ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ7) Whatever you call this bean-bag tossing game — cornhole or bags — it’s moved beyond it’s humble start at backyard barbeques and tailgating parties.
A tournament group meets at Soaring Ridge Wednesdays, and the guy at the mic is Toby Smith, currently one of the country’s top-ranked players.
“I’ve seen a lot of cities that I would never have seen otherwise just to throw a beanbag,” Smith.
Cornhole’s got a competition component, with $30k on the line at the American Cornhole Organization’s World Championship. Smith heads to the main event Thursday with partner Steve Wimmer, up against hundreds of other teams.
“[I’m] hoping to win the whole thing,” Smith said. “We’re going in as the number six seed, so why not? Our chances are as good as anybody’s.”
Wimmer acknowledges that the sport, for which he’s collected twenty sets of throwing bags, is a hot topic with his wife, but he jokes about making it more than a hobby.
“We’re looking for sponsors,” Wimmer said. “Will take any sponsorship… feminine products, car rentals, anything. We’ll wear pink shirts, yellow, zebra stripes, whatever. We’re waiting for offers.”
Smith said friends and family were largely supportive of their passion project, with a little hesitation at the beginning.
“We got a couple funny looks when we said we wanted to take it on the road, but it’s working out,” Smith said.
Smith says he’d like to come back to the Wednesday night group with a trophy, and he knows his fellow players will be following their progress.
For more information, visit the Star City Cornhole Facebook page.