Author: Lisa Witte

It’s hard to believe it’s almost August. It has been a great summer and we hope everyone has been playing a lot of cornhole! And there are still plenty of tournaments all over the country.

For those of you in Wisconsin, the Midwest Cornhole Championship is coming up. This tournament has a costume contest, and that’s something you don’t see at every tournament. And while some live the competitive nature of cornhole, this tournament is very focused on fairness and fun.

If you’re in southern Indiana or northern Kentucky, Evansville Marine Service is presenting their 5th Annual Stock the Pantry Cornhole Tournament to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Evansville. Cornhole is always fun, but it’s even more fun when you get to play for a great cause.

But if you’re not in Indiana, there is a tournament coming up in South Carolina that also benefits a great cause — Sanfilippo Syndrome Type A, a currently incurable disease.

Do you live in Georgia? Do you like food trucks? Than this “Feast-ival” is probably the cornhole tournament for you! I’m a little sad I am in Ohio because my favorite way to play cornhole is with delicious food in one hand and a cornhole bag in the other.

Ohio’s animal lovers will have the opportunity to attend the first ever Paws and Claws Summer Jam Cornhole Tournament in August. This tournament will have beer, live music, and all proceeds go toward the non-profit shelter. As a personal advocate of animal rescue organizations, I am thrilled to see this tournament in my home state!

Lastly, one of eCornhole.com’s very own employees is organizing a cornhole (and softball) tournament to benefit A Voice for the Innocent, a local Cincinnati organization raising awareness and providing support for victims of sexual abuse.

Is there a cornhole tournament coming up in your area? Let us know! We may even feature it on our blog or Facebook. We would love to hear from you.

And if you’re as bummed as I am that summer is almost over and need some help getting back in the spirit in August, watch Grumpy Cat & Friends in their “Cat Summer” video! Featuring Grumpy Cat, Nala Cat, Hamilton the Hipster Cat, and Oskar the Blind Cat & Klaus… Some of my favorite internet cats! Even famous cats love a good backyard game of cornhole.

We’ll be posting information on our August contest soon, so stay tuned to our Facebook page for your change to enter to win.

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Much like the varying theories on the history of cornhole, there are a lot of variations on cornhole rules. While many technicalities are often disputed, there is a baseline, universal rule set most cornhole enthusiasts play by.

– The boards must directly face each other with 27 feet between the front edges of the boards.
– Grab your partner, pick your bag color (4 bags for each team) and decide who goes first.
– You must stand next to the board (in the pitcher’s box) during your turn. If you step in front of the board, it is a foot foul and that toss will count for 0 points.
– Partners stand at opposite boards on the same side so that they are facing each other and neither team has an advantage.
– You throw one bag, your opponent throws one bag, then you, and then your opponent, etc alternating turns until all eight bags have been thrown. After one round, the players on the opposite board alternate turns.
– If a person tosses out of turn, it is a foul.
– Players must toss the bag with an under-hand release.
– Any bag that touches the ground before hitting the board does not count.
– Any bag hanging off the board and touching the ground does not count.
– One bag in the hole is 3 points. (This is often called a “cornhole,” “holer,” or “corn in the hole.”)
– One bag on the board is 1 point. (This is often called a “woody” or “boarder.”)
– Points cancel one another out. (For example, if Team A throws a bag through the hole for 3 points, but Team B throws a bag on the board for 1 point, Team A has 2 points and Team B has 0 points.)
– The scoring team goes first in the next round.
– In the event both teams have the same number of points after a round, honors to throw first stays with the team who had it the previous round.
– The first to 21 points wins.
– The winning team pitches first in the next game.

While we have an in-depth breakdown of the rules – from the setup, to game play, to fouls, to scoring – on our website, here are some of the variations we have come across:

– The winning team must lead by 2 or more points.
– You must reach 21 exactly. You cannot go over. (I like to call this the Price is Right rule.)
– If you go over 21, your score is automatically reduced to 11 and the game continues.
– If you go over 21, your team is penalized the difference between your score and 21 and the game continues.
– Count every point, with no cancellation or negation of points, and see who has the most points at the end of thirteen rounds. These games often go far above 21 points, but sometimes remain short of 21 points.
– Remove foul bags from playing surface immediately.
– Leave all bags on playing surface undisrupted and in their natural landing state.
– If it is a two-player game, walk directly across to the board opposite and play on the same side you previously played so there is no advantage to one team.
– If one team reaches 7 points before the other team has any points, the game is a skunk.
– If one team reaches 11 points before the other team has any points, the game is a skunk.
– A bag lying completely inside the “home plate” area is counted for 2 points.

