Pilota
(Pelota) in its various forms is a more recent introduction into the
pantheon of Basque traditional sports, and its popularity endures.
NABO supports efforts in various clubs to maintain this sport
tradition, including sponsoring an annual tournament.
Related links:
Handball history
Eljuegodepala.com
Other Basque sports
Ikaspilota: Youth
www.usapelota.com
Team NABO for the 2009
World Pilota Council Tournament
Esther Ciganda & Maite Iribarren-Gorrindo
La Plata and Bahia Blanca, Argentina


2009 NABO Championship results (San Francisco)
Paleta goma 1st division: Iriartborde
& Dalia (SFBCC)
Paleta goma 2nd division: Urruty & Chiramberro (SFBCC)
Paleta goma womens: Etcharren & Cuburu (SFBCC)
Paleta goma trebeak: ANdueza & Irola (SFBCC)
Baleen Andereak: Etcharren & Bushmann (SFBCC)
Eskuz bakarka: DeLuz (Chino)
Eskuz 1st division: DeLuz & Petrissans (Chino)
Eskuz 2nd division: Falxa & Etchebehere (SFBCC)

Fronton at the
San Francisco Basque Cultural Center,
host of the 2009 tournament.
PREVIOUS NABO PILOTA/PALA
ACTION
2009 Elko National Basque Festival

There were two esku games played on the 4th & 5th of July during the
Elko Festival. Jeremy Malone (Boise) and Christophe Alfaro (San
Francisco) played Xanti Alcelay (Boise) and Edu Sarria (Boise) on
Saturday and won 40-25. Alcelay/Alfaro played Malone/Sarria the next
day and won 25-24.

2008
World Pilota Council Trinket Championships
Santiago, Chile (September 2008)

N.A.B.O. vs. Uruguay
- Baleen
Alfio Casale,
John Falxa, Gratien Etchebehere and Aitor Berrueta

N.A.B.O.
vs. Argentina - Paleta Goma

Aitor Berrueta
(NABO rep.) with players Gratien Etchebehere, John Falxa and Alfio
Casale
2008 Boise Paleta Invitational

Zorionak to Gabriel
Dalia (SFBCC) and to Jason Rutherford (Boise Fronton Association) for
winning the 2008 BOISE PALETA INVITATIONAL. They won against Marc
Unhassobiscay (SFBCC) and Edu Sarria (BFA) 35-31.

Zorionak to Marianne Martinon (SFBCC) and Esther Cigandia (BFA) won an
exhibition Baleen game against Evelyne Garat (SFBCC) and Anne Marie
Mansisidor (BFA) 35-31.

Some of the
participants in the 2008 Boise Paleta Invitational.
EQUIPMENT. Check out this web page, pilota equipment just a click
away...
http://www.fipv.net/eng/tienda/index.htm
BASQUE
HANDBALL HISTORY
Handball
is an ancient game. The Maya tribes of pre-Columbian America and the
ancient Greeks and Romans knew versions of the game. The Romans spread
it throughout western Europe. In the area of modern-day France, a
variation of the Romans’ game of pila emerged, and during the
Middle Ages it became known as jeu de paume. Basque handball is a
derivative of this game.
Andrea
Navajero, a Venetian historian, traveled through the Basque Country in
1528 and commented on how all the males played this game. Indoor [courte
paume] and outdoor [longue paume] versions endured into the
18th century, but following the French Revolution the games
were nearly abandoned for being associated with royalty and nobility.
Their popularity, however, endured in small circles. From the early
outdoor version evolved our modern tennis; the indoor version meanwhile
spawned English court tennis, and in the Basque Country it became the
present manifestation of Basque handball. Despite its documented
prevalence, it is odd that little is said of handball in Basque
proverbs, old songs or family emblems. It is not because of prohibition;
even priests could enjoy the game. Jonanes Lange commented in 1526 on
his travels through Nafarroa [Navarre] that even priests were allowed to
take part in what was soon becoming the national sport.
Originally played face-to-face, the introduction of more rapid rubber
balls compelled a change in the game: returning the ball to a wall
instead of over the net. Thus Basque handball was born. Three courts
developed over time: the plaza laxoa or open court with only one
wall at the front; the ezker pareta or left-wall court with one
wall at the front and one on the players left and the trinketa or
original court of the indoor form with four walls.
As the
speed of the ball increased, so did the pain endured by the players who
up to that time played with bare hands. This triggered the development
of instruments with which to return the ball. Numerous variations
emerged, including a wooden paddle or different sizes and weight [pala &
paleta], different types of racquets [xare & frontenis], leather gloves
[rebot & pasaka] and finally a curious glove and basket combination
known as xistera or cesta that spawned jai-alai, remonte,
rebote & joko garbi.
PALA:
www.eljuegodepala.com
