For all your Shimano RidersWe were just having a little fun with our Campy-only song.So I regret asking the question!It seems that I have become an expert about Frontenis, the game that Prudencio Indurain was playing when he injured himself. I just asked, innocently, what is this game? And now we know. Of-course, my sarcasm hides my appreciation for the response. Here are some more "reader responses" including photos:First, comes the clarification from Roger: hey bill. you're probably tired of al the jai-alai stuff, but IF it was jai-alai that prudencio was playing, then the rules ARE like handball. you catch the pelota on the fly or after one bounce only. i used to live in miami fla. and watched it plenty. for betting purposes, it's played on 3 walls, with a very high front and back wall (20'?) on a very long court (200'?). oh, and the ceiling is in bounds also. there is also a side/back wall, but there is no wall on the spectator side, so that folks can see the action and bet. the game is VERY fast, and the ball is way harder than a golfball. all the players wear helmets, and i doubt that's much protection. (i played a few times on an indoor court. you can only use rubber balls---you had to prove yourself before they'd let you use the real (i.e., deadly) balls) i'm thinking the name of the basket/scoop/paddle is called a 'cesta', but i could easily be wrong. but it is sort of like a la crosse basket, in that it takes a lot of time to get used to catching the ball in the basket. in jai-alai, after you catch the ball, you then get to take a step to get some momentum to swing and return the ball. and it's weird to bet on people, as opposed to horses, or dogs, or teams. And Second comes the killer contribution - photos and in depth analysis with "Saludos from sunny Mexico" from Luis Felipe Trigo: Bill: Here is an picture of a Fronton court. When you play in this court with your bare hands it is called Pelota Basca. When you play with a raquet it is called Frontenis (what Prudencio was playing). When you play with a 'hand basket' it is called jai-alai. One of your earlier respondents said this is a childs game; it is as much as riding a bicycle is. In Spain, France, Mexico, Miami it is big business. About the Basque ball game: There are different ways of playing Basque pelota: with the hand, a bat, "remonte" and "cesta", which are types of baskets, and "trinquete" and "share", two kinds of rackets. There are different kinds of pelota courts where this sport is played. CESTA PUNTA: is played with a wicker basket approximately 63 to 70 cms long. The ball weighs about 125 grs and is covered with parchment skin. This kind of pelota is played in a fronton called Jai-Alai and is characterized by the speed of the pelota. PELOTA-MANO: is played with the bare hand and three types