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LEGACY IN ACTION. The world premiere of Kings of Kubb \u2013 a documentary by Fireside Productions, LLC \u2013 will be held on April 30 at The Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire. Over countless interviews and long days playing the yard game, area filmmakers BJ Hollars and Steve Dayton spotlight players, volunteers, family, friends who sustain the \u201clifestyle\u201d which connects the community, on and off the pitch. (Kings of Kubb still via Fireside Productions, LLC)<\/p>\n
The Chippewa Valley is just days away from the world premiere<\/a> of Kings of Kubb, slated for April 30 at the Pablo Center at the Confluence (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire).\u00a0<\/p>\n This documentary, a product of local co-filmmakers BJ Hollars and Steve Dayton of Fireside Productions, LLC<\/a> \u2013 with the help of area sponsors and the U.S. National Kubb Championship \u2013 meticulously tells the stories of the game (or sport, depending on who you ask) and the dedicated community which brings it to life.<\/p>\n Kubb, as Hollars, Dayton and players will tell you, has long been a popular lawn game which combines strategy and agility. Played in teams or one-on-one, the goal is to knock over wooden blocks (the \u201ckubbs\u201d) and finally the king, using throwing batons.<\/p>\n Yet, the leisurely \u2013 or competitive \u2013 activity offers more than just a simple pastime on a bright summer day; it\u2019s far more than \u201cthrowing sticks at blocks.\u201d The upcoming film premiere will transport local audiences into the heart of the world\u2019s kubb capital \u2013 right here in Eau Claire \u2013 and celebrate the intersectional community which supports the game all year round.<\/p>\n Over countless interviews and long days capturing the 2024 national championship and beyond, Hollars and Dayton spotlight players, volunteers, family, friends and, of course, the spectators.<\/p>\n We caught up with the two Chippewa Valley filmmakers, who offer us an insider\u2019s look at Kings of Kubb and reflections on the \u201clifestyle\u201d which connects our community, on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n Tickets to the world premiere of Kings of Kubb ($10\/person) are available to purchase at pablocenter.org\/events<\/a>. The April 30 event will feature the debut screening, kubb demonstrations from area players, a live Q&A with stars and filmmakers and more. <\/p>\n Don’t miss the after party for the documentary, to be held at The Brewing Projekt (1807 N Oxford Ave., Eau Claire).<\/p>\n V1: Tell us more about how Kings of Kubb will complement the existing stories and video work produced through Fireside Productions, LLC?<\/p>\n BJ HOLLARS: Kings of Kubb seemed like the ideal story for Fireside Productions. It\u2019s a local story with a worldwide reach.\u00a0 When we think about what makes Eau Claire unique, it\u2019s hard to overlook that we\u2019re the Kubb Capital of North America.\u00a0 Not only that, but we\u2019re the epicenter of some of the most talented kubb players anywhere.<\/p>\n We were so humbled when When Rubber Hit The Road<\/a> received an Upper Midwest Emmy<\/a> and now, we hope an even more contemporary Eau Claire story can make the same splash.<\/p>\n STEVE DAYTON: This is more than a story about kubb. It\u2019s about the power of what can happen when Eau Clairians come together in common cause. For twenty years, Eric Anderson has been hustling to build a community centered around a sport few people in America had ever heard of. Now, the national tournament he hosts right here in Eau Claire sets new participation records year after year.\u00a0<\/p>\n V1: Were there any key lessons learned during the filming of this documentary that might surprise our local viewers?<\/p>\n DAYTON: What most people don\u2019t understand about documentary filmmaking is that so much of our work happens when the cameras aren\u2019t rolling. BJ and I spent nearly two years connecting with the kubb community in both Wisconsin and Minnesota.\u00a0 Those connections are what led to the film\u2019s most poignant and emotional moments.<\/p>\n HOLLARS: While the film follows four elite \u201ckings\u201d of kubb (Gregg Jochimsen and John Ellingsen of Eau Claire; John Oman and Trevor Bailey of Chaska, Minnesota), we don\u2019t overlook the many queens of kubb who are also performing at the highest level. Kubb is an accessible sport that equalizes the playing field. It doesn\u2019t matter how fast you run a mile or how many push-ups you can do. If you can throw a baton and hit a kubb with consistency, you could become one of the best players anywhere.