.

"One of the best things about Kubb is we just meet the most wonderful people at these tournaments and every time we go to a tournament it’s like going to a family reunion. It’s really a lot of fun," said Scott Kent, another Energy City Club member.

This weekend’s tournament will welcome teams from all over the Midwest. Beginners are welcome. It’s $40 a team to play. The games begin at 9 a.m. No Viking hat required.

To sign up for this weekend’s tournament, contact George Sloan at 630-362-3525 or by email: george.sloan01@sbcglobal.net. Information is also available on the club’s Facebook page, Energy City Kubb.