Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
But the most important Basque sport of all is pelota —similar to what you
might know as jai alai. Players in white pants and red scarves or shirts use a long,
hook-shapedwickerbasket(called a txistera inEuskara)towhipaball(smaller and
far bouncier than a baseball) back and forth off walls at more than 150 miles per
hour. This men's-only game can be played with a wall at one or both ends of the
court. Most matches are not professional, but betting on them is common. It can
also be played without a racket—this handball version is used as a starter game for
kids. Children use a bouncy rubber ball, while adults use a ball with a wooden cen-
ter that's rather rough on the hands and needs a lot of strength to keep moving.
It seems that every small Basque town has two things: a church and a pelota
court(called frontón ).Whilesome frontóns aresimpleandinpoorrepair,othersare
freshly painted as a gleaming sign of local pride.
The TI in St-Jean-de-Luz sells tickets and has a schedule of matches
throughout the area; you're more likely to find a match in summer (almost daily at
21:00 July-mid-Sept, afternoon matches sometimes on Sat-Sun). Matches are held
throughout the year (except for winter) in the villages (ask for details at TI). The
professional cesta punta matches on Tuesdays and Fridays often come with Basque
folkloric halftime shows.
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