of balls: soft (gotxua), medium and hard. This kind of pelota is played either singles or doubles. FRONTENIS: a tennis racquet is used with a cordage slightly reinforced and the ball is hollowed and weighs 45 grs. Frontenis is played in a fronton of 30 m and it has both men's and women's categories. PALETA-PELOTA CUERO: the paleta is 50 cm long and weighs about 550 grs. The ball, which is covered with leather, weighs 52 grs. This game is played in a fronton of 36 m. PALA CORTA: the pala is 50 cm long, 10 cm wide and weighs 700 grs. The ball is very fast and is covered with a parchment that weights 90 grs. This game is played in a fronton of 36 m. PALETA-PELOTA GOMA: the paleta is 50 cms long, 20 cms wide and weighs 450 grs. The ball is made of rubber and weights 40 grs. Both categories, men's and women's, are played in a foreyard and in a fronton of 30 m. XARE: the racquet is also called Argentine racquet and it consists of chestnut ring 55 cms long and 16 cms wide and a net that allows the receiving and sending of the ball without keeping or hitting it. The ball weighs 80 grs and is covered with parchment. This is a very fast game and is played in a foreyard. This is a picture of Cesta Punta, the player is about 2 meters of the floor! This is a picture of Pelota-Mano [Bill notes: Just wait for my next innocent question. It will be about a little known sport played on the South Pole!] Australian Final National Rankings for 1997Men: 1. JAMIE DREW (VIC) 545 2. JERONE WALTERS (VIC) 299 3. STEVE WILLIAMS (NSW) 212 4. BEN LITCHFIELD (NSW) 196 5. JONATHON HALL (NSW) 180 6. CAMERON MCDONALD (QLD) 172 7. TRISTAN PRIEM (VIC) 171 8. ROBERT TIGHELLO (VIC) 164 9. CHRIS BROWN (WA) 161 12. MATT WILSON (VIC) 157 13. BART HICKSON (NSW) 154 14. WARREN JENNINGS (QLD) 154 15. NATHAN O'NEILL (QLD) 140 16. MATHEW ARNOLD (ACT) 136 17. HANK VAASSEN (NSW) 134 18. RYAN SUCKLING (WA) 121 19. LUKE STOCKWELL (QLD) 118 20. MURRAY COXON (NSW) 117 21. GUY DUNDAS (NSW) 113 22. PETER MILOSTIC (NSW) 104 23. STUART BARDSLEY (ACT) 103 24. RIK MCCAIG (VIC) 102 25. MATHEW ATKINS (TAS) 100 26. LUKE WEIR (VIC) 98 27. CHRIS WHITE (VIC) 91 28. DANNY HENNESSY (NSW) 90 29. 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BRENT MCCAIG (VIC) 43 68. GARY WRIGHT (WA) 41 69. SCOTT FARLEY (NSW) 40 70. SCOTT MCGRATH (NSW) 40 71. SHAUN O'NEIL (WA) 40 72. GARRY PARSONS (VIC) 38 73. PETER BESANKO (VIC) 38 74. PETER COLLINS (WA) 37 75. KRISTEN LEWIS (SA) 33 76. RICKY LANYON (QLD) 33 77. CHRIS BEECK (WA) 32 78. JAMES STEWARD (VIC) 32 79. STEPHEN PATE (VIC) 32 80. TERRY DRIESSEN (WA) 32 81. BRETT LENTZ (QLD) 30 82. TIM DECKER (VIC) 30 83. CLINTON ROBERTSON (VIC) 28 84. LEX NEDERLOF (NED) 28 85. NIC BROWN (WA) 28 86. VAUGHAN HARVEY (WA) 27 87. MATHEW JACKSON (VIC) 26 88. ROSS MUELLER (VIC) 26 89. DEREK CRUMPLER (QLD) 25 