Essential features of a Stockholm summer include fresh berries, bathing at Långholmen, and “Allsång på Skansen”, but what’s perhaps most noticeable about the season is the growing number of people partaking in summer games on seemingly every patch of grass across the city.
Summer games come in all shapes, some played in teams and others by competing individuals. A few have traditions that date back to Egyptian and Roman times, while others are recent additions and fusions of well-known games and sports. They do however share one thing in common: all go extremely well with a picnic or barbecue and a sip of an ice-cold beverage between rounds. So gather your playmates and let the game commence!
Minigolf
What it is: Minigolf emerged in America in the early 20th century and went through a boom in the 1920s. Sweden was one of the first countries in Europe to experience the sport when it was brought to the country in the 1930s. The Swedish Minigolf Federation (Svenska Bangolfförbundet)was founded in 1937 and is the oldest minigolf organization in the world. The National Swedish Championships in minigolf have been played yearly since 1939.
How to play: As the name indicates, it’s basically a shrunken version of standard golf, played on courses that usually feature all sorts of fun and wacky obstacles, making it feel more like a game than a sport.
Why it‘s fun: “Minigolf is a great summer sport which everyone can enjoy. No matter if you are five or 90 years old, you can still have a good time. It’s also possible to do it a little bit more as a competition if you want, and compete with your friends or your colleagues from work. You can play minigolf whenever you like, and even combine it with a picnic in the park.” -Jan Strandberg, Tantogårdens BGK
Try it yourself: There are several minigolf courses around Stockholm, but Tantogårdens Bangolfklubb at Södermalm is probably the best one. The club itself was started in 1950, and the course has hosted both Swedish and World Championships. Not to mention that Tantolunden couldn’t be more appealing as a summer location.
Croquet
What it is: Croquet took England by storm in the 1860s and was developed from similar lawn games (such as Pall Mall) dating as far back as the 16th century. The most memorable depiction of the game was probably Lewis Carrol’s surreal version in Alice in Wonderland, where it was ruthlessly played by the Queen of Hearts. There’s some truth to that image; the sport was indeed the pastime of the upper class, and one of the major attractions was the fact that it could be played by both sexes. The Swedish Croquet Federation (Svenska Krocketförbundet) was founded in 1985 and has organized the annual Swedish Championship ever since.
How to play: The course is laid out by sticking the metal hoops (or wickets) down at random. Each player then gets a coloured wooden ball and a mallet and the object is to go through the entire course by hitting your ball through all the hoops. Easy as that!
Why it‘s fun: “Croquet is a perfect game for the summer! It’s outdoors and it’s not too physically demanding so everyone can wear their party clothes playing it. Whenever we get thirsty or hungry we can just run inside for a drink or a snack.”
– Lill Lindqvist, Bar Spymlan
Try it yourself: Bar Spymlan in Humlegården has casual croquet tournaments on Saturdays starting around 17.00.
Boule/Petanque
What it is: Boule (also known as Petanque) originated in Provence in the south of France in the early 20th century, but the game form hails back to ancient Rome. Probably the most popular leisure pursuit in France, the game is played by almost third of the country’s population. The game belongs to the “boules” family and is closely related to bocce, boccia, lawn bowling, and kubb. The Swedish Boule Federation (Svenska Bouleförbundet) was founded in 1977 and is a member of both the European and International Boule Federations.
How to play: The goal of the game is to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally “piglet”) or jack, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces.
Why it‘s fun: “It’s a relaxed and social game that you can play with your friends over a glass of rosé wine. It’s not unusual for the winner to be the one you least expect.”
– Sandra Mellqvist, Boulebar
Try it yourself: Boule is more popular than ever and there’s no shortage of places in Stockholm you can play. Boulebar has been going strong for over a decade and has locations all over town, you can play outdoor boule at Rålambshovsparken and Djurgården and Boule & Berså at Danvikstull also has a great boule-playing atmosphere.
Kubb
What it is: This Swedish lawn game is rumoured to date back to the Viking age and hails from the island of Gotland. It became increasingly popular in the 1990s and has now gained international interest. An annual World Championship has been held on Gotland since 1995. In 2008, Kubbistan was formed and has since held an annual tournament in Stockholm.
How to play:The object of kubb is to knock over wooden blocks by throwing wooden sticks at them, and the ultimate goal is to knock the “king” over before the opponent does. There is a certain level of strategy that can be used by players, which has led fans to nickname the game “Viking chess.”Kubb can be played on a variety of surfaces and some games have been known to last for hours.
Why it‘s fun: “It’s a relaxed, but sometimes thrilling game. Everyone can play, no matter age, skill, gender or other circumstances. It’s easy to learn the rules, but hard to master. It’s a team sport and the dynamics and interactions within the team are a fun and interesting part of the game. It’s common for people to bring kubb for a picnic in the park or play it in your backyard at home with a barbeque.”
