Saturday, December 30, 2006

SFPC - Christmas Party - LakeWorth FL.







The South Florida Petanque Club had a large get together with all of their Members to Celebrate the Christmas Season plus a good day for Petanque. For a lot of more Pictures visit their site @ http://www.southfloridapetanqueclub.com/ . Thanks to Dominique for the Great Pictures!




Monday, December 25, 2006

HAPPY BOULEDAYS FROM MICHIGAN

Though the winter chill is in Michigan, and it is proving to be harder and harder to play on ice, the Michigan and Detroit Petanque clubs are planning their MINI-BOULE tournament.

All the best to you and yours,

Joe & Jeff

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Happy Holidays from Oregon!


Holiday Greetings from your fellow boules players in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Allan Mandell)

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Portlanders tossing a steel ball? Mon Dieu!



Portlanders tossing a steel ball? Mon dieu! Thursday, December 07, 2006Kimberly A.C. Wilson Alan Shusterman tugs the glove from his right hand, crouches low and aims for a cluster of steel balls.
For a brief moment -- stamping his feet to stave off the cold, pulling a hoodie tight around his face and blowing out white puffs of air -- the Reed College chemist is winning.
The victory is short-lived, but for Shusterman and a dozen other aficionados of petanque, it's the play that matters.
Twice a week, even when the weather turns foul, members of the Portland Petanque Club wrap their fingers around flannel covered hand warmers and steel balls heated in hot water, and trek to the gravel pitches of Southeast's Westmoreland Park for a few hours of French-inflected play.
The club is closing its fourth year of petanque (pronounced pay-TONK), a sport born at the turn of the 20th century in a scenic port on the French Riviera. Until then, men favored a game called jeu provencal, whose rules called for players to run a pace or two before letting fly with a hollow steel boule.
But legend has it that townspeople altered the rules to accommodate a player who used a wheelchair after an accident, requiring participants to throw the ball from a rough circle scratched into the dirt without taking a step. In the dialect of Provencal, the new game was played "pieds tanques," or feet together.
Joe Martin, founder of Portland's first club, demonstrates his own technique, shooting a boule in the air so it knocks an opponent's out of the way with a satisfying clang.
"Five or six years ago, I wanted a game that I could learn to master, that would give me a new circle of friends and that I could play until I kicked off," says Martin, a 64-year-old retired industrial supplier.
He found what he was searching for in a game second only to soccer in France but nearly unheard of in the U.S. Still, with some 1,200 registered players in this country, interest is growing.
Martin's original group of 10 members has grown to more than 60 players. Nearly 40 more belong to a breakaway club, La Boule Rose, which plays in Jamison Square in the Pearl District. A third group, a start-up in Lake Oswego, numbers about 30 players.
And when the temperatures dip low, the most determined come out to play: Ann Hadley, a retired nurse practitioner; statistician Albyn Jones; Johnny Prince, founder of La Boule Rose; Joe Cortright, an economist; Daniel Andre, a retired airline executive; and club co-founder Pierre Agnesse.
The club shares the Westmoreland game house with lawn bowlers and croquet players. This summer, they hope to host the Petanque World Cup Qualifier Tournament for U.S. players hoping for a spot in the 2008 World Cup in the Netherlands.
Kimberly Wilson: 503-412-7017; kimberlywilson@news.oregonian.com
In the photo, Albyn Jones points his boule to the cochonnet.

Monday, December 11, 2006

South Florida Petanque Club






The South Florida Petanque Club started their Season a couple of weeks ago and is the biggest Petanque Club in FPUSA with almost 200 Members most of them Canadians, they are a great and Friendly Organization with Armand Lallinec as their President. http://www.southfloridapetanqueclub.com/
On Sunday Dec. 10th they had a triples Tournament with 2 men and 1 Woman ( they like to change the format every week ) the weather was a little cooler for us Floridians with passing rain clouds and Temperatures in the 60's.
The winners for yesterday's tournament were :

1-) Michel Crouzillat / Raymond ("Boom, Boom") / Dominique Beaufrand
2-) Roger Arpaia / Juan Garcia / Lucie Arpaia
3-) Jean-Jacques Baudo / Reggie Argentieri / Pierrette Sucur
4-) Gerard Reuther / Omer Lortie / Lise Lortie
5-)Alfred Lavigne / Michel Sucur / Marie-Claire Chaput

Friday, December 08, 2006

Florida's Cup 2007


FORMED DOUBLETTES
February 3rd & 4th, 2007
$1600 Minimum cash prizes.
Prizes will be awarded to top six teams.
The Florida Trophy is open to all pétanque players and there is no requirement that players belong to any organization to play.
The Florida Cup Trophy will stay in the State of Florida.
Elite Players from foreign countries may play as long as they partner with a player from the USA.
If participation is only 10 teams, then play for Florida Trophy will occur only on Sunday. Saturday play will then be a fun doublettes or triplet’s depending on the number of individuals wanting to participate.
Entry Fee:
$30.00 per Person if paid by January 15, 2007. $40.00 per Person if paid after January 15, 2007.
Entry Fee includes lunch on day(s) of Florida Cup play.
Dinner on Saturday night at the Smiling Fish Café. $25.00 per person, tax/tip included. Cash bar.
Dinner on Sunday Night will be at Bud and Alley’s in Seaside. The cost is $30.00 tax/tip included. Cash bar.
Schedule:
FRIDAY, February 2, 2007 Practice all afternoon. 7:00 PM, Deadline for registration. 8:00 PM, Drawing for Florida Trophy
SATURDAY, February 3, 2007 (Depending on number of teams) 9:30 AM Play begins
SUNDAY, February 4, 2007 (Depending on number of teams) 9:30 Play begins.
Accommodations:
Seaside Rental Agency will give special pricing for $109.00 per night for one-bedroom cottages. For other pricing, or reservatioins contact Beth Hanley: bethhanley@cra-intrawest.com The Hibiscus House will give 20% discount if five or more rooms are booked. Go to website: Hibiscusflorida.com http://www.hibiscusflorida.com/ (Put “pétanque tournament” in comment section). Price includes breakfast. Also go to VRBO.com and look at cottages in Seagrove and Seaside.
Entry Form in PDF File: Revise Entry Fee on the Entry Form to Read $30 per Person and not per Team for a Total of $60.
http://petanque.us/events/seaside2007/Florida_Cup_2007_Entry_Form.pdf
Registration to:
Barbara Olschner, 176 Nightcap Street, Santa Rosa Beach, Fl 32459. 850-217-5753

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

The Future of Women in FPUSA









If you watched them Play during the World Qualifier in Boca in November, you know what I'm talking about. Their names are Erin, Narin and Pym, they come from California and make a great Team , Period!. I can't way to see them again at the Women Qualifications in 2007.

FPUSA Reminder


Remember this Blog is not about South Florida only.
If you have any News that you would like to report about your Club, Send Pictures and a Brief Description to your Regional Communications Committee Rep. so it gets Posted on this Blog for all to of us to ENJOY!.

You can find our e-mail addresses on this Blog.

Results at Boca Open Doubles Tournament Dec 2nd





1st Juan and Mario
2nd Roger and Raymond
3rd Mark and Elie

Another Wonderful Sunny Day with Friends and lots of Fun.