If you’re interested in entering the American Cornhole Organization’s tournaments next year, make sure you familiarize yourself with their official rules. The tournament wrapped up yesterday, so congratulations to all of the champions!

ACO King of Cornhole – Jeff Reynolds
ACO Queen of Cornhole – Stacia Pugh
ACO World Doubles Champions – Rick Mayes and Cortez Hudson
ACO World Seniors Champion – Tom Bobo
ACO Competitive Singles Champion – Seth Cottrill
ACO Competitive Doubles Champions – Quinn Peterson and Clinton Lucas
ACO King of Sling Social Singles Champion – Matt West
ACO Social Doubles Champions – Colten Herald and Kurt Sobey
ACO Farfsing Cup – Jay Dotson, Brandon Hill, Cody Henderson and Adam Hissner

Our July contest is still going on, so share* a picture of you, your friends, or your family playing cornhole (only with their consent) on our Facebook page for a chance to win a free set of cornhole bags. If you don’t have a picture, tell us a story or let us know you’re out there playing the game! One (1) winner** will be randomly drawn around 5pm EST on July 31st and notified via Facebook, so you have plenty of time to play and share for a chance to win.

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* Make sure you share the page directly from our Facebook page, as we are not notified if you re-share someone else’s post.

** A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook. Please note the winner will be notified through an eCornhole.com employee’s personal account, as we cannot initiate private messages through the company’s page.

There is no doubt cornhole is a popular game, but where did the game that’s taken the nation by storm come from? Well, there are a lot of theories, but no one is certain.

Of these theories, perhaps the oldest and most popular theory dates back to 14th century Germany. This theory states cornhole originated when a Bavarian farmer by the name of Matthias Kuepermann observed a few boys throwing large, heavy rocks into a hole. When he saw the danger this could pose, he invented a similar and safer alternative using soft-sided bags.

There are many references to a similar game being plays amongst Native Americans, while there is also a widely believed notion that many ancient civilizations played a comparable game of throwing rocks into holes in the ground as means of entertainment and killing time.

Elaborating on the Küpermann, many believe the Germans brought the game across the Atlantic, while the game slowly evolved and transformed over time.

From there, most Midwesterners believe the game was rediscovered within the past couple centuries somewhere in Kentucky or right in eCornhole.com’s hometown of Cincinnati, OH.

Of these beliefs, there is a predominant theory about Midwestern farmer named Jebediah McGillicuddy (or McGillicutty) inventing the game as a means of passing time on his farm with friends and family, but this theory has its skeptics, largely due to Jebediah’s name… And I must admit, a Hebrew first name with an Irish last name on a farm in Kentucky does seem curious.

You can read more about our references and the different stories of cornhole history here, here, here, here and here.

While it’s not clear where exactly our beloved game of cornhole originated or how its history unfolded, one thing is certain: Cincinnati loves a good game of cornhole!

Do you have your own cornhole history theory? Leave us a comment, tweet us, or post it on our Facebook page. We would love to hear!

Don’t forget about our July contest…Share* a picture of you, your friends, or your family playing cornhole (only with their consent) on our Facebook page for a chance to win a free set of cornhole bags. If you don’t have a picture, tell us a story! One (1) winner** will be randomly drawn around 5pm EST on July 31st and notified via Facebook, so you have plenty of time to play and share for a chance to win.

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* Make sure you share the page directly from our Facebook page, as we are not notified if you re-share someone else’s post.

** A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook. Please note the winner will be notified through an eCornhole.com employee’s personal account, as we cannot initiate private messages through the company’s page.

After receiving positive feedback on our “Meet the Owner” post, we decided it might be interesting to get to know the woman behind our cornhole bags, Peggy. Not only is she one of the most genuine and loving mothers, Peggy may be one of the craftiest people I’ve ever met. Growing up, I would regularly come home from school to find the walls were different colors, our rooms had been redecorated, and everything in the kitchen cabinets had been reorganized. Peggy has spent countless hours researching fabrics, threads, weatherproof filler and techniques to provide the finest cornhole bags while she overseeing all of eCornhole.com’s bag operations… From cutting fabric to ensuring each bag weighs exactly one pound to getting the bags to the customer, Peggy is there for every step to ensure the quality of each bag is up to eCornhole.com’s standards.

After sitting down with Peggy for a short Q&A, I learned more about her life-long passion: sewing.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SEWING?
Since I was a young teenager. Decades.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SEWING?
Creativity. Coming up with a design and then making it come to life.

OTHER THAN SEWING, WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CRAFT?
Hand embroidery. I don’t get to do much of it these days, but I did A LOT of hand embroidery and beading on my oldest daughter’s wedding dress. I also enjoy painting around the house. 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT ECORNHOLE.COM?
That it’s family owned. I get to work with my kids. Not a lot of parents get to see their grown children work and thrive in a family run business.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BAG COLOR COMBINATION?
It changes by the day, so I don’t know. Probably purple and turquoise. 
(She was wearing a purple, turquoise, and yellow shirt while I was asking her these questions. Coincidence?)