– Jens Haraldsson, Kubbistan
Try it yourself: In addition to croquet, you can also play kubb at Bar Spymlan in Humlegården on Saturdays starting around 17.00.
Brännboll
What it is: Brännboll has been played in Scandinavian schoolyards by probably every kid growing up in the region. The name is derived from the act of catching a player between two bases at the end of a batting round, leading to them being “burned” (bränd in Swedish). Despite being similar in nature to baseball, it has never been recognized as an official sport, but it still has a major amateur following. There is even a World Championship in Umeå, called Brännbollscupen, which has been held annually since the 1970s and is the largest brännboll tournament in the world.
How to play: In contrast to baseball and cricket, there is no pitcher/bowler, but the batsman himself throws the ball and hits it with the bat.Once the batsman successfully hits the ball, he drops the bat and makes his way around the four bases, while the players in the catching team catch and throw the ball back to the designated catcher positioned by the outing base (brännplatta).
Why it‘s fun: “Brännboll is a fun summer game to play because everyone can participate in it from a five-year-old child to your 70-year-old granny. The game is often played in a pretty relaxed form in connection with a picnic or barbeque. When brännboll is played in tournaments, one of the main reasons for participation is the matching and funny costumes which many teams wear for the fun of it.”
– Jukka Linna, Brännbollscupen participant
Try it yourself: There’s no organized playing as such in Stockholm, but there are a few teams that have connected via facebook (the group is called Stockholm Brännboll) and meet up on occasion in various parks across the city. Popular brännboll spots include Gärdet and Rålambshovsparken. Alla Vi i Stockholm has organized a brännboll tournament two years in a row and have a third one scheduled for next year. Better get practicing!
Dodgeball
What it is: If brännbolldominates the Scandinavian school gyms, dodgeball is definitely its American counterpart. But it has long since ceased to be just a kids’ sport and has emerged as a popular game to play in an informal setting. Stockholm Dodgeball Association was formed in 2008 and quickly became a media sensation.
How to play: Dodgeball is super simple to play. Balls are lined up on a central dividing line and the players rush towards them and commence throwing them at the opposing team. Hit someone and they’re out, but if your ball is caught by a member of the other team, you’re out!
Why it‘s fun: “Dodgeball is easy to learn and easy to play and it’s a fun sport to watch as well since it’s kind of spectacular. We started playing to have an excuse for hanging out and throw balls at each other, a good and fun kind of anger management.”
– Markus Persson, Stockholm Dodgeball Association
Try it yourself:Stockholm Dodgeball Association (see their facebook group of the same name) meets every Saturday at 14.00 at Dodgecage Sthlm, Björngårdsskolan (T: Mariatorget) and anyone can join. In fact, the team is currently recruiting new members to represent Sweden in the European Championship in August.
Ultimate Frisbee
What it is: In 1968, an eclectic group of high school students invented the game that would later be known as “Ultimate Frisbee” and be identified as a counterculture activity amongst the more radical thinking student population of the US.
Today the game has branched out to wide versions of the original form and one can now play Beach, Street, Ice, and Intense Ultimate. Stockholm Syndromes was established in 1973 and competes in all major championships.
How to play: Ultimate is a team sport which combines football and Frisbee. The object of the game is to score by catching a pass in the opponent’s end zone. A player must stop running while in possession of the disc, but may pass it to any of the other receivers on the field.
Why it‘s fun: “Ultimate is a great sport to play in the summer because it’s played outside, can be played anywhere, and all you need is a disc. It’s the perfect way to enjoy good weather, be social and still get a good workout. It’s also unique in that there are not only men’s and women’s divisions, but co-ed as well, which gives it a nice vibe and can be a cool sport for couples.” – Dani Cosme, Stockholm Syndromes
Try it yourself: Stockholm Syndromes has open practices on Sundays. Even Sundays they play at 13.00 at Märsta Kastplanen and on odd Sundays at 18.00 at Gubbängenfältet.
Disc Golf
What it is: The history of disc golf is closely tied to the history of the frisbee. The game started amongst American college students in the 1960s. The popularity of the sport has grown tremendously over recent years and the number of disc golf courses around the world has more than doubled in the past decade.
How to play: As the name suggests, the game is a fusion of golf and frisbee. The object is to go through the course while throwing your disc at a target in as few numbers of throws as possible.
Why it‘s fun: “Playing disc golf is a challenge in a beautiful landscape. Everyone can participate and play at their own speed and according to their abilities.”
– Mats Löf, Järva Discgolf Park
Try it yourself: As with minigolf, there are several courses in Stockholm, but Järva Discgolf Park is generally considered to be the best. If you want to play closer to town though there’s a smaller course in Tantolunden that has been known to produce some good times.
