Tribal youth secures a pro cornhole sponsorship

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal youth Bob Haller continues to make his presence known on the cornhole circuit, adding a professional sponsorship to his list of credentials.

After Bob, 14, walked away with a junior championship in the Oregon State Cornhole Championships this past summer at Spirit Mountain Casino, he began attracting the attention of some professional cornhole bag companies, his dad, Tribal Council member Matthew Haller said.

“Since then, he has continued to practice daily and he has had a good deal of improvement in his game strategy and shot skills,” he said. “He has had a couple inquires since then, but he had been holding off accepting any offers because he was undecided on who he wanted to throw for, and with him being on the kidney transplant list, he also didn’t know if he was going to be able to compete this season.”

However, after father and son went to Stovations Cornhole in Salem to purchase new bags, the company asked Matthew to consider a sponsorship offer for his son.

“He loves this company and their offer was generous and compelling,” he said. “I explained to the company about his medical concerns and how that might affect his season. They wanted to continue to sponsor him regardless. It includes things like multiple sets of custom bags, merch, etc. I went over the details with Bob and it didn’t take long for him to agree to the terms. He has signed on for one year to join Team Stovations…We couldn’t be more excited for Bob and his future in the sport of cornhole.”

What sweetened the deal is that some of Bob’s longtime cornhole idols are now on the same team as him.

“I (also) decided on this sponsorship because he (the owner) is nice and makes some of the best bags out there,” he said.

Bob’s hoping to be one of the youngest players to secure a professional spot in the American Cornhole League and his next tournament is Friday, Nov. 20, in Coquille.

In an earlier Smoke Signals article, Bob said that traveling around the state participating in cornhole tournaments is one of his joys in life, particularly since he has kidney disease, which often leaves him not feeling well. He is on the waiting list for a new kidney, with friends and family lined up to be evaluated, but that takes time. While he waits, he attends school online and participates in as many tournaments as he can.

He’s known as “Big Bob,” in cornhole circles.