Jai alai
Encyclopedia
Jai alai is a sport involving a ball bounced off a walled space. It is a variety of Basque Pelota. The term, coined by Serafin Baroja
in 1875, is also often loosely applied to the fronton
(the open-walled playing area) where the sport is played. The game is called "zesta-punta" (basket tip) in Basque.
The Basque Government
promotes jai alai as "the fastest sport in the world because of the balls" and once held the world record for ball speed with a 125g–140g ball covered with goat
skin that traveled at 302 km/h (187.7 mph), performed by José Ramón Areitio at the Newport Jai Alai, Rhode Island
, until it was broken by Canadian long drive champion Jason Zuback on an episode of Sport Science in July 2009 with a golf ball
speed of 328 km/h (203.8 mph). The record for a badminton shuttle during gameplay is set by Fu Haifeng
with a recorded smash of 332 km/h (206 mph) .
The court
(or cancha) for jai alai consists of walls
(front, back, and left), and the floor between them in play. If the ball (called a "pelota," Spanish for ball) touches the floor
outside these walls, it is considered out of bounds. Similarly, there is also a border on the lower 3 ft (about 1 m) of the front wall that is also out of bounds. The ceiling on the court is usually very high, so the ball has a more predictable path. The court is divided by 14 parallel lines going horizontally across the court, with line 1 closest to the front wall and line 14 the back wall. In doubles, each team consists of a frontcourt player and a backcourt player. The game begins when the frontcourt player of the first team serves the ball to the second team. The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next team in rotation. Losers go to the end of the line to await another turn on the court. The first team to score 7 points (or 9 in Superfecta games) wins. The next highest scores are awarded "place" (second) and "show" (third) positions, respectively. Playoffs decide tied scores.
A jai alai game is played in round robin
format, usually between eight teams of two players each or eight single players. The first team to score 7 or 9 points wins the game. Two of the eight teams are in the court for each point. The server on one team must bounce the ball behind the serving line, then with the cesta "basket" hurl it towards the front wall so it bounces from there to between lines 4 and 7 on the floor. The ball is then in play. The ball used in Jai Alai consists of metal strands tightly wound together and then wrapped in goat skin.
Teams alternate catching the ball in their cesta and throwing it "in one fluid motion" without holding or juggling it. The ball must be caught either on the fly or after bouncing once on the floor. A team scores a point if an opposing player:
The team scoring a point remains in the court and the opposing team rotates off the court to the end of the list of opponents. Points usually double after the first round of play, once each team has played at least one point.
The players frequently attempt a "chula" shot, where the ball is played off the front wall very high, then reaches the bottom of the back wall by the end of its arc. The bounce off the bottom of the back wall can be very low, and the ball is very difficult to return in this situation.
Since there is no wall on the right side, all jai alai players must play right-handed (wear the cesta on their right hand).
In the United States, jai alai enjoyed some popularity as a gambling alternative to horse racing
, greyhound racing
, and harness racing, and remains popular in Florida
, where the game is used as a basis for parimutuel gambling at six frontons throughout the state: Dania Beach
, Orlando
, Miami
, Reddick
(as "Ocala
Poker and Jai Alai"), Fort Pierce
, and Jasper
(as "Hamilton
Jai Alai and Poker").
The first jai alai fronton in the United States was located in St. Louis, Missouri, operating around the time of the 1904 World's Fair. The first fronton in Florida opened at the site of Hialeah Race Course near Miami (1924). The fronton was relocated to its present site in Miami near Miami International Airport
. Year round jai alai operations include Miami Jai Alai (the biggest in the world with a record audience of 15,502 people in 27 December 1975) and Dania Jai Alai. Seasonal facilities are: Fort Pierce Jai Alai, Ocala Jai Alai and Hamilton Jai Alai. The Tampa Jai Alai operated for many years before closing in the late 1990s. Inactive jai alai permits are located in Tampa
, Daytona Beach
, West Palm Beach
, and Quincy
. One Florida fronton was converted from jai alai to greyhound racing in Melbourne
.
