Play area getting ready

Today the maintenance department of Fernandina Beach started preparing the play area for 45 courts. They have been very co-operative and I am extremely grateful for their support.
The area had a layer of anywhere between 1 and 4 inches of coarse limestone rock (#57). Although one can theoretically play on any surface, it would have been quite frustrating, especially for beginners. At first we thought of covering it up with finer stuff, but the cavities in between the 57 are such that hundreds of tons would have simply disappeared.
That left only one solution: scrape up the rock down to plain dirt. And then bring is crushed limestone.
Today was scraping day. With more than adequate equipment!

Vincent Canto 1959-2009

In 2007, I noted that multiple boules orders were going to the same area in Arizona. And I got in touch with Vincent Canto, the 'culprit' who replied:

"I am originally from Lyon, France. I moved to Jerome, AZ (350 people) in 84"s and we have a strong fan club of Petanque players. Our teams are ready to compete with any body out there. Any balls? Vincent"

We emailed back & forth a couple of times, and the last news I got was in March 2009:
"By the way. We are currently in Merida Mexico and found a huge club here that plays Petanque. We will continue to play and spread the word."

He and his wife Stephanie had hooked up with our friends in Yucatan!


But the happiness was short lived. In May, I heard from Bill in Jerome ...

Vincent Canto was born to a Spanish father and a French mother in Toulouse, France. He grew up in Lyon where he trained as a machinist and chef. His parents introduced him to petanque at an early age and became very skilled. At the age of 18 he started on quite a trek around the world speaking fluent in Spanish, French and English. First he spent two years in Mexico then England, Canada and Martinique. He arrived in Jerome, Arizona and spent the next 23 years, where he met and married Stephanie. Ultimately, they settled in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico where he died suddenly after playing petanque. He introduced petanque to countless friends in the places he lived.
The stronghold of players is in Jerome, Arizona where play begins on Saturday or Sunday or both each week at 2 p.m. Jerome sits on the side of a mountain, and petanque is played on the flattest part of town which is the old cemetery parking area. The 360 degree scenic view of the mountains, forest and the town are fantastic. It is common to play until dark. Now three generations play on a regular basis. He would look out his window towards the old cemetery and if a game was being played he would rush right over and play or officiate. Vincent was instrumental in starting petanque in central Arizona and we all miss him.

Stephanie went to France to meet his family - for the first time. A trip they had planned to do together.
Immediately the clubs both in Merida - where his brief presence had left a lasting impression - and Jerome decided to hold their next tournament in honor of Vincent.
Torneo Vincent Canto (on Youtube)

And the players in Jerome pledged to send a delegation to the Open: Bill & Manuela, Anthony & Cindy, Felix & Brenda, Ron, and Stephanie Canto herself.
We will welcome them with open arms, and we will use this opportunity to award the first...

Vincent Canto Award

to someone who - like Vincent -, in a quiet, friendly, unassuming yet unflagging fashion, has been promoting petanque in the USA.

I'd like to end this post on a humorous note. In an email some time ago, Ron expressed his concern about playing in Florida:
Since we live on a hillside in Jerome AZ, flat areas are as rare as hairs on a frog's ass. Playing in an open tournament in an area where you can't buy a hill sounds somewhat intriguing!

Tournament theme song

As we're getting closer, I want to make sure we do not forget about my pledge in January, that this song would be the theme song of the next tournament.
Rhythm, balls, ocean, friendly ambiance, good food and laughter:

Tournament logo & mascot

Here's the final version of the tournament logo.

Many, many thanks to Bradbury Mattes, who's flying in from West Chester, PA to participate in the tournament, but is also a fine artist.
After receiving his B. A. from Marlboro College, Vermont, he was classically trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Accomplished in many media, including figure sculpture, abstract metal sculpture, watercolor, collage and charcoal drawing, he has primarily focused on etching and oil painting in his current work. His recent exhibitions include Immaculata, Audubon, Squirrel Gallery, Sunset Hill Gallery, Historic Sugartown and many more.

He included two important symbols of Amelia Island, the lighthouse and the shrimp, who could be any age or sex ànd playful, akin to folks who like pétanque.

