Once upon a time in the Ore Mountains or ante clava condita*
2018
Back in 2018, during a music festival, two vibrant boards with a single hole in each suddenly appeared. Alongside these boards were bags filled with corn. We exchanged puzzled glances. What were we supposed to do? Did the bags have to go into the holes? Our initial hesitation didn't last long, and our enthusiasm grew with each game.
One year before
But how did it all begin? Well, the story goes like this. Sometime in 2017, a shy young boy from Olbernhau, while visiting New York, crossed paths with Tom and Nannette. And one day, after an enthusiastic and thoroughly hydrated evening at the Plattdeutsche Biergarten, the whole group ended up at Tom and Nannette's home just around the corner. In Tom's backyard, there were these peculiar boards with holes in them. Since the young boy from Olbernhau didn't know the rules of the game, Tom gave him his first Cornhole lesson. From that moment on, he was hooked and decided to introduce Cornhole to the beautiful Ore Mountains in hopes of inspiring his friends there. Without giving away too much, he clearly succeeded.
2018 - 2021
After the festival back home, the first boards were constructed and the first corn-filled bags were sewed shut. Wolfgang even set up a highly professional production line to churn out board after board for those who lacked the technical know-how. He hired a skilled painter with an apprentice to add the finishing touches.
Many people from all over were involved with cutting, screwing and painting multiple cornhole boards.
During the process, some of the board designs were exceptionally creative. By the way, it all began in 2018 with those two boards in the middle.
No matter where we went or who we met, Cornhole was the game of choice.
2021
The pandemic made us innovative. After a seemingly endless summer with no festivals and limited opportunities to meet friends, we seized the brief respite from COVID-19 and organized our own festival - The Endless Cornhole Festival. This event also ignited the Cornhole passion in each of us.
Initially, our focus at the first tournament was on pure fun, partying, and reuniting with friends. The character of the tournament that took place in Wernsdorf the following fall had evolved significantly. By then, the name "World Matchplay" reflected the high standards we had set for our game.
Around the same time, we secured a training facility, putting an end to the dull, play-free winters of previous years. Our friends from Olbernhau were equally successful, and we regularly trained and held small, competitions within the cities.
2022
René from Nuremberg made his first visit during an unnamed tournament in Zwickau, marking the beginning of a wonderful friendship. From then on, we scheduled regular mutual visits to tournaments or just for practice, benefiting everyone involved.
For the second Endless Cornhole Festival, held once again in the Ore Mountains of Olbernhau, we welcomed a delegation of friends from Nuremberg for the first time. It was clear they had been training regularly, but that didn't mean we were without a chance. Occasionally, we showcased our own potential.
At the end of August, our friend Matthl got his first taste of international competition at the 1st ACL Europe Open in Rotterdam - an unforgettable experience.
Later in the fall, the second edition of the tournament took place in Wernsdorf. Besides our Nuremberg friends, participants from Lower Saxony, Hamburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia also joined us. Cornhole truly brings people together.
2023
In late May, we embarked on a 650-kilometer journey to Trier for the inaugural ACL German Open. The first day ended in a bang when Daniel claimed the title in the ACL Swap Event alongside his doubles partner, Thomas Schwarz. His spectacular throws in the final, broadcast via live stream even in the Cornhole homeland of the USA, dazzled viewers. Of course, the victory was celebrated in style. Thanks, Mario and Max! The remaining days were fantastic as well, even if we didn't secure another major victory.
This year, the third edition of the Endless Cornhole Festival was largely organized by our friends from KSV Delirium e.V. Olbernhau. It was part of the 8th Grünthal Summer, a series of events at the Olbernhau Saigerhütte, an integral part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Montanregion Erzgebirge" since 2019. On August 12th, 28 teams competed for the cup. The winning team comprised Michi (from Nuremberg) and Jan (from Olbernhau).
Photos 3rd Endless partially copyright by Frank Helmert
What delighted the organizers and us even more were the many players who participated in a Cornhole tournament for the first time. Some had never heard of the game, let alone held a bag in their hands. Nevertheless, they were highly motivated and displayed incredible ambition. A few budding talents emerged...
One exceptional mention goes to the Player of the Tournament award, which went to Sleven, better known by his alias "Bob" – our youngest Ore Mountains Cornhole member. Not only did he win the warm-up tournament on Friday alongside Matze, but as a single-doubles player in the main event on Saturday, he frequently left his opponents in despair and with shaky hands at the tender age of nine. In the end, he only had to concede defeat to two teams, namely the two eventual finalists.
For some time now, we've harbored the desire for our own club. We quickly settled on a name and logo. Now, we needed sharp-looking shirts for the team, which our main sponsor, Matze, presented to us during the 3rd Endless Cornhole Festival. And honestly, don't we look cool?
Naturally, we had to debut our new attire on the world stage right away. What better place than the ACL Europe Open in Paris! Without exaggeration, we were already among the world's best in terms of appearance, but we still had work to do in terms of play. Nevertheless, we brought home a small winner's trophy from Paris.
And here we are!
OreMountainsCornhole e.V.
The Team
l.t.r. David, Max, Thomas, Jonni, Hendrik, Matthl, Daniel, Sleven, Roman, Kerstin, Matze
Established 2023
*ante clava condita = before the club was founded