By contrast, jai alai's popularity in the north-eastern and western United States waned as other gambling options became available. Frontons in the Connecticut
towns of Hartford
and Milford
permanently closed, while the fronton in Bridgeport
was converted to a greyhound race track. The fronton at Newport Jai Alai in Newport, Rhode Island
has been converted to Newport Grand, a slot machine
and video lottery terminal
parlor. Jai alai enjoyed a brief and popular stint in Las Vegas, Nevada
with the opening of a fronton at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino; however, by the early 1980s the fronton was losing money and was closed by MGM Grand owner Kirk Kerkorian
. The MGM Grand in Reno
also showcased jai alai for a very short period (1978–1980).
In an effort to prevent the closure of frontons in Florida, the Florida State Legislature
passed HB 1059, a bill that changed the rules regarding the operation and wagering of poker
in a Pari-Mutuel facility such as a jai alai fronton and a greyhound and horseracing track. The bill became law on August 6, 2003.
The International Jai Alai Player Association-UAW
Local 8868 is the recognized bargaining agent for jai alai players in most Florida frontons. The union had also represented jai alai players and fronton employees in Connecticut until its three frontons permanently closed, and in Rhode Island
where at the behest of the gaming regulators, the Rhode Island Legislature abolished the playing of live jai alai in favor of video lottery terminals.
It is a very popular sport within the Latin American countries, and the Philippines owing to its Hispanic influence, although it has been banned because of illegal gambling. However, jai alai was returned to the Philippines
since March 2010.
Although the sport is in decline in America, the first public amateur jai-alai facility was built in the United States in 2008, in St. Petersburg
, Florida, with the assistance of the city of St. Petersburg.
In addition to the amateur court in St. Petersburg, The American Jai-Alai Foundation whose president Victor Valcarce was a pelotari at Dania Jai-Alai (MAGO #86) and was considered the best "pelota de goma" player in the world, sponsors (in North Miami Beach, Florida) the only indoor air conditioned cancha, (once owned by World Jai-Alai as a school which in 1972 produced the greatest American pelotari, Joey Cornblit #37) that is still open with free lessons from some of the sport's best. During the late 1960s, in addition to North Miami Amateur, there was at least one other amateur court, International Amateur Jai-Alai in South Miami. Many professional players emerged from South Miami Amateur, including "RANDY" #44 at World Jai-Alai, regarded as the first American pelotari, who turned pro in 1968 and enjoyed a lengthy career. Later in the late 1980s at least one other amateur court was constructed in Connecticut.
The sport of jai-alai is vanishing. Poker, not jai-alai, now is the draw at frontons. There used to be 10 frontons in Florida, plus six in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Nevada and two in Cuba. Six in Florida remain. Miami Jai-Alai, built in 1926 and known as the Yankee Stadium of the sport until it became a rundown hulk, reopened in November 2010 after a six-month closure, but is struggling to survive. The spotlights by the front entrance are long gone.
In New England, CT Amateur Jai-Alai (CAJA) celebrated its First Anniversary on May 1, 2011. Interviews with Matt DiDomizio, owner and developer of the fronton in Berlin, Connecticut
, and various other media sources that covered their Grand Opening on May 8, 2010, confirm that Churruca, a living legend of the game, and Joey Cornblit, one of the greatest American players of all time, threw out the first and second ball, respectively, at the ceremony. Live Video Feed and Chat Links now appear to be available online at the CAJA website (http://www.ctamateurjaialai.com/), which receives visitors internationally. This is currently the only fronton in New England and paradoxically, may indicate a potential resurgence of the sport in the region, given the popularity of this amateur facility, at which current and former professionals, seasoned amateurs, and those new to the game appear to regularly play. CT Amateur Jai-Alai was recently invited to participate in the Connecticut Nutmeg Games, which is a statewide competition in the spirit of the Olympics that will be held at the fronton from July 30 through August 7, 2011.
