By Steffen Klenk
Last weekend, one South Jersey venue put a spotlight on the ever-growing sport of cornhole, as some of the top players in the nation competed for points and bragging rights. The American Cornhole League (ACL) brought its Pro Cornhole Mania to Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City. The full weekend of competition was highlighted by a tournament airing on national TV.
The American Cornhole League is dedicated to promoting and developing the sport for fans of all ages. The league was founded in 2015 as a grassroots movement, touring the country, hosting professional, collegiate and amateur tournaments. At the end of the tourney, prizes are awarded to the top singles players and teams.
On a college level, ACL has been working to grow and establish cornhole as a club or recreational sport at various campuses, with scholarship money being awarded to winner’s recreational club. They support the sport by creating and managing special events, aid in development of outside competition, development of equipment and education on how to develop the sport for growth and sponsorship.
Players from across the country and around the world were in attendance for this weekend’s action. Danny Seals, also known as “Dangerous Dan”, made his way to South Jersey from Southern Indiana. Dangerous Dan says he took interest in the sport while tailgating at Kentucky Motor Speedway. “Some people next to us pulled out these boards, started throwing bags.” Shortly thereafter, he began talking with a friend who formed a league. “I ended up playing in the league; after that I was hooked.”
Cornhole is a widely popular outdoor game played at all ages and skill levels. While the exact origins of the game can be traced back centuries, it has attracted much popularity in the last ten years, and has quickly become a growing sport, with various one-on-one matches and tournaments aired on national TV.
For those who have never played cornhole, game play is simple. First, you will need eight 6×6” beanbags made from quality materials and a set of cornhole boards, with a regulation size of 4 x 2 feet, and you are ready to play. Keeping score is a breeze. Each beanbag that rests on the board is worth 1 point. If the beanbag enters the circular hole, add 3 points. The team with the most points at the end of a round will earn two points. Points that are scored by your opponent during each turn cancels yours out. The first team to score 21 points wins. Whether you are at the beach, your backyard, or at a campsite, the game can be played on any surface.
Like most sports, cornhole has its own terms to describe plays used by fans, players and commentators. If a player tosses a bag into the hole without touching the board, it is described as Air Mail. A Four Bagger is when a single player gets all four bags into the hole during a single round. If a bag hits the ground prior to “rolling” onto the board, commentators refer to the move as a Dirty Roll Up, and no points are allocated. If you end up throwing the bag short of the board, you have yourself a Sally.
To keep up with its growing popularity, a group of individuals opened a facility in Somers Point dedicated to growing the sport; they provide amateur and professional players a venue to host one-on-one matches. Last year, Cornhole Craze became the first and only facility dedicated to the game in the state of New Jersey. The facility quickly attracted new patrons, with ten courts where anyone could try their hand at the game, from the most casual and avid player to professionals.
Since opening, Cornhole Craze has attracted the attention of local businesses such as New Jersey Golden Tee, a statewide arcade game and virtual golf tournament. On February 1st, the facility moved from its original location, in the Somers Point Plaza, slated to re-open soon at 23 Mays Landing Road in Somers Point.
Meanwhile, inside the Bourbon Room at Showboat Hotel, Cornhole Mania was highlighted as its main event, televised throughout the country on ESPN. The atmosphere in the room was electric as the top pros went head-to-head. Jamie Graham and Matt Guy took down Mark Richards and Philip Lopez in the pro doubles final, while Matthew Creekkiller defeated Alex Rawls in the singles match. Mike “The Situation” Sorrento and Jacob Trzcienski won their prelim match to advance in the Super Hole III tournament.
As the ACL national tournament continues its journey through the country, passionate fans can follow the action at the ACL’s official website, http://www.iplaycornhole.com. Matches are regularly televised on ESPN and CBS, with additional content available on ACL Cornhole TV, the league’s newly launched 24-hour streaming TV channel. Fans can also download the ACL Digital Network for additional content through connected TVs.
Steffen Klenk is a multimedia journalist. He resides in Ocean City and enjoys capturing the eclectic moments of shore life.