<\/p>\n V1: In what ways do kubb\u2019s accessible elements (which do not rely on speed or physical strength) equalize differences based on physical ability, age, or preconceived expectations in sports?<\/p>\n HOLLARS: So many \u201cmainstream\u201d sports (baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, etc.) seem to rely on a very specific physical skill set. These sports require strength, speed and agility, among other elements that simply don\u2019t translate to everyone \u2013 ourselves included.<\/p>\n What we love about kubb is that you don\u2019t have to be the strongest, fastest, or most agile to excel. You don\u2019t have to be a certain age or gender to win it all. In the 2024 U.S. Kubb National Championship, we watched a 103-year-old woman toss the first baton in her match. That same year, a female player was on a team that reached the final four cage match.<\/p>\n \u201cKubb is an accessible sport that equalizes the playing field,\u201d the filmmakers said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how fast you run a mile or how many push-ups you can do. If you can throw a baton and hit a kubb with consistency, you could become one of the best players anywhere.\u201d (Kings of Kubb still via Fireside Productions, LLC)<\/p>\n “It\u2019s hard not to love people who care so deeply about each other and the sport that drew them together.”<\/p>\n BJ HOLLARS<\/p>\n FILMMAKER OF KINGS OF KUB, FIRESIDE PRODUCTIONS<\/p>\n V1: How might the film explore the intersection of gender and competitive performance, given the mention of many “queens” of kubb alongside the male “kings”?<\/p>\n HOLLARS: While it\u2019s true that male players have historically taken the top spots at the U.S. National Kubb Championship, it\u2019s only a matter of time before the \u201ckings\u201d are toppled by the \u201cqueens.\u201d Female players have grown increasingly drawn to the sport. In the Eau Claire Kubb League, over 40% of all teams have female players and that number is on the rise.<\/p>\n But perhaps the best indication that the future of kubb may well be female is linked to the kubb in the schools program, which introduces the game to all students at a young age. These days, young girls and boys are growing up with the sport. As a result, we\u2019ve witnessed more girls playing in the Kid Kubb tournament, which translates into more women playing in the U.S. National Kubb Tournament.<\/p>\n The film makes space for the many female players and board members who are paving the way to bring even more women into the game. We dream of a Queens of Kubb follow-up film.\u00a0<\/p>\n V1: If you had to determine what might be that “common cause” imparted onto kubb players \u2013 whether it’s their first or hundredth time playing the sport \u2013 what might that be?<\/p>\n HOLLARS: Kubb players like to say that kubb \u201cunites people and creates peace on earth.\u201d That\u2019s a pretty lofty phrase.\u00a0 But over the course of two years, we\u2019ve witnessed versions of this represented both on and off the pitch.<\/p>\n Having watched hundreds of hours of kubb \u2013 from the national championship to the local kubb league, to folk(s) playing in the park \u2013 what strikes me most is the kubb community\u2019s deep commitment to spread the game. I was first introduced to kubb one night in Owen Park (of Eau Claire) a decade ago. I was there for music, but some person I\u2019d never met lured me into a game of kubb. I\u2019ve found that hundreds of others have found their way to kubb through a friendly introduction from a stranger.<\/p>\n Sure, the documentary\u2019s about kubb, but what most folks don\u2019t realize is that kubb is so much more than a game or a sport. It\u2019s a lifestyle. It\u2019s a philosophy. And its many social elements offer opportunities for people to connect through competition.<\/p>\n Steve and I have watched this film a hundred times and there are moments when we still get teary-eyed. It\u2019s hard not to love people who care so deeply about each other and the sport that drew them together.<\/p>\n BJ Hollars (left) and Steve Dayton (right), pictured together in the RCU Theater \u2013 where Kings of Kubb will premiere \u2013 at the Pablo Center in downtown Eau Claire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LEGACY IN ACTION. 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