The city of Eau Claire has a lot to offer. Multiple music festivals, a University of Wisconsin branch campus, a riverfront along the Chippewa, the Pablo Art Center, many public parks and Kubb.
As the self-declared “Kubb Capital of North America,” the city has a special bond with the Nordic lawn game described as a combination of horseshoes, bowling and chess.
This is largely due to one man’s passion for the pastime, Eric Anderson. His introduction to the wooden blocks and batons that make up a Kubb set came near its place of origin, the Swedish island of Gotland.
After his time in Scandinavia, Anderson moved first to Montana and then to Eau Claire in 2007. He thought the game would be a good way to make friends. And he’s made hundreds around the country.
After showing Kubb off at farmers markets, he slowly grew the game through charity fundraising events. Ultimately, this grew to become the U.S. National Kubb Championship held each summer in Eau Claire. One 144 teams competed in 2024, a nearly ten-fold increase since it began.
One measure of pleasure that comes from a lawn game is if you can hold a beer while doing it. And Kubb definitely qualifies. The tournament is likely the definition of friendly competition taking place on a warm weekend days in one of Eau Claire’s many parks and athletic fields.
Players come from around the country, often reuniting with friends they’ve made in previous years and creating a warm welcoming vibe. It’s what’s come to be expected from the “Kubb Capital”.
