Cornhole is always a favourite during the summer months.
The sport tends to be a treasured component of most backyard barbecues, but when the season ends, the boards and bags are usually packed away until fairer weather returns. In Winkler this year, however, cornhole enthusiasts will be happy to know that there will be an opportunity to play through winter.
A new evening activity
Kevin Driedger is behind Winkler Cornhole, a new league that will meet beginning in January.
“I started playing about a year and a half ago, . . . and I really enjoyed it,” he says, adding that he has played tournaments in Ste. Anne and Winnipeg. “It's been really fun, and the sport has taken off, so why not bring it to Winkler?”
Driedger says the league will be the first in the Pembina Valley and the fourth in the province along with two leagues in Winnipeg and one in Steinbach.
“In January, we'll start. [We picked] the winter months where it's great to get out in the evening and everyone's feeling chilly, so starting on January 13th, we'll be doing the first night [and] see how that goes,” he says.
The first evening of cornhole league in Winkler begins at 6:30 p.m. at J.R. Walkof School in Winkler. The games themselves will start at 7 p.m.
“My goal is to get 40 people in there and maybe even a little more. We'll see where it goes, but 40 is my initial goal,” says Driedger. “The way the format works, it can [operate] with almost any number.”
Low-risk fun
For those who don’t know what cornhole is, the game’s objective is simple. Two boards with a hole in the top of each are set up 27 feet apart, and each individual (or team) takes turns throwing bags to accumulate points (there are points for both landing on the board and throwing the bag through the hole). Strategies become more complex as one plays, but this is the general structure of the game.
Driedger says that he doesn’t know what initially appealed to him about cornhole, but he has grown to love the sport, nonetheless. He even builds his own boards. His collection of bags is also growing.
“Now I'm accumulating bags constantly, but you know what? That's the joy of it. It's a fun sport. It's not too physical, so you don’t have to worry about injury,” he says.
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Another benefit of cornhole is that it is accessible to all ages. Driedger says that one can be 13 and love it, or 65 and love it. It only requires a willingness to play.
“Anybody can start, and first you try to get 4 on the board every time and then you get a little more competitive,” he says. “Now my buddies and I try to sink four in the hole on every round.”
Winkler Cornhole will provide boards and bags, but participants are welcome to bring their own ACO/ACL-approved bags.
The details
Driedger says that it is not necessary to sign up with a partner because the structure of the league’s scoring system accommodates individuals. All it takes is a single registration and the fee. For 12 weeks, the cost is $100, and there is also the option of a drop-in fee of $10 an evening. Sign-up is open for ages 13 and up.
“I would love it if people signed up early, but I also know a lot of people don't want to commit too early, so I understand that as well,” says Driedger. “And if you want to drop in, don't be afraid to [come].”
To sign up for Winkler’s cornhole league, see the information on its Facebook page or email winklercornhole@gmail.com.
With files from Ty Hildebrand