While you guys are playing in some petty tournaments such as "La Marseillaise" ... FPUSA International Events Coordinator, Robert C. Pierre, along with his son, Renaud, and a friend Laurent Scarabicchi, entered the 30th World Championship on August 22 and 23 in Cagnes sur Mer, France. Well, to be honest, we are talking of the "Championnat du Monde des boules carrées" ... in other words, square boules, which of course happen to be cubes.Courts are 2 X 7 meters, and both boules and cochonnet are made of wood. One boule weighs 4 ounces, and the cochonnet 1/2 ounce. The latter must be thrown between 4 and 7 meters, but otherwise, all of the Petanque rules apply.
There were 132 Triplettes to start with, spread over the -very- steep streets of the "Haut de Cagnes", crowned by the 13th century Grimaldi castle (Monaco Prince family, and therefore Grace Kelly's as well ...). A very tough competition if you ask me, which absolutely everyone can enter, yet with some chances to win as the "square boules" have a tendancy to behave as they want. Even more so since the small and narrow streets of the haut de Cagnes are not only steep, but most of the time they are also cambered, and more than often, boules "roll" on edges and corners out of the court; and when playing downwards, be prepared to run after your boule which could frankly roll down across several courts !
Eventually, we didn't do so well and lost at the 3rd game; of the "consolante" ...
Of course as you will see in the video, it was not my fault as my cochonnet shooting was impeccable; well actually I was shooting at the boule, but all the same, we got the point!
If you are interested by the 31st World Championship of the "Boules Carrees" next August, get back to me for info. Maybe we could put together some FPUSA teams ?
—Robert C. PIERRE