Jai Alai is making a come back in Central Florida, particularly Orlando. This has been fueled by the play of greats such as Egi, Faronda and Hernandez. There has also been great interest in new American born rookies Spinner and Gallo. There are no teams in the U.S. But if you go to Florida then you can play it all you want. The sport can be dangerous, as the ball travels at high velocities. It has led to injuries that caused players to retire and fatalities have been recorded in some cases.
Serafin Baroja
Serafín Baroja was a Basque writer and mining engineer who wrote popular Basque poetry and lyrics. He was the father of a trio of illustrious children who left a deep mark on the art and literature of twentieth century Spain...
in 1875, is also often loosely applied to the fronton
Fronton (court)
A Fronton is a two walled or single walled court used as playing area for Basque pelota.-History:The front wall of the first frontons in villages was usually the wall of a church...
(the open-walled playing area) where the sport is played. The game is called "zesta-punta" (basket tip) in Basque.
The Basque Government
Basque Government
The Basque Government is the governing body of the Basque Autonomous Community of Spain. The head of this government is the lehendakari or Basque president that is appointed by the Basque Parliament every four years...
promotes jai alai as "the fastest sport in the world because of the balls" and once held the world record for ball speed with a 125g–140g ball covered with goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
skin that traveled at 302 km/h (187.7 mph), performed by José Ramón Areitio at the Newport Jai Alai, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, until it was broken by Canadian long drive champion Jason Zuback on an episode of Sport Science in July 2009 with a golf ball
Golf ball
A golf ball is a ball designed to be used in the game of golf.Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz , has a diameter not less than 1.680 in , and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits...
speed of 328 km/h (203.8 mph). The record for a badminton shuttle during gameplay is set by Fu Haifeng
Fu Haifeng
Fu Haifeng born August 23, 1983 in Jieyang, Guangdong, China) is a Chinese badminton player from the People's Republic of China.-Career:Combining Fu Haifeng's impressive power with his regular partner Cai Yun's impressive speed, Cai and Fu have been one of the world's leading men's doubles teams...
with a recorded smash of 332 km/h (206 mph) .
Rules and customs of play
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
(or cancha) for jai alai consists of walls
Walls
- Other uses :*Wall's , a company that makes ice cream*Wall's sausages, a British sausage brand*Walls, an episode of Power Rangers S.P.D.- Music :*Walls EP, a 2005 album by The Red Paintings*Walls , 2007...
(front, back, and left), and the floor between them in play. If the ball (called a "pelota," Spanish for ball) touches the floor
Floor
A floor is the walking surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from simple dirt in a cave to many-layered surfaces using modern technology...
outside these walls, it is considered out of bounds. Similarly, there is also a border on the lower 3 ft (about 1 m) of the front wall that is also out of bounds. The ceiling on the court is usually very high, so the ball has a more predictable path. The court is divided by 14 parallel lines going horizontally across the court, with line 1 closest to the front wall and line 14 the back wall. In doubles, each team consists of a frontcourt player and a backcourt player. The game begins when the frontcourt player of the first team serves the ball to the second team. The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next team in rotation. Losers go to the end of the line to await another turn on the court. The first team to score 7 points (or 9 in Superfecta games) wins. The next highest scores are awarded "place" (second) and "show" (third) positions, respectively. Playoffs decide tied scores.
A jai alai game is played in round robin
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
format, usually between eight teams of two players each or eight single players. The first team to score 7 or 9 points wins the game. Two of the eight teams are in the court for each point. The server on one team must bounce the ball behind the serving line, then with the cesta "basket" hurl it towards the front wall so it bounces from there to between lines 4 and 7 on the floor. The ball is then in play. The ball used in Jai Alai consists of metal strands tightly wound together and then wrapped in goat skin.
