What’s in a Name? Understanding Ultra’s Naming Structure
Among cornhole enthusiasts, a couple questions always arise: “Why are all Ultra bags named Viper?” or “What do the letters in Ultra’s naming conventions mean?” This article breaks down Ultra naming structure to help players understand the what it means and how to find the right bag for you.
Currently, there are nine approved Viper models, excluding the retired Viper-C. Why so many variations? At Ultra, our 19 ACL Pro model bags are grouped by series, each sharing the same fast side. This leads to multiple Vipers—every bag within the series shares the Viper fast side. The same logic applies to other series like Psycho, Butter, Freak, Myth, Widow, and MK, with each featuring unique fast-side materials. For instance, Butter and Butter-fly have the same fast side but differ on the slow side. When selecting a bag, players should consider the series and choose the specific model based on the slow side and variations in fill or templates.
This parallels shopping for a car; you might want an F-150 but prefer the XLT with a SuperCrew cab, limiting your options to specific features. This method isn’t exclusive to Ultra; brands like BMW use a combination of numbers and letters to define their models, simplifying the process of distinguishing among various options.
What Does This Mean for Ultra?
Our most popular series is the Viper. Launched in September 2019, the Viper transformed the cornhole scene with its exceptional speed and hole-friendliness, alongside a more compact design than others at the time. The carefully balanced fill, made of flat disk pellets, and an expertly crafted closing seam set the Viper apart. Variants emerged, starting with Viper-C for “Control,” which added control dots to the slow side. Instead of creating a new bag, we designated it with a letter to signal the specific variation of the Viper. This gave rise to models like Viper-B, Viper-R, Viper-X, and Viper-Z, with the latest addition, Viper-α. Each change in the slow side material resulting in a new letter for easier identification of which Viper, Widow, or Freak players are using or considering.
Current Bag Series Offered by Ultra:
Over the years, we have seen other series like Cobras, Raptors, OGs, Synergys, Regulators, Mayhems, and Looseys, resulting in a broad range of materials.
Understanding the Letters:
Ultra uses letters to denote differences in slow-side materials, dating back to the “X” designation for reverse suede. When bags like Cobra, Vapor, or Raptor had suede slow sides, we needed to identify versions that used the faster reverse suede while retaining the same fast sides. This led to Cobra-X, Vapor-X, and Raptor-X. Over time, letter meanings have evolved. Initially, letters B and R referred to “Block,” “Roll,” and And C for “Control,” but customers began associating them primarily with slow-side material differentiation.
Currently, our letters indicate specific slow-side materials:
- R: Identifies bags with popular hybrid carpet.
- B: Refers to a sticky slow-side material that retains some speed if the bag isn’t flat.
- X: Primarily indicates herringbone, but also applies to the linen style on Psycho-X.
- Z: Denotes hybrid-herringbone carpet.
- α: The Greek letter Alpha represents bags with a new slower hybrid carpet.
Note: The C designation is no longer in use.
Dual Letter Designations:
What do XS, RV, and RS represent? These combinations signal further variants. For example, Viper-RS indicates a Viper-R with a “small” template, while Viper-RV has a mid-sized template. These two-letter designations typically denote template size differences. When we create a new bag at Ultra, it often features two new fabrics to the line. For instance, Butter could have been Butter-B, as it was the first to use that slow-side material but never received a designation. Similarly, Myth launched with a new fast side and was the first Ultra bag to feature the slower hybrid carpet we now refer to as “Alpha.” It could easily have been labeled Myth-α.
While our naming system isn’t perfect—earlier versions like Viper-B originally had Psycho’s fast side—we continue to improve and fine tune it. Sure we could assign random names to every bag and then try and communicate that those bags use these tow fabrics plus all the other differences. This way, we can start with something and build from there. The key takeaway is that an Ultra Bag starts with a name based on its fast side, with letters added as variations in slow side and templates emerge. This naming structure provides some clarity for a complex bag lineup.
