I’m sure there are many of you that have spent this holiday period on your back lawn, drowning in blokes, yarning with your Uncle Greg, bowling serious heat at Nan’s chin and of course playing some Finska. The Finnish log throwing game has fast become a staple in outdoor gatherings, entertaining family and friends for hours whilst also causing a rift in some relationships.

Finska, or Mölkky, is made up of 12 numbered pins, where players stand approximately 4-5 metres away with a large pin of their own. Each player or team must knock down the numbered pins and score exactly 50, with the count moving back to 25 if you breakthrough. After each throw, the score is counted and the pins are stood up wherever they were hit to, with three consecutive misses resulting in a forfeit. Knocking down 1 pin will give you a score of the number marked on that pin, whereas knocking down multiple pins will score you the number of pins knocked down. If that makes no sense, DYOR.

Besides the ability to count, arm strength, conditioning, and aim, what separates the casual player from the elite are tactics. Do you throw horizontally or vertically? Do you go for a single pin or multiple? Do you try to score for yourself, or sabotage your opponents’ chances? One person who always seems to know the answer is the great Edward Simpson himself. The depths of skill and talent to make it to the top of the Finska heap is incredible, and after watching highlights from the 2018 World Championship Final between Finland and Estonia, my eyes were opened to what players are truly capable of.