Explore Future Technology: Spring Preparations

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Triple-A ball clubs are swinging, birds are starting to chirp in the mornings, and streams are flowing. Spring is in the air and cornhole builders all around the country are starting to dust off their tools and restock their lumber in preparation for what seems to be a big year in Cornhole.

Perhaps one can go so far as to say this will be a "make or break" year for builders across America to establish their brand – or simply get left behind. Participation in cornhole events should be on the climb this year in direct correlation to the increase of our population's general exposure to the game. There are more and more "cornhole blogs", websites and small associations sprouting up throughout this past winter. One such example is the blog you're reading now as well as the traffic increase over at The Cornhole Game Players' Forum. Something else to keep your eyes on is the Cornhole Players Association formed by top cornhole player Steve Venderver. CPA's intent is to 1) bring back the spark in Cornhole in already-flooded areas such as Ohio and more importantly 2) spread the popularity of the game outwards and from coast to coast to the other 99% of the population who still haven't been exposed to the game. They want to make sure everyone knows about the game. With all of this comes the demand for cornhole boards…and builders all around America are prepping for it.

Many northern builders take advantage of the winter months by taking care of things they don't have time to when the season is in full swing – repairing some things around the shop, obtaining new tools, creating new jigs, developing new building methods, implementing marketing strategies, etc. But many of the northern climate builders haven't had the down time they are used to in these cold winter months. This is probably due to the still -gaining popularity of the sport in the warmer southern states – or perhaps these builders are finally attaining the reputation and brand recognition that they've been fighting for. Whatever the case, Derrick Smash of derricksmash.com is a perfect example. Derrick says, "We're not saying that we're upset for staying busy throughout the winter months – but these southern-bound orders have left us without the 'slow winter' that we're used to having and therefore hadn't the time to complete the many tasks we had set for this upcoming spring. It's a double-edged sword. Derricksmash.com has higher keywords ranking in search engines down in the southeast states than we do in our own home town – Chicago! Additionally, Chicago Cornhole Rental is something we kicked out live a few months back with the intent to have a full working inventory before spring – we don't yet have it and it's already March! The website has already gotten a few dozen inquiries from potential clients and here we are referring them away because our inventory isn't quite there. The season isn't even here yet but here we are already playing catch-up with the custom orders. We know we'll be fine because with all the expanding we've done in the last 3 years, we're used to working under pressure. Growth is overwhelming. If we're not struggling to do what we do best, that means we've reached a plateau. We won't let that happen. If you're not growing, you're actually shrinking." But even with the overwhelming custom orders throughout these cold months, they've still managed to get a few tasks done over winter. "In addition to Chicago Cornhole Rental's creation, another plan that we did fulfill over winter was the full implementation of "weatherproof" cornhole bags. They're filled with recycled plastic and they still bear the one-year derricksmash.com warranty. They're already on the site and available for sale. And speaking of the site, keep your eyes peeled for the total redesign of derricksmash.com, which is going live in the next couple weeks!"

Other builders have been just fine over the winter months in regards to their planned preparations.

Clinton Bylo of Ripped Boards, seems to have everything underway. He, too, has implemented his rendition of "weatherproof" bags. "With 2011 underway, Ripped Boards has been gearing up for another great year. Too help keep customer costs down in an economy where many items are increasing, we have purchased wood, corn, resin and bag material in large bulk quantities. With our new line of Resin Bags ('Storm Bags') and our push to increase cornhole bag sales, we have pre-seamed over 4,000 cornhole bags allowing for small or large orders to be completed and shipped same day. Ripped Boards has also built new jigs, recalibrated saws and replaced all our saw blades to ensure our cuts don't damage a great looking board!" With their cornhole board sales already seeming to surpass last year's, Clinton finalizes his thoughts. "2011 is going to be a great year for us. Ripped Boards has taken many steps to help increase production, increase marketing and help keep the sport of Cornhole growing."

Another excellent example of a builder's use of slower downtime is TJ of Buckeye Gameboards out in Ohio."…the winter season is always slower, which is actually a very nice change after the busy season. We usually run ragged all the way up until Christmas Eve, so we enjoy the breaks while we can. We don't let the down time go to waste though. We have made major changes to BuckeyeGameboards.com – we have increased our bandwidth to accommodate a larger photo gallery, video gallery and expected traffic. We are also in the process of launching a new line of affordable tournament boards. They will be marketed as our "Gold Series" boards, and will be unpainted hardwood with clearcoat finish. We anticipate a price point around $150 with bags." And of course, TJ is yet another builder who has jumped onto the "weatherproof" style bags bandwagon. "We've introduced a new line of microfiber, synthetic fill tournament bags. They can be seen on the pro bags section of our website." All-in-all, Buckeye Gameboards is anticipating another very busy and successful year.

Now, derricksmash.com of Chicago, Ripped Boards in Michigan and Buckeye Gamesboards in Ohio all dealt with this brutal Midwest winter. They are all also envious of the builders in the South – the ones who don't really have a winter. But maybe they're wrong. Joe of Carolina Joe's says that in South Carolina, they "…had not 1 but 2 snowfalls". Us Midwest builders laugh, but according to Joe, "One of them shut the state down for a week making it hard to get materials and I had to for the first time crank up the heater in the shop while I worked." Well, Joe, us Midwestern builders aren't gonna 'console' with you on having to crank up the heater in the Carolina Joe's shop (derricksmash.com went through more than 1000lbs of propane in their shop this winter) – but we will console with you on the crappiness of not being able to buy materials for a week. But again, this down time gave Joe the ability to refine some of his procedures in building. "Overall this winter was a very productive experiment in board building and finishing. Carolina Joe's is a one man operation I can now build several sets in just one day…I believe that if you are a serious builder you should always take time to improve your methods and keep looking for better more efficient ways to create the best quality product possible for you customers."

Meanwhile, BagBoards.net down in the sunshine state of Florida spent all 'winter' doing what they do without having to deal with horrendously cold temperatures and snow. They are doing what they can to expose the sport in a state that has yet to be completely exposed to it. Joe Pertile says, "BagBoards.net and cornhole in general is slowly being introduced to more people and things are starting to look better for a state that pretty much lacks Cornhole. The game is getting bigger every day here and we hope we can introduce a product that is to the Highest Quality Standards and keep up with the predicted increase in the sport's popularity."

So, there's the pre-spring scoop on just a handful of builders around the country. There are hundreds of builders of custom Cornhole sets all over America and it's safe to say that they're all bracing for this upcoming year. If you're looking for a good cornhole set this year, just look around.

We'll end this article with a tidbit of advice from Derrick of derricksmash.com: "I really do think this will be a make or break year for serious builders to really establish their product and truly get their name out there in the mainstream. Keep up or get left behind…"

derricksmash.com and Burner Boards produced this set mid-winter!