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So it seems my last blog may have raised a question: what exactly is jai-alai? Curious minds want to know. It’s probably only fair, then, that I explain a bit more about this sport and where to see it. For starters, how about the right way to pronounce the name? It’s in the Spanish manner, as if saying “high lie” in English. Second, let me correct my own spelling slightly. The word actually has a hyphen: jai-alai, not jai alai as I spelled it before. Oops, sorry.
Jai-alai has been played for hundreds of years in the Basque region of Spain and France, a high-speed version of handball. In the Basque language, the word means “merry festival.” It’s certainly a fast festival. Here’s basically how the game works: A player (or team of two in doubles) serves to the opposing player using a pelota, which is the goatskin-covered ball. This thing has been clocked at more than 185 miles an hour during play. To serve or return shots, the players swing a cesta, or narrow curved basket. They play on a long three-sided court called a fronton, with a chainlink fence protecting the open side that faces the public. The idea is to whip this pelota at the front wall with so much speed or spin that the other guy can’t catch and return it on only one bounce. So think of the game as being a lot like its handball predecessor – only played at warp speed. The winning player or team is the first to score seven points (nine points in Superfecta games).
Yes, this is a betting game. And greater Fort Lauderdale has one of the very few frontons left in Florida, where they once were fairly common. Dania Jai-Alai is on Dania Beach Boulevard, practically across the street from the King’s Head Pub I wrote about in the previous blog. In addition to its namesake sport, Dania Jai-Alai has poker and simulcasts of horse racing and harness racing. Slot machines are coming soon and so is a major expansion project, with a big hotel and gaming company planning to start construction later this year. For schedules or other info, call 954-920-1511. The fronton is only about one mile from the Fort Lauderdale airport, a quick taxi ride if you have a couple hours to burn before a flight. It’s a lot of fun and a genuine slice of Florida’s culture. And it sure beats listening to 15 announcements about flight delays.
Jai-alai has been played for hundreds of years in the Basque region of Spain and France, a high-speed version of handball. In the Basque language, the word means “merry festival.” It’s certainly a fast festival. Here’s basically how the game works: A player (or team of two in doubles) serves to the opposing player using a pelota, which is the goatskin-covered ball. This thing has been clocked at more than 185 miles an hour during play. To serve or return shots, the players swing a cesta, or narrow curved basket. They play on a long three-sided court called a fronton, with a chainlink fence protecting the open side that faces the public. The idea is to whip this pelota at the front wall with so much speed or spin that the other guy can’t catch and return it on only one bounce. So think of the game as being a lot like its handball predecessor – only played at warp speed. The winning player or team is the first to score seven points (nine points in Superfecta games).
Yes, this is a betting game. And greater Fort Lauderdale has one of the very few frontons left in Florida, where they once were fairly common. Dania Jai-Alai is on Dania Beach Boulevard, practically across the street from the King’s Head Pub I wrote about in the previous blog. In addition to its namesake sport, Dania Jai-Alai has poker and simulcasts of horse racing and harness racing. Slot machines are coming soon and so is a major expansion project, with a big hotel and gaming company planning to start construction later this year. For schedules or other info, call 954-920-1511. The fronton is only about one mile from the Fort Lauderdale airport, a quick taxi ride if you have a couple hours to burn before a flight. It’s a lot of fun and a genuine slice of Florida’s culture. And it sure beats listening to 15 announcements about flight delays.
posted by LauderBLOGGER at 2:50 PM
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