Like many people, I’ve always enjoyed connecting with others through a good game. Whether it was sports growing up, drinking games like beer pong and flippy cup in college, golf, bean bags, and euchre in my late twenties—if it involved a little competition and a lot of fun, I was all in.

Most summer weekends in the Midwest were spent at the lake, spending time in the sun and tying up at the sandbar with friends and family. The sandbar wasn’t just a place—it was a ritual. Boats anchored, music playing, and people laughing in knee-deep water, creating memories that felt like summer itself.

One lazy lake day, looking for something more to do at the sandbar, I raided the shed. I grabbed anything that might spark an idea: tubes, laundry baskets, ropes, anchors. After a quick pit stop at the hardware store, I cobbled together a surprisingly well fitting, rough prototype of what would eventually become Lakeball.

Inspired by my favorite elements from games I’ve loved—throwing; like in bags and beer pong, hand eye coordination and teamwork like in sports—Lakeball was born right there in the shallows. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fun. Really fun. We played for hours, laughing, competing, and pulling in more and more people from neighboring boats.

Over the years, the game evolved. The design became cleaner, the rules sharper. But the core never changed: Lakeball is all about bringing people together. It’s a game for all ages and skill levels, played in the place we all love most—the water.

Whether you’re a fierce competitor or just in it for the laughs, Lakeball is a game for the sandbar, the shoreline, or anywhere the sun meets the shallow water. It's more than a game—it's a celebration of summer, of connection, and of that simple joy you get when you throw something just right or your teammate makes a diving catch.