The KanJam World Championships will again be held in the same place the lawn game itself was created: Western New York.

From 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Gratwick Picnic Grounds in North Tonawanda, over 150 two-person teams will compete to crown a KanJam world champion. According to the release, teams will travel from all over the United States to participate, including competitors from Pennsylvania, Michigan, North and South Carolina, Massachusetts and several other states.

Registration has closed, but the event is free for spectators to attend. The KanJam Championships are drug and alcohol free, and the proceeds benefit the Women’s & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo’s new resource center and the North Tonawanda Police Athletic League. 

Playing single-elimination games to 21, these teams will vie for the most efficient combination of dingers (one point), deuces (two points), buckets (three points) and instant wins to advance to the final, scheduled for roughly 6 p.m.

The Rebel Survivors, a team of Eric and Dan Klavoon, have won the last three years, as they approach the legend-status of four-time champion Dorkus Malorkus (Bob and Josh Greenauer) and five-time winner Rochester Killer Bees (Kevin Shaffer and Scott Punter). Will a newcomer halt the Rebel Survivors’ streak?

Judging from the 2011-12 KanJam league results, however, it appears that Eric Klavoon remains the player to beat, although both Bob and Joshua Greenauer were nestled just behind him in the standings. Also on the list? The Buffalo Hunters’ TJ Burns.

The game of KanJam was created in the mid-‘90s in Buffalo by Charles Schiandra and Mitch Rubin—go here to learn the complete story of how KanJam became a staple lawn game. The full KanJam rules, including official scoring and common misconceptions about the game, can be found here. 

(Header photo courtesy of Flickr / waitscm)