Ryan Dubeau, left, watches Michael Ryan throw during the weekly Barrie Cornhole League tournament at the Lion’s Gate banquet hall.

It is Wednesday night at the Lion’s Gate banquet hall in Barrie, Ont., an hour north of Toronto. A Toronto Blue Jays playoff game is on the big screen, but Michael Ryan is focused on the task before him: getting a beanbag through the hole in a tilted board exactly 27 feet away.

He grips one of his Viper-brand beanbags, draws his arm back, plants his foot and throws, putting a slight spin on the bag to guide its trajectory. It lands on the board with a satisfying thump, slides forward and disappears – plop – through the hole. “Nice bag, Mike,” says a competitor.

For most Canadians, cornhole is a casual summer game best played in the backyard with a cold beer.

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