It’s a familiar backstory for many people who have become avid cornhole players. Pete Mann was at an outdoors party several years ago when the bean bags and cornhole board came out.
Until then, Mann had never played cornhole but he quickly caught on and began competing regularly, both recreationally and in tournaments. Before long, he was traveling for out-of-town competitions and American Cornhole League events.
“At the beginning, I was like, ‘I used to play horseshoes, so I’ll give this a try.’ Once I started to throw the cornhole bags, that was it, I was hooked,” said Mann, a South Buffalo native who works as a corrections officer.
What has so many people playing cornhole is that it’s fun, accessible and competitive but at the same time, it could be played by almost anyone. And it is not just being played in backyards at parties anymore.
It’s also becoming a growing leisure business. Bars and halls are catering to it as a way to bring people in and make some extra money, much in the same way that they host softball teams or volleyball leagues.
Clubs and leagues play at many bars like Nickel City Brewz in Lancaster, which hosts Sunday tournaments; and KO Bar & Grill, which offers weekday play; and even Moose and Elk lodges, VFWs and American Legions are getting into the action, renting out space for play.
Cornhole is one of the most rapidly growing sports in the U.S. It is a game in which small bags filled with dried corn are tossed at a target consisting of an inclined wooden platform with a hole at one end. Bags that make it into the hole are worth three points, while bags on the board are good for one point.
Locally, clubs and establishments are capitalizing on the sport’s popularity by starting leagues and offering membership opportunities to players throughout Western New York. There are local tournaments and places to play virtually every night of the week.
“There’s opportunities to play all the time, whether…
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