So much cornhole, so much fun!
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Business as usual...
Fundraisers, corporate events, big tournaments, small tournaments, winners and losers! 2018 has not been that different from years past only with more volume. And there would have been no way to keep up without the help of the Boston Cornhole team of John, Lisa, Shane and Raul. A special thanks to Raul who without a doubt has directed the most tournaments this year. He runs them as well as anybody and he's much nicer than I am! You're welcome!
On the competitive side, we brought "A Hole Lot of Fun" to the Wilmington Cornhole League with a well-received format patterned off of the Ocean State Cornhole League at the Boundary Brewhouse. It was brilliant to see Lowry's List play out on the boards and not social media! I cannot praise the "every bag counts" format enough for player development. Look at the tournament results for those who have played year round in Pawtucket...impressive! In Malden at Mixx 360, we discovered a new group of players and got them off and running with some rentals. There is some good momentum just north of Boston and I hope they carry that into the new year!
But still, my favorite weekly event remains 3rd Ave Tournament Tuesdays in Burlington! An unbelievable outdoor venue, free pizza, and free to play...just the way I think weekly events should be (I know I am in the minority here)! And we have helped create some cornhole fanatics who are now regulars on the scene!
Custom Cornhole Company leads the way in equipment innovation!
Doghouse Cornhole, Skull It, IBCL, Rowley Sliders have all upgraded their cornhole equipment in 2018 with Custom Cornhole Company out of Burlington, MA. This is probably because Boston Cornhole was the first to source boards with CCC? No, not at all! All of these cornhole communities have serious players who want to play on great, high-quality equipment and that is exactly what Nasi and Jeff are delivering. With an assist from West Georgia Cornhole, CCC offers 3/4" direct print, Baltic Birch boards! I am sure they will not be the last to go this route, but as far as I know, they are the first in New England! Oh, and the prices are very competitive with any local or national builder. Whether you are a novice or have a permission slip to call yourself a pro, you should play on quality equipment. If 2017 was the Year of the Bag, then 2018 is the year of the boards!
The ACL has gained more momentum since the last flip of the calendar....
Kudos to Jeff Bachand and his team for creating the ACL culture in New England. These days it seems as if the best players in the area actually want to play against each other; that has not always been the case. The rankings may suggest that it's a participation league, but I think that's the case with any league. Luckily, this season with all the local directors, it should not take too much effort to get your reps in!
The importance of ESPN cannot be underestimated in the rise of ACL. More impressive to me has been the streaming of matches that directors have done for the ACL digital network. Combine a couple of webcams, an open source product, and a scoreboard application and voila, you have your very own cornhole studio! That's innovation. Cornhole may be a simple game, but we continually see it evolve!
As we head into 2019...
Five or six years ago, many lamented that there were hardly any opportunities to play cornhole in New England. Today, New England may be the envy of the rest of the country. While we may not yet have the nation's top tossers, the level of play is improving exponentially. And not only is there more competition on the boards, but also among tournament directors and builders and that's a good thing! If you make boards or run tournaments, you better bring your A game! This competition will continue to push us forward...Happy New Year!