First annual cornhole tournament a success at Riverside Park

Robert Parot and Troy Rosin knew the key to capturing the first ever 44-team Cornhole Tournament championship Saturday afternoon at Riverside Park was confidence.

At the Cornhole event, there were 44 teams and nearly 16 sponsors, making the first annual event an overwhelming success.

Parot, an avid cornhole player, said the confidence he and his teammate Rosin displayed allowed them to carry themselves through the tournament.

Parot, who won his second consecutive tournament with his first at Allentown a few weeks before capturing this tournament, was pleased with how his team responded.

“When we showed up, I was kind of cocky, and I am sure that is how everyone felt entering the tournament,” Parot said. “I won my first tournament last Tuesday for $300.”

The key to capturing the last few tournaments was getting an adequate amount of rest, Parot said after and he and his teammate won the championship.

“I usually just play in the summer for four or five days, and that is it,” Parot said. “I have to make sure I sit down when I can and give my feet a rest after every game.”

Parot’s teammate Troy Rosin plays more often.

“Whenever we have family or friends get together and eat, that is about the only time I play,” Rosin said. “I can say I’ve been playing most of my life. There were some great players here today, and I was sweating a few games and a few matches.”

Rosin said he felt the key to the team’s success was to be able to relax as the intensity got amplified.

“We just tried to relax and stay calm, and I know it helps me,” Rosin said. “You just tried not to get overly excited, and just take a deep breath and throw.”

Rosin said to win the tournament was a thrill.

“It’s amazing, and I couldn’t have had a better partner in a winner-takes-all event,” Rosin said. “There were 44 other teams that participated in the Cornhole Tournament that were just as good.”

Parot said he enjoyed competing with all of the other competitors on the team.

“We had a lot of good teams and there was a lot of good sportsmen,” Parot said. “It was great because there were no tantrums, and everyone was encouraging everyone, and that was just awesome. I couldn’t have asked for a better tournament.”

Daisy Walsh, the PR and event manager for Riverside Recreation, said she was pleased with the turnout of the first event.

“There was a lot of positive feedback at this event, and there was initially a lot of local businesses interested and everyone was excited about it being in Polson,” Walsh said. “This event gave a lot of people something to do.”