Canadian Kubb (part one) - Story of how three people played Kubb:

The Kubb game can be played by an odd number of people. We only had 3 and they were of differing ages and abilities. But we had a great time. This is how our Kubb Game started:

Maggie: Hi TJ, what are you doing?

TJ: Nothing.

Maggie: How about playing Kubb again? I love the game of Kubb.

TJ: So do I. It was great the other day. We had teams. Casey and me and you and Christopher. Remember how we knocked 3 of your Baseline Kubbs down on our first turn and you had trouble trying to hit them when it was your turn and they were Field Kubbs.

Maggie: I remember.

TJ: You know where I learned that?

Maggie: Learned what?

TJ: Hit the Kubbs like that. I got it from reading an article in the computer on a website for Kubb. It was www.kubbgames.com. The article was about keeping your eye on the Kubb. It said to keep your eye on the Kubb you want to hit. Just like in bowling when you have to aim the ball at certain pins, you look at the spot you want to hit. That is what the article said and it works-sometimes. Anyway, we won. But Casey will not be home for a while so it will only be Christopher and me and you.

Maggie: No problem, TJ. We will play Canadian Kubb.

TJ: Canadian Kubb? I thought you said that Kubb was a game that the Vikings thought up ages ago over there in Vikingland-Sweden or someplace like that. Now you call it Canadian. All I know about Canada is that the capital is Ottawa and it is a large country north of our border and we have lots of those pesky Canadian geese in our park.

Maggie: A lot of people call them Canadian geese but they are really called Canada Geese. Anyway, let me explain what I mean by Canadian Kubb. One of the great things about the game of Kubb is that you can make the game suit any particular situation and playing Canadian Kubb is sort of like playing Canadian doubles. You know, the tennis game for three people.

TJ: I do not know.

Maggie: Come on, everybody knows that. But most people around here anyway, have not heard it called Kiwi or Australian doubles. In Kiwi and Australian doubles players rotate court positions after each game. Another kind of tennis is Filipino doubles where you have 3 players against 2 and believe it or not, there is something called Albino Doubles which has 4 players against 3. Kubb, like tennis, is a game that can be adjusted to fit whoever is playing.

TJ: Ask a simple question and get the encyclopedia thrown at you. We do not know how to play tennis and besides, that article said that Kubb is like playing horseshoes or bowling or chess and now you say its like tennis too. I do not think so. And please, do not give us a lecture on all of these games too.

Maggie: Sorry. I get long-winded. But you do not need to know how to play tennis because Kubb is not like tennis except that Kubb has a certain area marked out to play on something like a tennis court. And I am just using the term, Canadian something or other because if you know what it means you would know that it is what it is. Oh never mind. This is how it works. When only 3 people show up for a tennis game, and you need 4 for doubles, 2 on each side, then you can play Canadian Doubles. One person against 2. The single person has the advantage of being able to hit the ball within the doubles lines on the court. The doubles side has to keep the ball within the singles court lines. Got that?

TJ: Not really.

Maggie: Does not matter. We could do something like that for Kubb. The pitch or area of play could be a foot shorter on the doubles side making it easier for the single person to hit the Baseline Kubbs and we could move the King closer to the singles line too.

TJ: Wow, I want to be on the side with the short side.

Christopher: Me too.

Maggie: Wait. We could play the 2 of you against me. Or maybe, you be on the singles side and Christopher and I will be on the other side.

TJ: Yeah, but you are bigger and know the game better.

Maggie: But you will have the advantage of a shorter pitch area so will be able to score more easily and Christopher and I will have a longer area to try to hit your Baseline Kubbs. And thinking about that. I think we should do it the other way. You and Christopher play against me. You two will have the shorter length to throw your batons at the Baseline Kubbs and I will have the longer one. That makes more sense because Christopher is the youngest and smallest.

TJ: Sounds OK to me!

Christopher: Me too.

TJ: I want to set up the field.

Christopher: No, me. You did it last time.

Maggie: Let him do it, TJ. Lets just get it done so we can start our super game of Canadian Kubb!