Now we had to came up with a name for the creature. Preferably genderless. Several suggestions came in. Two almost identical!
Dave Barry (who came in 2003 and 2005, but is very busy with his book tour right now) proposed "Crusty" (as in 'crustacean').
Around the same time Stan Russo (part of the Richmond VA delegation) came up with "Crusty Carreau" which adds a subtle French + pétanque touch.
A "carreau" is the perfect shot, when you knock out an opponent's ball ànd take its spot in the process.

Crusty Carreau is expecting y'all next week!

Thanks to all who submitted logos and name tips. This was the perfect example of a cooperative effort by people who have never met, but share the same passion.

Canadian champions coming!

Serious heavyweights are coming in from Canada:

Mario Latour was part of the Canadian national team in 2003 and this year again. Three times vice-champion in the shooting contest, plus a number of national awards.

Alain Brunette was Canadian champion in the 2009 shooting contest, part of Mario's national team in 2003, and with others in 2005 & 2008.

Mario and Alain will team up in Amelia Island.

Then there's also Pascal Héneault, Yves Chenette (who many know from his days in Chicago), and a series of top players we all know very well, because they often play in South Florida: Roger Arpaia w/ Claude Laulhé and Ben Gauthier w/ Claude Lopez.
Laurent Mirabeau from Ottawa is still looking for a partner but already has his ticket.
I hope I didn't forget anyone!

There is no doubt that there has never been a pétanque contest of this high a level in the history of pétanque in the USA.

Ladies at the Open

So pleased to note that 1 out of 4 players (around 40) will be ladies.
From Erin McTaggart who's flying in from Sonoma CA to Isabelle Rakotoarvielo, arriving from Madagascar.
Some have played the game all their life, like Gisèle Lich from Hopewell VA and Josse Krauer from San Francisco, who both grew up in France. Others, such as Shirley Jones from Lexington NC or Nancy Banks from Tallahassee FL picked it up in recent years, but are as 'gung ho' as anyone else.

Unfortunately we'll miss the US National Women's team that will defend our colors in Thailand that very same weekend. But we'll cheer them on from here!




Read FPUSA's summer newsletter: Women players in the USA

Traditionally in France, the guys play all day, and then go home for dinner. In the US, guys & gals play together, and then go out for dinner ;-)
But - as I posted in 2005 - things are changing!

Amelia Island weather in November

Several people have asked me what to expect in mid-November.
First off: we have a lot of balls in our warehouse, but none of them are crystal ;-)

This weekend was uncommonly chilly and dry, but so is the entire South.

Click on the image for historical averages. You can find more data here.

I think it is safe to say:
T-shirt & shorts should be OK during the day, but definitely have a sweater or jacket handy at all times. Being close to the waterfront, some breeze is a given.
At night and early morning: an extra layer.

PA Open registration closed

"That's all, folks!" - as Porky the Pig would say.
In this case it is ..... the shrimp (yet to be named) who says we have to call it a day.
80 teams (160 players) is a nice number, and manageable for a smooth 2-day tournament.
After a sudden surge in registrations, including several from Canada, we're closing the sign-up.

In recent days there's been a lot of interest from people in Amelia Island and surroundings. We will (a) make sure there's ample space for the public to play pick-up games around the tournament area, and (b) provide spots in the 'consolante' tournament on Sunday.

Who'd have thought so many people want to play pétanque in a nice place?

Who plays pétanque?

Earlier this year, I wrote about the eclectic mix of professions you encounter at pétanque games.

Looking at the list of players that are coming to the Open, one trade definitely sticks out: chefs. And not just any chefs!
Jacques Pépin, Michel Nischan, and Jean Banchet are some of the names that sounded extremely familiar. We're honored that they're taking time out from their busy schedule to join in.

Apart from the fact that gourmet food and France - the birthplace of pétanque - go hand in hand, what makes pétanque so appealing to them?

Suppose you have an hour to kill between lunch and dinner. That's not enough time to get to a tennis court or - even less so - to a golf course. Not even worth getting in your car to drive anywhere. But plenty of time to pick up a set of boules and play a couple rounds of pétanque with your colleagues in the backyard behind the kitchen.

