Kubb Tournament

The world’s largest winter Kubb tournament
competitive and recreational brackets

Register
Volunteer

Saturday, January 31, 2025

Kubb

Name: Kubb Tournament
Start: 2026-01-31T08:30:00+00:00
End: 2026-01-31T15:00:00+00:00

City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival

Join us on Saturday and enjoy the world’s largest winter Kubb tournament at Theodore Wirth Park! Kubb is a Swedish lawn game, similar to Cornhole or bocce ball in the Midwest. Teams of 3-6 players will compete in a 16 team championship bracket or 64 team recreation bracket. There will be a round-robin stage followed by an elimination stage to determine the champions! Veteran experts may choose the championship bracket while those looking for a more casual experience may choose the popular recreational bracket.

At the tournament will be Captain Ken’s Chili and one free Pryes Brewing beer for registered participants!

2026 Kubb Participant Guide – click here

GALLERY

Register your Team

Kubb

$84

Register

Proceeds from the Kubb benefit the Loppet Foundation. Learn more about the Foundation’s mission, vision, and values.

Registration and transaction fees are non-refundable, including in the event of delay, rescheduling, or cancellation of an event or program. An event or program registration is not transferable to another person or another event for any reason, including injury. Participating under another person’s name will result in disqualification.

A Note About the Data We Collect

There is no in-person registration.

All pricing listed on RunSignUp reflects the processing fees per Minnesota’s “Hidden Fees Statute,” SB 478. RunSignup charges a variable processing fee of $1 per transaction plus 6% as our standard price.

How to Play Kubb

First time attending a kubb event or even your first time playing the game kubb? No problem! Check out this helpful FAQ. Pitches will be available the morning of the tournament to learn and play the game. Find one of our Kubb Ambassadors who can explain the game and get you started on the basics before matches start at 10am

HOW TO PLAY

Schedule & Packet Pickup

Schedule

9:30am: Competitive Team check in and warmups at Theodore Wirth Park, follow signs from in front of the Trailhead to the tournament area. Please do not walk on ski trails.

10am – 6pm: Competitive Teams Playing

10:30am: Recreation Team check in and warmups at Theodore Wirth Park, follow signs from in front of the Trailhead to the tournament area. Please do not walk on ski trails.

10:45am: Welcome and Captains Meeting

11am – 4:30pm: Recreation Teams Playing

10:00am – 3:00pm: Finisher food inside the Trailhead & Pryes Brewing beer

Packet Pickup

There is no physical packet that needs to be picked up for any Kubb teams. All information regarding schedule and brackets will be emailed out the week of the event, and any needed materials will be given out at the event.

Format

Individuals may only register and participate for one team in one tournament. Playing for another team in your own tournament or the other tournament will result in disqualification of both the individual and team.

Championship Kubb Tournament

Recommended for teams familiar with kubb who aim to beat the best.

Teams will play seven best-of-one matches to determine seeding for the afternoon knockout bracket. Morning matches will have a 25-minute time limit, with kubb count used to determine the winner if time expires.

The knockout bracket will use a best-of-3 format with 50-minute time limits. If time expires and the match is tied 0–0 or 1–1, teams will use the accelerated finish ruleset to determine the winner. If time expires while one team is leading 1–0, the match ends immediately, and that team is declared the winner

Recreational Kubb Tournament

Recommended for casual teams or those less familiar with the game of kubb. All are welcome in the Recreational Kubb Tournament!

The Recreational Kubb Tournament is same kubb tournament you’ve come to know and love since 2012 – free beer ticket and all!

Each team will play a total of 6 games. Teams will be split into the Red Bracket and the Blue Bracket. The first 5 games will be within your assigned bracket, and the 6th and final game will be a cross-bracket matchup (Red vs. Blue) to see which color reigns supreme…and determine your final place!

Games will have 25-minute time limits, with a 5-minute break between matches to report scores and find your next match. If a game is not finished when time expires, the winner is the team with more baseline kubbs knocked down. If tied, teams will participate in an 8m sudden-death throw-off, soccer style!

Map

2026 Kubb Tournament will take place at The Trailhead in the same place as 2025. Map coming soon.

Transportation

All participants & spectators should park in the Mortenson Parking Lot and walk over to The Trailhead (about a half mile walk).

Parking

All Kubb participants and spectators can park at the Mortenson’s building (700 Meadow Lane) or MN United (4150 Olson Mem Hwy) that’s just a short walk to The Trailhead. There will be a shuttle bus running 10am – 3pm Saturday between Mortensons & The Trailhead.

