I wouldn’t go so far as to say summer is here in the UK, but on Friday the rain let up long enough to go to the park and pretend that it was June.
I was introduced to a game I’ve never played: kubb. I’ve heard the name before, and had a vague idea that kubb was the Swedish equivalent of knurr and spell. It isn’t, it’s more akin to bowls or quoits, and it’s actually a really good game.
Firstly, it involves throwing stuff about. And who doesn’t like doing that? You throw wooden batons to knock over wooden blocks, so when they make contact there is a very satisfying clunky noise. Secondly, it’s simple enough that a bunch of people who have never played before can get up and running in a matter of minutes, but still has a little bit of strategy. Thirdly, you can play without stopping your conversation or putting your beer down. Teams are fairly fluid so people can drop in or out as they choose, meaning it works well for a big group. It’s ideal summer park entertainment.
I suspect our game wouldn’t have met championship standards (and not least because the pitch was laid out by a few people saying “yeah, that looks like about 5 metres”). Holding a wooden baton at the end, and throwing it underarm such that it doesn’t spin in the air, is quite surprisingly difficult. Hitting a block happened rarely enough that even the opposition celebrated it each time.
It’s not a game you can improvise easily, because you do need a series of specifically-shaped wooden blocks. However, you can pick up a set for not much more than twenty quid, so if you’re looking for a fun beach game, give it a whirl.