90. MICHAEL PAYNE (ACT) 24 91. SHANE SEGHERS (QLD) 24 92. MARK CHADWICK (QLD) 23 93. PAUL EVANS (VIC) 23 94. GLENN HARRIS (WA) 22 95. CAMERON HUGHES (QLD) 21 96. PHILLIP BRAY (NSW) 21 97. WAYNE ANDERSON (NSW) 21 98. GAVIN BARDSLEY (ACT) 20 99. GLEN CHADWICK (QLD) 20 100. GORDAN MCCAULEY (NZ) 20 101. JONATHON GOLDIN (VIC) 20 102. KEL MARTIN (NSW) 20 103. MARK BRINDLE (QLD) 20 104. MURRAY FENWICK (VIC) 20 105. PHIL CHAPMAN (NSW) 20 106. STEVE SABINE (SA) 20 107. ALLAN GILL (SA) 19 108. TIM FITZSIMMONS (WA) 19 109. CAMERON JENNINGS (QLD) 18 110. GARY CHAPMAN (NSW) 18 111. MATTHEW HAYMAN (ACT) 18 112. NICHOLAS HADDON (NT) 18 113. ROBERT MARCUCCI (VIC) 18 114. SIMON CHRISTOPHER (ACT) 18 115. EDDIE SALAS (NSW) 17 116. ANDREW STALDER (VIC) 16 117. HENK VAASSEN (NSW) 16 118. MICHAEL SIMMS (WA) 16 119. PAUL RUGARI (VIC) 16 120. TIM DEWAR (NT) 16 121. DAVID HILEY (NSW) 15 122. BRENT DAWSON (NSW) 14 123. DENNIS MUNGOVEN (ACT) 14 124. HAMISH GUY (NSW) 14 125. JASON WEIDLICH (VIC) 14 126. JAY STOCKWELL (QLD) 14 127. STEVEN ROONEY (QLD) 14 128. TREV JORDAN (NSW) 14 129. DANIEL HOGG (WA) 12 130. DARRELL BEDDOME (SA) 12 131. JIM KRYNEN (WA) 12 132. MATT JENKIN (QLD) 12 133. SCOTT MCDOWELL (WA) 12 134. TONY HUGHES (VIC) 12 135. TOM BROOK (NSW) 11 136. ANDRE MORGAN (ACT) 10 137. CHRIS CLARK (NSW) 10 138. G. FULST (GER) 10 139. GARETH ATKINS (TAS) 10 141. MATTHEW MILLER (SA) 10 142. RIK REID (NZ) 10 143. ROD BARNES (WA) 10 144. STEPHEN JAY (ACT) 10 145. ANDREW VAN AREND (SA) 9 146. ANTHONY SPURGEON (NSW) 9 147. BRENT MCPARLAND (NSW) 9 148. D. BECKE (GER) 9 149. JEFF WHEELER (SA) 9 150. KEITH FELIX (SA) 9 151. EINHARD VANSPEYBROECK 9 152. BRAD MARTIN (NSW) 8 153. CHRIS BROKENSHA (SA) 8 154. M. KOCKNTZ (GER) 8 155. MARK BIRKDALE (SA) 8 156. MICHAEL TOLHURST (ACT) 8 157. STEPHEN SAMBROOK (QLD) 8 158. STEVE MORROW (VIC) 8 159. TODD ROLTON (SA) 8 160. C LADEMANN (GER) 7 161. DANNY ECKERT (SA) 7 162. DUNCAN SMITH (VIC) 7 163. GARRY PAYNE (NSW) 7 164. GARY DAVIS (SA) 7 165. GEOFFREY COOK (NSW) 7 166. MICHAEL MCGEE (SA) 7 167. TROY POTTER (SA) 7 168. BEN HITCHENS (QLD) 6 169. BRAD DAVIES (VIC) 6 170. DENIS MUNGOVEN (ACT) 6 171. LINDSAY BURKE (ACT) 6 172. MATHEW HANCOCK (SA) 6 173. MICHAEL HEATH (SA) 6 174. PHILLIP CHAPMAN (NSW) 6 175. RHYS SHERBORNE (WA) 6 176. ROSS MEULLER (VIC) 6 177. SHANNON SIME (WA) 6 178. T. RUND (GER) 6 179. TIM BENNETT (VIC) 6 180. TIM KERSTEN (NSW) 6 181. TOM TINDAL (NT) 6 182. DANIEL BELLIS (VIC) 5 183. GARY SUCKLING (WA) 5 184. JAMES KELLY (SA) 5 185. KATE FITZSIMMONS (WA) 5 186. NEIL RAGLESS (SA) 5 187. PETER CLARK (WA) 5 188. PETER MOORE (SA) 5 189. STEWART ESTCOURT (WA) 5 190. STUART TERRELL (NSW) 5 192. C. MOORE (VIC) 4 193. CHRIS LANGDON (QLD) 4 193. CHRISTIAN RIVETTE (VIC) 4 194. DAVID HENNESSY (NT) 4 195. GUY MATHISKE (NSW) 4 196. NICK GATES (NSW) 4 197. PAUL