Road Closures:

Theodore Wirth Pkwy will be closed to all traffic from Hwy 55 to Plymouth Ave: Saturday 7am-1:30pm & Sunday 7am-12pm
Glenwood Ave will be closed between Theo Wirth Pkwy and Xerxes Ave Saturday & Sunday 8am – 1pm
Theodore Wirth Pkwy will be closed between Glenwood Ave and N Wayzata Blvd Saturday & Sunday 8am – 1pm

Festival Village & Post-Race Party

Refreshments! All skiers get one free Pryes Brewing beer (21+) or NA beer or soda at the finish party inside the Trailhead! Please have ID available. Additional beer may be purchased on site by participants or spectators.

Chili! For years, the Loppet has served Captain Ken’s Chili at the finish line. Just what a tired biker needs to start the recovery process!

Sponsors! Our sponsors help make everything happen and better! Please visit and thank them for their support. We are sure you will have some fun with them, too!

Sauna–Unwind and recharge after the race! Book a seat on the bench with 612 Sauna Cooperative. Located just outside the Trailhead with good heat, good vibes and room for every body! Use code FESTIVAL5 for an exclusive discount on your seat.

Learn more about member-owned 612 Sauna Cooperative at: www.612saunasociety.com

FESTIVAL VILLAGE

Awards & Swag

Awards

Championship Bracket

1st Place: $250, King of the Loppet Award, Tournament Medals

2nd Place: $100, Tournament Medals

3rd Place: $50, Tournament Medals

Recreational Bracket

Tournament medals to the 1st-3rd place teams.

Commemorative set from JP’s Backyard Games for 1st place winner.

Awards ceremony for this event will take place in the Kubb competition area immediately after the tournament is over. Must be present to receive a cash awards packet.

Volunteer

The Loppet needs help in all capacities supporting the participants during the City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival.

All Festival volunteers will receive an exclusive winter volunteer hat!

Please sign up to volunteer by clicking the button below. If you have any questions, please email volunteer@loppet.org.

Volunteer Signup

VOLUNEER

EVENT SPONSORS

Become an Event Sponsor

City of Lakes Loppet Winter Festival

FAQ

What does my entry fee go towards?

Entry fees go towards the production of the event and The Loppet mission of connecting people to the outdoors through experiences that grow community!

When will the participant guide be published?

Typically we send it out to registered participants and post it on the event website about 1 week ahead of the event.

Are there any special group discounts?

As a way to recognize the Dakota land we run with and steward, all Indigenous people can participate in any Loppet event for free by emailing events@loppet.org and requesting a discount code

Are dogs allowed at this event?

While we love your furry friends please leave them at home for these large Loppet events.

Who do I contact about the race if I have a question?

The Loppet Foundation
1301 Theodore Wirth Parkway
Minneapolis, MN 55422
events@loppet.org
612-604-5330
Registration: registration@loppet.org
Sponsorship: sponsorship@loppet.org

I have special accessibility requirements, who can I talk to about this?

Reach out to events@loppet.org and we can talk about how we can support you.

I’m a spectator, where should I watch or what do I need to know?

Check the course and transportation sections of the website for details
Loud cheering, fun signs, cowbells, noise makers, music are all highly encouraged. Please keep cheers and signs positive and respectful.
Food & beverages are available for purchase at the finish line (best to bring your credit card!)

Will you have merchandise available for sale?

Yes! Come check out our awesome merch in the adventure shop at the Trailhead or at the finish line.

Is there a time limit?

In keeping with our goal of offering a unique kubb experience while maintaining a competitive tournament for participants, time restrictions are necessary to ensure the semifinal and final matches are played on time. Matches not completed by their designated ending times will be determined by the tiebreak rule. All Championship Bracket rounds will start at the designated times listed on the schedule even if both teams from the previous round have advanced. The purpose of this is to avoid excessive downtime for teams if one side of the bracket is getting too far ahead of the other. This will also allow teams finishing early to warm up between matches knowing when their next match will begin.

What if there's a tie?

The following explanation is to break a tie in the Round Robin stage to determine which two teams move on to the Championship Bracket if, after all Round Robin matches are complete, a tie exists between three or more teams. Note that the first tiebreak is not games won or head-to-head.

Example:
Teams A, B, and C will compete in a throw-off to determine which teams advance.

Team	W	L
Team A	2	1
Team B	2	1
Team C	2	1
Team D	0	3

Throw-off
A throw-off consists of each team throwing 6 shots from their base line trying to knock over as many kubbs as possible. The two teams knocking over the most kubbs will advance to the Championship Bracket. In this example, if Team A knocks over 3 kubbs in the throw-off and Teams B and C both knock over 2 kubbs, Team A will advance to the Championship Bracket as the group winner. Teams B and C would then throw again with the winner moving on to the Championship Bracket as the group runner-up. As is the case for match play, no player may throw more than two batons during a throw-off.