From Port Elgin to Team Canada: Meet Launa Smith

Six-Time National Cornhole Champion Launa Smith Brings the Game Home to Lakeshore

What started as a way to keep playing sports during COVID has taken Launa Smith from Port Elgin to competitions across Canada, the United States and Europe. Now she’s bringing her passion for cornhole home to Lakeshore Recreation.

A Lifelong Athlete Finds a New Game

Launa grew up in Port Elgin figure skating in the winter and playing baseball in the summer. She was still playing women’s fastball three nights a week when COVID shut sports down. Then, in the summer of 2021, a group of friends decided to give cornhole a try.

Two months later, Launa entered her first tournament in Barrie. She started winning, and, as Launa puts it, “the itch was on!”

From Beginner to Team Canada

Since then, Launa’s cornhole journey has been remarkable. She has made Team Canada twice, travelled to Croatia to compete with the Maple Leaf on her jersey, and became the first female to make the ACL, ACL Canada and Women’s Pro Tour in the same season. She’s also proud to be opening the Saugeen Shores SunSetters Club in the community where she grew up.

More Than a Backyard Game

Competitive cornhole is a long way from casually tossing a few bags at a backyard barbecue. There are four main shots to master — the slide, push, roll and airmail — and plenty of strategy behind when and how to use each one. Elite players aren’t simply hoping to hit the hole; they’re thinking about angles, blocks, positioning and what their opponent may do next.

Launa knows a thing or two about performing under pressure. At the Newfoundland Open this past June, she needed an airmail shot to stay alive against Deon Cuza. She made it, becoming the first female to advance to the Open Singles Finals.

Her description of that moment says everything about how competitive this sport can get: “It’s like the bottom of the 7th, bases are loaded, 2 outs and you have a full count against you.”

Anyone Can Play, Anyone Can Win

Here’s the best part: you don’t have to be Launa to play. One of the things she loves most about cornhole is how accessible it is. In her words, “Anyone can play, anyone can win!”

You don’t need to arrive with a partner. You don’t need your own bags. And you certainly don’t need to know what an airmail, roll or push shot is before you walk through the door. Launa admits that when she first started, she “couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.” Practice and consistency changed that.

Cornhole also brings together people of all ages and abilities. Beyond the competition, Launa loves the friendships that have become such a big part of the sport. As she travels from tournament to tournament, the people she’s trying to beat on the boards are often the same people she’s sharing road trips, flights and accommodations with afterward.

“The cornhole community has become a huge family community.” That’s exactly the atmosphere she wants to create here at home.

Now It’s Lakeshore’s Turn

Beginning Sunday, October 18, Launa will be running Sunday afternoon cornhole at Lakeshore Recreation.

Come early for the Learn to Play Cornhole Clinic at 1:00 PM, where Launa will start with the basics — rules, scoring and how to throw a flat bag — then introduce more skills as the weeks progress.

At 2:00 PM, the games begin and run until approximately 6:00 PM. Expect a fun, lively atmosphere with round-robin play, changing partners, a double-elimination bracket, door prizes, friendly competition and cash prizes for the top teams.

Beginners Welcome

Beginners aren’t just welcome — they’re encouraged. Come alone. Come with friends. Bring weekend company. Come watch first if you’re curious. The fall season is $15 drop-in, so there’s no long-term commitment, and bags and partners can be provided.

Why does Launa think you should give it a try? “You will meet so many people from the community, you WILL have fun, you WILL become frustrated and you WILL want to come back for more!” We have a feeling she’s right.

From a Port Elgin kid who loved sports to wearing the Maple Leaf on the international stage, Launa Smith is bringing everything she’s learned — and a whole lot of enthusiasm — back home. Now she’s ready to teach the rest of us.

Who’s ready to toss a few bags with a champion?

Come Throw With Us!

Sundays, beginning October 18

• 12:30 PM — Registration

• 1:00 PM — Learn to Play Clinic

• 2:00–6:00 PM — Cornhole Games

$15 drop-in

Beginners welcome • No partner required • Bags provided