Over 250 compete at Ontario Cornhole Association championships in Cornwall

Players tossed their bean bags over three days of competition at the Benson Centre in Cornwall.

Article content Toss away backyard bean bag memories from those childhood wonder years. This is codified cornhole — organized, official, and indoors this past weekend in Cornwall, where it was loads of fun for hundreds of participants from Winchester to Windsor at the Ontario Cornhole Association (OCA) 2026 provincial championships. “The sport has been around for quite a while and it’s really gaining popularity,” said OCA secretary treasurer Leanne Power during the event Saturday afternoon on ice-free Pad 3 at the Benson Centre.

There are 25 recreational leagues in Ontario and about 20 of them had representation at the Cornwall showdown that started Friday, and which included 94 participants in the fun social mixer that had all 72 cornhole boards lined up on the arena floor with two lanes in use at the same time. Earlier action was in the seniors, women’s, and juniors divisions. Saturday was the busiest day and it included 100 players in three different tiers of open doubles competition, and singles play was Sunday, with over 75 participants.

Modern bean bag toss was first documented in 1883, and similar games were played much longer ago by Indigenous tribes in North America who tossed small pouches filled with dried corn or beans. Modern-day cornhole is more formal, with players in team jerseys, a lot of sponsorship and vendor booths at big events, and yes, there’s a rule book — those inclined boards are always 27 feet apart. But at the activity’s core is fun and camaraderie, and at the Benson Centre music blared from the overhead speakers while the matches went on, and there was the Tri-County Construction-sponsored Winner’s Lounge area where the King’s Seat for high-achieving players had perks including water and Gatorade and one free drink ticket redeemable at the bar setup in the corner of the rink.

The OCA has been around for a handful of years, and host sites for previous provincials have included Orillia (2023), Cobourg (2024) and, last year, Georgina. Provincial participants qualified by competing in league nights and attending one local tournament or regional event; in Cornwall, the goal was to accumulate points for the nationals in Orillia next month. It’s those local clubs where cornhole cultivates, according to friends Adam Amisson and Maddy Shea, who teamed up again and finished a solid third in tier 1 doubles on Saturday.

They both started playing two years ago and became friends through the sport, instantly finding cornhole chemistry. “We went to compete one-time, and it well so we came back,” Amisson said.

“It just seemed to click.” They play regularly — meaning two or three times a week — in Northumberland County, where the local club has about 100 players, and in Newcastle, Ont. “Newcastle is the biggest club in Canada,” Amisson said.

“There are about 130 players a night ... that’s how you get better, you just play (regularly).” The provincial event was co-hosted between the North Dundas Cornhole League, the Kemptville Cornhole Club, the National Capital Baggers and Micro Organized (Mo) Events.