After months of planning, nearly two dozen senior players in the New Zealand Petanque Federation have arrived to visit and play in California, beginning last weekend.
The idea of a competition between the Americans and the "Kiwi's" began with a conversation in Pattaya, Thailand at the "worlds" last year, between SC director Ed Porto and a player in the NZ federation, and it developed into three competitions, one each in Sonoma, Oakhurst, and Los Angeles, and sponsored by the VOMPC (Sonoma), LPM (San Rafael), OPC (Oakhurst), and LAPC (Los Angeles).
More than 70 players participated in Sonoma, and the paella pans were brimming over for one of the get togethers. The players from New Zealand walked off with a first place finish over us Americans in the Sonoma Tournament, 64-51, but there was great fun as you will see by visiting these links posted by players who attended the event.
www.petanque-marin.blogspot.com
http://cochonnetmarin.com/whatsnew.htm
They are on to Oakhurst and then to Los Angeles, now.
Congratulations to all the planners and players for this event!