KINNANE (SA) 4 198. PETER MONTESSI (SA) 4 199. TIM KOOPMAN (SA) 4 200. ANDREW DORE (QLD) 3 201. BRIAN EVANS (WA) 3 202. IAN GARRITY (NSW) 3 203. K.ESHITA (JPN) 3 204. KLAYTEN SMITH (NSW) 3 205. KRIS TULLY (QLD) 3 206. MATHEW POYNER (WA) 3 207. MATTHEW DONNON (SA) 3 208. PAT MARCUCCI (SA) 3 209. PAUL EBERLEY (NSW) 3 210. ROHAN GASKILL (NT) 3 211. TONY BANKS (QLD) 3 212. BEN CRONIN (QLD) 2 213. DANIEL BERESFORD (NSW) 2 214. LEE PETRUZELLI (SA) 2 215. MATHEW NEWLANDS (QLD) 2 216. MICHAEL ORMONDE (QLD) 2 217. PETER TAYLOR (SA) 2 218. R. WHEELER (NSW) 2 219. SEAN MACKAY (WA) 2 220. STUART CAMPBELL (NSW) 2 221. TOM LEAPER (VIC) 2 222. WAYNE EVANS (WA) 2 223. ANTHONY COOPER (NT) 1 224. ANTHONY KEELAN (QLD) 1 225. BRAD NIGHTINGALE (QLD) 1 226. G. VALLINS (VIC) 1 227. GEORGE POULOS (NSW) 1 228. GRAHAM ROOTES (SA) 1 229. JEFF FLORENCE (SA) 1 230. N. RUSSELL (NSW) 1 231. NIGEL PERRY (NSW) 1 232. PETER STARZYNSKI (NSW) 1 233. SCOTT SUCKLING (WA) 1 234. STUART MAY (NSW) 1 235. TRENT WILSON (NSW) 1 236. TROY CLARKE (VIC) 1 Women 1. ANNA WILSON (VIC) 319 2. ELLIE KENNEDY (QLD) 195 3. NADIA FRISCHNECHT (NSW) 194 4. SYMEKO JOCHINKE (SA) 157 5. SHARON WHEATLEY (WA) 141 6. LYN NIXON (WA) 139 7. SANDRA SMITH (WA) 139 8. KATHY WATT (VIC) 137 9. MARGARET HEMSLEY (NSW) 135 10. LISA ROBINSON (NSW) 110 11. BRIDGET EVANS (QLD) 95 12. KELLY MCCOMBIE (WA) 84 13. JULIA WILSON (NSW) 77 14. SIMONE JACOBS (NSW) 75 15. KATHERINE CATO (NSW) 65 16. JULIE HUNT (NSW) 56 17. SALLY MOLLOY (VIC) 53 18. KERIN BATES (SA) 52 19. JUANITA FELDHAHN (QLD) 50 20. DAVINA STEPHEN (VIC) 48 21. ANNABELLE VOWELS (VIC) 47 22. SUE WELLER (WA) 44 23. SASHA HARVEY (QLD) 43 24. KATHIE HAGGIE (WA) 38 25. LUCY TYLER-SHARMAN (WA) 36 26. GERALDINE DENHAM (VIC) 31 27. SUSAN DU PLESSIS (WA) 29 28. DENISE WESTERBERG (WA) 28 29. KIM HOWARD (VIC) 28 30. JODIE TILL (NSW) 26 31. KIM PALMER (ACT) 25 32. DEBRA HOBBS 22 33. J. MILLER (QLD) 22 34. NARELLE PETERSEN (VIC) 22 35. BRIGETT BUTTERFIELD (QLD) 20 36. JODY KAELER (QLD) 20 37. TRACEY BOWYER (WA) 19 38. C. BOURKE (QLD) 18 39. CHARLOTTE WHITE (NSW) 18 40. HAYLEY HUCH (QLD) 16 41. JOANNE MOORE (WA) 16 42. TERRI BENT (WA) 16 43. PHILLIPA HENDREN (WA) 15 44. KAREN PERKINS (QLD) 14 45. CAROLYN MITCHELL (QLD) 12 46. EMMA LIVINGSTON (QLD) 12 47. J. ARNDT (GER) 10 48. KATE FITZSIMMONS (WA) 10 49. MICHELLE MUNDY (WA) 10 50. SEIJA ARGYROS (QLD) 10 51. SOPHIE FRESHWATER (VIC) 10 52. I. JOKO TEUTTENBERG (GER) 9 53. CASSIE LOWE (NSW) 8 54. LIA SARTO 8 55. LISA WILSON (QLD) 8 56. STEPHANIE FORRESTER (NSW) 7 57. SARAH STARR 6 58. KATHIE WHEELER (WA) 5 59. TANYA NEWTON (NSW) 5 60. BELINDA PROBERT (NSW) 4 61. ELLA WHITLAW 4 62. ERIN PHILLIP (NSW) 4 63. KYM SHIRLEY (NSW) 4 64. KATRINA MARNING (NSW) 3 65. PAULA KELSEY 3 66. ARLY GREEN (NSW) 2 67. GAIL PUNG 2 68. MARY HOWELL 2 69. PETRA ROSSNER (GER) 1 |