The same goes for people in the movie industry, whose schedule often looks like gruyère cheese. They have to wait hours for the next shoot, but must to stay on location. A quick game of pétanque between the RV's does the trick.

In both cases, when duty calls, it is easy to stop the game after a round, just remember the score and pick it back up where you left off.

Except in the old days in France, when movie producers had to wait for the actors to finish their games...

Claudy Weibel coming to Florida!

If ever the saying "Friendship knows no borders" applied - it did this week.

Xavier Thibaud, who was at the Petanque America Open in Miami in 2005, and who won the New York Open this past weekend with teammate Jean-Pierre Subrenat, had been talking to his friend Claudy Weibel for a while. "Why don't you come and see what pétanque is like in the USA?"

They've known each other for almost twenty years, from the days Xavier was living in Brussels, Belgium, and have kept in touch ever since. Meanwhile Claudy was part of the Belgian winning team (World Championships in Faro, Portugal - 2000) and just this summer became European Champion in precision shooting in Nice, France.

And Claudy said - "Why not?". He has never visited the US and is one of those players who love the game for its friendly atmosphere just as much as for the merely competitive angle.

Will the Weibel / Thibaud team be a juggernaut at the Open? Not necessarily. Remember there is always a luck factor in petanque. A little stone here, an unexpected groove in the terrain there. And there are quite a few other teams that have made tremendous progress lately.
One thing is certain: players and the public alike will see live shots that most pétanque players can only witness on YouTube.

Here's one such example. A shooting competition in 2000 between Claudy Weibel (in the blue shirt) and Philippe Quintais (considered one of the top 3 players in the world). This was a side event where players must perform intricate individual shots, at increasing distances. Call it "Ringers on your own". Look at the slow motion replays.

We'll make sure Claudy has a great time in Amelia Island and gets to meet as many folks as possible. I hear he's also an expert at pool. Maybe we'll spot him at the Hammerhead as well!

Petanque at the Palace

Not any 'royal' Palace, but the Palace Saloon, Florida's oldest continuously operated 'drinking establishment' - since 1903.

It will be the locale for some of our get-togethers during the tournament weekend, and since it has a nice backyard we are setting up a play area right there. Enough for two games to go on at the same time and thus an ideal training place - from now till Nov 14 - for the Amelia Island teams!

How fitting: the Palace was "born" in 1903, the game of pétanque in 1907. Both close to the waterfront, in a fishing village.

PA Open Tournament Director

This year's tournament director will be Christophe Chambers.

Many of you already know him. A graphic designer by trade, former president and current member of La Boule New Yorkaise, he has been playing petanque seriously for more than 15 years, serving as the club's sports director, an FPUSA umpire, and also a member of the FPUSA sports committee.

An avid player and competitor, Christophe has played the game from coast to coast, traveling to regional and national tournaments. He has also been involved in organizing and directing tournaments for many years including 'Brooklyn Bastille Day' , and 'Coupe des Ameriques' tournaments. He is equally active in promoting the game to beginners, working with LBNY to create clinics for beginners in Bryant Park and being at the cradle of a new club in Austin TX - now known as the vibrant "HOT" Heart of Texas Petanque Club.

Pirate Team coming

Pirates are big in Fernandina Beach. And I don't mean their individual size but the fact that they are omnipresent goodwill ambassadors.

Yesterday, in honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day (an initiative promoted by none other than Dave Barry in 2002), they were out in force in downtown, entertaining kids and adults alike. Arrrrr!

Given their experience with cannonballs, we decided that at least one Pirate Team should participate in the Open.
Also, their arguments were quite convincing!

Team from Germany coming!

We already had two teams from St Barth (French Caribbean) - who won in NY in June - signed up, and now also a team from Germany.

Thanks to Bob's (Carolina Petanque) convincing advertising during his trip to Kassel, Mirko Klauß (Rumkugler, Kassel) and Ingo Kaiser (TC Bissendorf "Bissn'n Boule") have decided to fly in to see what pétanque is all about in the USA. And have a good time in the process!

