Kubb Games are a competitive outdoor game that is literally sweeping the world and is quickly becoming known as the game for everyone. In fact, Kubb Games has become so popular that there is now a World Championship Kubb Game Tournament that takes place every August on the island of Gotland, just off the coast of southern Sweden.

Kubb Game has been gaining popularity around the world as an outdoor competitive sport since the early 1990s, but it is actually an ancient game that dates back over 1000 years. While no one really knows the true origins of Kubb Game, there are many different theories ranging from the ridiculous to the mundane. The romanticized story of the Kubb Game origins claims that it was a game devised by the Vikings to while away the time between pillaging. Stories tell of Vikings whittling out their own Kubb Game pieces from the skulls and thigh bones of their victims, but this is most certainly greatly exaggerated. Most historians agree, however, that Kubb Game did in fact originate from Sweden and was probably devised by woodsmen who created the game using cutoff pieces of firewood since. This makes the most sense since the word kubb in Swedish literally means a block of wood.

Over the centuries Kubb Game became less popular on the mainland of Sweden, but it has remained a traditional activity on the sparsely populated island of Gotland. Within the last ten to fifteen years, however, Kubb Game began to spread once again throughout Sweden, then Europe, and now the world. Since Gotland is a popular summer vacation spot for many Swedish families, the interest the simple, family friendly game began to spark once again. Vacationing families would return home from their holidays on Gotland and bring back with them a brand new Kubb Game set to play at home. Today millions of Kubb Game sets have been sold in Sweden alone and it has become a mainstay of just about every Swedish home.

Due to its new found popularity, the island of Gotland decided to hold the very first Kubb Game World Championship Tournament in August 1995. The tournament was such a huge success that they have had one every year since then. Today nearly 200 teams show up from more than a dozen different countries, including the United States, England, Germany, Italy, and even Japan. While it is billed as the Kubb Game World Championship, it is still a very localized event that retains the charm and spirit of the game as one that can be played by anyone regardless of age, height, weight, or nationality.

Just about anyone can participate in the Kubb Game World Championships in Gotland, but there are a few requirements to fulfill if you choose to enter the tournament. First, you must register online for a tournament spot on the official Kubb Game World Championship website at www.vmkubb.com between April and July of the tournament year. The tournament is usually held the first or second week in August. Each team must have a minimum of six players to qualify for the tournament, but teams can also have up to 20 players which can be rotated into play in between each round on the field. Championship teams can consist of all men, all women, all teens, or a mixture of all three. While this is the Kubb Game World Championships and everyone wants a shot at the gold medal prize, the main goal of the tournament is to bring people of different backgrounds together in the spirit of good fun, fair competition, and peaceful unity.

If you are thinking about entering the Kubb Game World Championships this year, you might want to consider purchasing a Kubb Game set first. A standard Kubb Game set is made out of solid wood and consists of 21 pieces, including one king, four corner sticks, six throwing batons, and ten kubb blocks. Most Kubb Game sets come in their own easy to carry wooden box or carrying bag. This makes it easier to carry your Kubb Game set from game to game and tournament to tournament. Once you learn the basics of the game, you just need to practice in order to fully understand the rules, strategy, and game play. Kubb Game is quickly gaining in popularity and many tournament clubs are popping up throughout the country, so search around on the internet for a Kubb Game group near you. If you cannot find one in your area, you might want to start your very own Kubb Game group. This would be particularly important if you do not have the required six people needed for the world championship, so getting people interested in the Kubb Game would be both beneficial for you, your tournament team, and your community.

If you are truly interested in traveling to Gotland, Sweden to play in the Kubb Game World Championship Tournament or even to just watch, you would first need to fly into Stockholm, Sweden. From there you can either fly or take a ferry over to Visby, Gotland which is situated in the Baltic Sea about 55 miles east of the Swedish mainland. Once on the island of Gotland you can choose to stay in one of the nearby hotels, bed and breakfasts, boarding houses, campsites, or even stay in the mega-camp which consists of a giant indoor hall where all of the teams stay together in a giant room, sleeping on the floor, and dining together family style on long rows of tables. It is really up to you how much of an authentic Gotland Kubb Game tournament experience you want to have.

Whether you choose to join in the fun and adventure of the Kubb Game World Championships in Gotland or have your own backyard Kubb Game tournament, you are sure to have hours of outdoor gaming fun with family and friends while also improving your Kubb Game skills.