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE SEWING PROJECT?
Making my daughters’ wedding dresses. 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGENING SEWING PROJECT?
Making my youngest daughter’s wedding dress! Having to make a difficult, stretch lace fabric fit a picky bride just the way she wants it. 
(Thanks, mom. I wasn’t that picky.)

LASTLY, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO WHILE YOU’RE NOT SEWING OR CRAFTING AROUND THE HOUSE?
Definitely spending time with my family, especially my grandkids. 

Thanks for sharing with us, Peggy! Our bags are a true testament to your talent.

Our June contest comes to an end in just a few hours! If you haven’t entered already, share* any post on our Facebook page and you will be entered to win a free set of cornhole bags. One (1) winner** will be randomly drawn and notified via Facebook on June 30th, 2014. We’ll be pulling a winner around 5pm EST.

And we have a new contest for July! Starting July 1st, share a picture of you, your friends, or your family playing cornhole (only with their consent) on our Facebook page for a chance to win a free set of cornhole bags. With the Fourth of July in only five days, we hope to see people out with their boards and bags! One (1) winner** will be randomly drawn and notified via Facebook on July 31st, so you have plenty of time to play and share for a chance to win.

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* Make sure you share the page directly from our Facebook page, as we are not notified if you re-share someone else’s post.

** A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook. Please note the winner will be notified through an eCornhole.com employee’s personal account, as we cannot initiate private messages through the company’s page.

It’s no surprise cornhole is popular in the United States, especially throughout the Midwest. In fact, it’s so popular, stories are popping up all over the country.

Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Matt Light has been in the news lately, but not for football. Light recently broke the world record for most cornhole teams at a single tournament with a turnout of 160 teams. The event looks like it was a lot of fun, and that turnout is definitely record-worthy! You can read more about the event here.

Matt Light wasn’t the only celebrity in the news over a cornhole tournament. If you like country music, you probably know Craig Campbell. Craig Campbell recently hosted a Celebrity Cornhole Tournament in Nashville to raise money for colon cancer research and awareness. Read about the event and the celebrities that showed up to support his cause here.

One of my favorite articles so far this year was written by a Cincinnati native living in New Orleans. The author perfectly summarizes the ever growing, addictive, family-friendly game while giving an honest testament to how easily you can play with a beer in your hand… and even mentions cornhole’s ties to Cincinnati. As someone who has watched cornhole grow from an unknown with a funny name (“Wait, your brother-in-law does WHAT?”) to a staple tailgating, picnicking, general-partying (“Oh, I think my parents just bought a set of those bags!”) game, it is thrilling to see cornhole is even spreading internationally.

This summer guide from Oregon is particularly appealing to me personally because it not only highlights cornhole, it also highlights Kubb, a game I loved playing in Germany and had yet to see in the U.S., and Quidditch, a game I can’t believe exists in the muggle world. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a good game of bocce ball?

If you find any unique or exciting cornhole stories, share them with us on Facebook or Twitter. We would love to see what’s happening around the country. And, if you haven’t already, share* any post on our Facebook page by June 30th, and you will be entered to win a free set of cornhole bags. One (1) winner** will be randomly drawn and notified via Facebook on June 30th, 2014.

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* Make sure you share the page directly from our Facebook page, as we are not notified if you re-share someone else’s post.

** A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message on June 30th, 2014. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook. Please note the winner will be notified through an eCornhole.com employee’s personal account, as we cannot initiate private messages through the company’s page.

 

Congratulations, Karen! Karen is the winner of our May contest. eCornhole.com will be sending Karen a free set of weatherproof bags to her home in Austin, TX. Per her request, her colors will be a surprise, but we can promise they’ll be good!

If you did not win our contest this past month, don’t worry — you have another chance in June. Simply share* one of the posts on our Facebook page and you will be entered to win a free set of cornhole bags! One (1) winner** will be randomly drawn and notified via Facebook on June 30th, 2014.

June is a great time to be outdoors and active… Between the summer sunshine, graduation parties, summer birthdays, family celebrations, and Fourth of July right around the corner, it’s a great month for a few games of cornhole.