Mirko (1st from left) and his friends proudly displayed Petanque America colors recently at the occasion of one of Germany's largest pétanque tournaments, "Holstentorturnier" in Lübeck.
512 teams, on 256 courts: from Germany, France, Holland, Madagascar, Tunisia, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Italy and more.



Holstentorturnier is one of around 30 meets on the impressive Grand Prix d'Allemagne circuit.
Germany is now the 5th largest pétanque country, after France, Thailand, Spain and Holland.
Some déjà vu here: it reminds me of 2005 when another German team joined us in Miami.
Looking forward to meet them!

Tournament updates

From now on until the tournament, there will be regular updates for the registered teams.
If you haven't registered yet, but would like to receive them to stay informed, email us at: petanqueamericaopen@gmail.com

Circular # 1 - Aug 29 (PDF)

Who's coming??

Update 10/02
It went very fast this week. We're at 74 teams, including a few single players we're working on matching up with others.

Update 9/23
45 teams, and another state: CO

Update 9/17
Just got a call from Canada. Several teams are "warming up" for the tournament.

Update 09/16
36 teams, and two more states: SC & ME

Update 09/10
We're now at 32 teams, including CT.

Update 09/04:
One more state this week: MA

As of today, 11 weeks before the tournament, 25 teams have already registered. Representing a total of 11 states (see map). Only 39 to go!

We're planning to limit the tournament to 80 teams, so please register as soon as possible.

Open - lodging - group rates

Group rates for the tournament:

Hampton Inn & Suites Historic Downtown
Right at the riverfront where we'll play.
Includes hot breakfast & free internet.
122 rooms & suites
Rooms $109, suites $129 on Nov 13/14/15
Reserve online or by phone, and use group code "PAG".


Amelia Hotel at the Beach
At the beach at the corner of Sadler & Fletcher.
Includes hot breakfast & free internet.
Microwave and mini fridge.
Standard room: 1 king or 2 doubles $69.
Mention "Petanque Tournament".



Residence Inn by Marriott
Brand new (opened Aug 27), walking distance from the beach on Sadler.
Includes hot breakfast, full kitchen, internet & free shuttle to downtown.
Suite $99, Double Queen Suite $129, Double Bed + double bathroom $ 149. Group codes are resp. PETPETA, PETPETB & PETPETC.


Beachside Motel
A traditional beachside motel on the ocean. All rooms have two queen beds. Some have a fridge and microwave.
Check the website for best available rates.
Right across from the famous Surf Restaurant.

For our European friends

Here's another surprise from US Airways --->

Frankfurt (FRA) - Jacksonville (JAX):
384 Euro R/T in November.

These special fares usually last for only a couple of days.
Last month there were similar fares from Brussels. Then they went back up to 500 €. Then down again to 400 €. You have to follow it up closely.

Go to usairways.com and click on the flag of your country, at the bottom of the page.

Tournament registration open

The website and registration are now open at:

www.petanque-america-open.com

The first team, John & Fernando from San Antonio, TX signed up minutes ago.

We're ready to roll!

Petanque America Open 2009

Very pleased to announce we are 'go' for Amelia Island.

I promise it will be a memorable pétanque event for players from all over the country (and beyond), from beginners to champions, and a weekend of unforgettable fun.
Some aspects are yet to be finalized, but here's what I can tell you at this stage:

Date: Sat & Sun 14 & 15 November 2009
Location: Amelia Island, FL
Format: doubles
Prize money: min. $ 5,000 total
Participation: $65 per player

Formal tournament start Saturday 9:00am / Prize awards Sunday 4pm.

It's still early for flights and lodging but please do keep that weekend free. And please spread the word! Overseas participants should start checking flight fares already.

Also, as of June 1st, Petanque America will be located in Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island. By mid July, we will have the tournament website and registration up and running.

Amelia Island Tourism
Visitors Guide
Jacksonville Airport - JAX
Holiday Rentals (Nov prices will be substantially lower)
SearchAmelia.com

Questions? PetanqueAmericaOpen@gmail.com

Comments welcome: Tag on here

And here's this years' theme song to put you in the mood: