Video: Tero Ylioja / Yle

Batons made of birch ring as they collide at the Helsinki Mölkky Club’s meeting at the sand courts in Hakaniemi. The atmosphere is relaxed and international, as several languages can be heard.

Mölkky sales have increased steadily as the international community embraces the Finnish game. Mölkky Club member Sini Hakkarainen has a quick answer when she is asked why the lawn game has gained a foothold throughout the western world.

“You can play year round and you can practice by yourself or with a team,” she says.

Mölkky players use a plain wooden pin to try and knock over standing wooden pins of similar dimensions that are marked with numbers. Knocking over one pin scores the amount of points marked on the pin, but bowling over two or more pins only wins you the number of pins toppled. Pins that are leaning are not counted. The first player to reach exactly 50 points wins the game.

Over 200,000 Mölkky sets are sold in France each year and Frenchman Damien Landais is not surprised. He won the 2016 Finnish Mölkky Championship on June 11 in Saarijärvi, toppling his Finnish opponent Marko Lusi in the final, three games to zero.

“In France we love outdoor games because we have a long summer. Mölkky is a simple game that can be played with family and friends. It is easy to transport and ecological because it is made of wood. And everyone who plays is bound to score points,” he says.

Fans around the world

Mölkky players can now be found the world over - in France, Central Europe, Japan and Canada. The African country of Benin even has an active Mölkky club.

Amateurs like to play on the grass at their summer cabins or in the park. People that take their Mölkky seriously prefer a sandy court.

“The pins fly much farther on sand than in grass. It is another game entirely, actually,” says Hakkarainen.

Champion Landais says that while throwing technique is very important, it is also good to have a bit of luck on your side.

“Of course the game requires skill and self-confidence, especially when you have to make ‘sure shots’, but it’s good to have a little luck on your side in each game. Pins with the right numbers need to be free, and if they aren’t, you have to make them so. The rest is strategy,” he says.

The Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle’s reporter Juhani Kenttämaa took on the recent champion in a friendly Mölkky match, where it became clear that the difference between an amateur and master is indeed great.