If you’re not already too busy with picnics and family fun, there are tournaments all over the U.S. this month too. Georgia‘s State Championships are coming up this weekend, or you can see all of American Cornhole Organization’s State Championships here. There are more tournaments coming up in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, and there’s even one in Michigan for those who enjoy German festivals and cornhole tournaments at the same time. (I’ve never played cornhole in lederhosen…)

For all the Ohio natives like myself, the Cornhole Tournament at Lunken Beerfest looks like a lot of fun. (The entry free includes two beer tickets. What more does a Cincinnatian need? And knowing Cincinnati, you could probably get away with wearing lederhosen at this one too.) If you’re in the area but cannot make it up to Cincinnati or would rather play for charity, there is a tournament nearby in Kentucky the same weekend.

If you’re on the fence about participating in a cornhole tournament this summer, check out this article about the winners of a tournament in Oregon. Cornhole tournaments are full of intensity, excitement, and you could walk away with a pocketful of cash. It’s a great way to meet new people, have a little friendly competition, or just spend some time with your family and friends too.

For those of you who are new to our Facebook and blog, check out our cornhole bags, weatherproof bags, boards, and accessories while you’re here. And we’re still offering a 20% discount to customers who leave us a product review. 

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* Make sure you share the page directly from our Facebook page as we are not notified if you re-share someone else’s post.

** A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message on June 30th, 2014. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook. Please note the winner will be notified through an eCornhole.com employee’s personal account as we cannot initiate private messages through the company’s page.

Ryan Whetstone was born and raised in the Cincinnati area. With his background and degree in electrical and computer engineering, he spends his days as a web developer, owning and operating a car wash, and hanging out with his wife and two kids.

Ryan was introduced to the game of cornhole in 2000. After enjoying the game, he went back to his dad’s shop, where he had grown up making cabinets and other wood products, and built himself a set of cornhole boards. After building a few sets for family members and friends, Ryan decided he should try starting a company that sells cornhole products, and between 2001 and 2002, he founded Whetstone Products, LLC. Through the years, as cornhole’s popularity has spread through Cincinnati, the Midwest, and the nation, the business has evolved into eCornhole.com. Here at eCornhole.com, we work to keep up with the trends, use the sturdiest and most efficient materials, and provide you with top quality cornhole bags. (And don’t forget, we’re selling premium cornhole boards again!)

As a business-savvy family man, Ryan has strived to keep eCornhole.com as family operated as possible. With his mother-in-law in charge of all sewing and bag operations, his aunt managing inventory and shipping, his step-father-in-law behind the heavy lifting (and some sewing), and his mother, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, cousin, and close family friend all handling various stages of the bag production, I would say he has done a pretty phenomenal job. We can’t even have a family get-together without talking business!

Our Facebook contest ends June 10th, so don’t forget to like our Facebook page for a chance to win a free set of cornhole bags! One (1) winner* will be randomly drawn and notified via Facebook on June 10th, 2014. And we’re still offering a 20% discount to customers who leave us a product review.

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*A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook.

Notice anything different? eCornhole.com is selling cornhole boards again! After a few years of focusing solely on cornhole bags and accessories, we have re-introduced premium cornhole boards to our website.

Our new boards are handcrafted with the quality and care you would expect from an experienced carpenter or fine cabinet maker. The boards that are currently available on our website are made from dependable birch plywood inlaid into a beautiful solid pine frame. With collapsible back legs that fold in when you’re not busy playing, these boards are easy to store and perfect for travel. Each board is carefully measured to 48 x 24 x 3 (when collapsed) and are built under the American Cornhole Association’s standards and guidelines. These top-quality cornhole boards are available with or without bags.

Within a month, we will also have a second board option available. This second option will be solidly built with 2x3s to withstand heavy play. We are excited to introduce a second board option to our customers so you can find the set of boards that best fits your needs, so keep an eye out for a Facebook announcement when these boards become available.

And of course, as eCornhole.com has been family owned and operated since 2001, we’ve kept the construction of these boards within the family. Our very own heavy lifter, fabric cutter, family lover extraordinaire has spent the past few summers focusing on finding the best and most affordable materials and design to offer eCornhole.com’s loyal customers. The mastermind behind our new boards is an experienced carpenter and contractor, and he will continue putting the care and consideration into each individual handmade board he has been putting into his carpentry for decades.

And just in case you’re not ready to purchase your own set of boards, you need a few extra boards for a family party, or you’re hosting a tournament and don’t have enough boards available, we still offer our tried-and-true cornhole rentals. These rental boards are our original collapsible boards and are only available for local pick-up.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook for an opportunity to win a free set of cornhole bags! One (1) winner* will be randomly drawn and notified via Facebook on June 10th, 2014. And we’re still offering a 20% discount to customers who leave us a product review. Just check out this link for details.

 

*A random winner will be selected and notified via Facebook private message. The winner must acknowledge receipt of this message within 48 hours. After receipt confirmation, eCornhole.com will coordinate color choice and shipping with the winner, as well as acknowledge the winner on our Twitter and Facebook.