Teams alternate catching the ball in their cesta and throwing it "in one fluid motion" without holding or juggling it. The ball must be caught either on the fly or after bouncing once on the floor. A team scores a point if an opposing player:
- fails to serve the ball directly to the front wall so that upon rebound it will bounce between lines No. 4 and 7. If it does not, it is an under or over serve and the other team will receive the point.
- fails to catch the ball on the fly or after one bounce
- holds or juggles the ball
- hurls the ball out of bounds
- interferes with a player attempting to catch and hurl the ball
The team scoring a point remains in the court and the opposing team rotates off the court to the end of the list of opponents. Points usually double after the first round of play, once each team has played at least one point.
The players frequently attempt a "chula" shot, where the ball is played off the front wall very high, then reaches the bottom of the back wall by the end of its arc. The bounce off the bottom of the back wall can be very low, and the ball is very difficult to return in this situation.
Since there is no wall on the right side, all jai alai players must play right-handed (wear the cesta on their right hand).
The jai alai industry
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
, and harness racing, and remains popular in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where the game is used as a basis for parimutuel gambling at six frontons throughout the state: Dania Beach
Dania Beach, Florida
Dania Beach is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 29,639. It is part of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010 census. Dania Beach is the location of one of the largest jai alai frontons in...
, Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, Reddick
Reddick, Florida
Reddick is a town in Marion County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 571. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 618...
(as "Ocala
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
Poker and Jai Alai"), Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, Florida
Fort Pierce, also spelled Ft. Pierce, is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, USA. It is known as The Sunrise City. The population was 37,959 at the 2004 census. As of 2008, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 41,000. It is the county seat of St. Lucie County.Fort Pierce is part...
, and Jasper
Jasper, Florida
Jasper is a city in Hamilton County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,780 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,848 . It is the county seat of Hamilton County. The United Methodist Church in Jasper, Florida is on the National Register...
(as "Hamilton
Hamilton County, Florida
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 13,327. The U.S. Census Bureau 2005 estimate for the county is 13,983 . Its county seat is Jasper, Florida.- History :...
Jai Alai and Poker").
The first jai alai fronton in the United States was located in St. Louis, Missouri, operating around the time of the 1904 World's Fair. The first fronton in Florida opened at the site of Hialeah Race Course near Miami (1924). The fronton was relocated to its present site in Miami near Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
. Year round jai alai operations include Miami Jai Alai (the biggest in the world with a record audience of 15,502 people in 27 December 1975) and Dania Jai Alai. Seasonal facilities are: Fort Pierce Jai Alai, Ocala Jai Alai and Hamilton Jai Alai. The Tampa Jai Alai operated for many years before closing in the late 1990s. Inactive jai alai permits are located in Tampa
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
, West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
, and Quincy
Quincy, Florida
Quincy is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,982 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,975...
. One Florida fronton was converted from jai alai to greyhound racing in Melbourne
Melbourne, Florida
Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida...
.
By contrast, jai alai's popularity in the north-eastern and western United States waned as other gambling options became available. Frontons in the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
towns of Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and Milford
Milford, Connecticut
Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
permanently closed, while the fronton in Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
was converted to a greyhound race track. The fronton at Newport Jai Alai in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
has been converted to Newport Grand, a slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
and video lottery terminal
Video Lottery Terminal
A Video Lottery Terminal or VLT is a gaming machine that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game.A VLT is similar to a slot machine, in that each terminal is a stand-alone device containing a random-number generator...
parlor. Jai alai enjoyed a brief and popular stint in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
with the opening of a fronton at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino; however, by the early 1980s the fronton was losing money and was closed by MGM Grand owner Kirk Kerkorian
Kirk Kerkorian
Kerkor "Kirk" Kerkorian is an American businessman who is the president/CEO of Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, California. Kerkorian is known as one of the important figures in shaping Las Vegas and, with architect Martin Stern, Jr...
. The MGM Grand in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
also showcased jai alai for a very short period (1978–1980).
