Original Hobby's most popular product is our tournament-sized crokinole set, followed by our smaller casual-sized board. So naturally we're very interested in crokinole's popularity and in how it performs region to region and state to state. This data not only informs our sales and marketing but it also helps us connect with a greater community of crokinole enthusiasts. Our team analyzed our crokinole performance over 2018, and below are some of our findings!

The darker the blue, the more crokinole boards (per capita) were sent to residences in that state

In the US, crokinole is most popular in states that border Canada.

This discovery makes perfect sense, considering that crokinole originated in Canada 150 years ago, and Canada's largest cities are within 20 miles of the US border. Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Wisconsin are natural places for crokinole to spread first from Canada. Canadians who moved across the border brought their favorite pastime and introduced it to their new American neighbors. Crokinole crossed doorsteps and communities in Canada, so it follows that it would cross borders, as well.

Crokinole has a growing contingent in the West and South.

Pockets of the Midwest have caught the crokinole bug. Crokinole's presence is strong in both Utah and Oregon, and the Southwest has a higher than average interest in the game. However, it is not clear how crokinole expanded to these areas. Folks who move from the North or from Canada may take the game with them to these states, but then we would expect to see a similar interest in crokinole in other candidate states, such as California, Texas, or Florida. There may be other as-yet undiscovered reasons for the surge in crokinole's popularity in the West and South, and we look forward to researching this mystery further in the future.

Some insights will become clearer over time.

This data provides merely a historical snapshot of 2018. After this year, we will have access to even richer data on where crokinole finds its way. We suspect that crokinole will continue its movement toward the West and South and that its popularity will deepen in states it has leaped over. For example, we bet that crokinole's popularity will soar in Minnesota and Washington state.

Data is a better tool than gut feel.

Occasionally, orders will arrive in quick succession from a state, or maybe from the same region. When that happens, you may remember this evidence if it proves your existing hypotheses, or you may ignore it as a chance fluke and forget about it. If you take the long view and carefully examine the data, it's easier to make a dispassionate assessment. 

What do you think? Why is crokinole growing in popularity? Do you live in a state where you are surrounded by crokinole players, or are you a crokinole pioneer in your state? Let us know in the comments!