In an effort to prevent the closure of frontons in Florida, the Florida State Legislature
Florida Legislature
The Florida State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Florida Constitution states that "The legislative power of the state shall be vested in a legislature of the State of Florida," composed of a Senate...
passed HB 1059, a bill that changed the rules regarding the operation and wagering of poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
in a Pari-Mutuel facility such as a jai alai fronton and a greyhound and horseracing track. The bill became law on August 6, 2003.
The International Jai Alai Player Association-UAW
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
Local 8868 is the recognized bargaining agent for jai alai players in most Florida frontons. The union had also represented jai alai players and fronton employees in Connecticut until its three frontons permanently closed, and in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
where at the behest of the gaming regulators, the Rhode Island Legislature abolished the playing of live jai alai in favor of video lottery terminals.
It is a very popular sport within the Latin American countries, and the Philippines owing to its Hispanic influence, although it has been banned because of illegal gambling. However, jai alai was returned to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
since March 2010.
Although the sport is in decline in America, the first public amateur jai-alai facility was built in the United States in 2008, in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, Florida, with the assistance of the city of St. Petersburg.
In addition to the amateur court in St. Petersburg, The American Jai-Alai Foundation whose president Victor Valcarce was a pelotari at Dania Jai-Alai (MAGO #86) and was considered the best "pelota de goma" player in the world, sponsors (in North Miami Beach, Florida) the only indoor air conditioned cancha, (once owned by World Jai-Alai as a school which in 1972 produced the greatest American pelotari, Joey Cornblit #37) that is still open with free lessons from some of the sport's best. During the late 1960s, in addition to North Miami Amateur, there was at least one other amateur court, International Amateur Jai-Alai in South Miami. Many professional players emerged from South Miami Amateur, including "RANDY" #44 at World Jai-Alai, regarded as the first American pelotari, who turned pro in 1968 and enjoyed a lengthy career. Later in the late 1980s at least one other amateur court was constructed in Connecticut.
The sport of jai-alai is vanishing. Poker, not jai-alai, now is the draw at frontons. There used to be 10 frontons in Florida, plus six in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Nevada and two in Cuba. Six in Florida remain. Miami Jai-Alai, built in 1926 and known as the Yankee Stadium of the sport until it became a rundown hulk, reopened in November 2010 after a six-month closure, but is struggling to survive. The spotlights by the front entrance are long gone.
In New England, CT Amateur Jai-Alai (CAJA) celebrated its First Anniversary on May 1, 2011. Interviews with Matt DiDomizio, owner and developer of the fronton in Berlin, Connecticut
Berlin, Connecticut
Berlin is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,866 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1785. The geographic center of Connecticut is located in the town. Berlin is residential and industrial, and served by the Amtrak station of the same name...
, and various other media sources that covered their Grand Opening on May 8, 2010, confirm that Churruca, a living legend of the game, and Joey Cornblit, one of the greatest American players of all time, threw out the first and second ball, respectively, at the ceremony. Live Video Feed and Chat Links now appear to be available online at the CAJA website (http://www.ctamateurjaialai.com/), which receives visitors internationally. This is currently the only fronton in New England and paradoxically, may indicate a potential resurgence of the sport in the region, given the popularity of this amateur facility, at which current and former professionals, seasoned amateurs, and those new to the game appear to regularly play. CT Amateur Jai-Alai was recently invited to participate in the Connecticut Nutmeg Games, which is a statewide competition in the spirit of the Olympics that will be held at the fronton from July 30 through August 7, 2011.
Jai Alai is making a come back in Central Florida, particularly Orlando. This has been fueled by the play of greats such as Egi, Faronda and Hernandez. There has also been great interest in new American born rookies Spinner and Gallo. There are no teams in the U.S. But if you go to Florida then you can play it all you want. The sport can be dangerous, as the ball travels at high velocities. It has led to injuries that caused players to retire and fatalities have been recorded in some cases.
External links
- "The History of basque Pelota in the Americas" by Carmelo Urza