Fun in the Park
Petanque.
Strange word that not many people have heard, let alone know what it is, or means.
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is to throw metal balls as close as possible to a jack (a small wooden ball called a cochonnet in French, which means piglet). The game is normally played on hard sand/gravel, but can also be played on grass or any other surface. Similar games are bocce and bowls.Pétanque is generally associated with southern France, particularly Provence.Pétanque is the most played sport in France. …
This past Sunday I was invited by MGAL and Jeff Widen to attend the Michigan Petanque Clubs weekly outing in Royal Oak. To my surprise there were quite a few people. About 30 i think. I was quickly greeted, given the basic instructions and handed a set of heavy small round balls (boules to those that know). I was able to play 2 matches before rushing off to watch the Pistons. My team won the first match and lost the second (mgal would probably blame me for the second match loss. She was the lucky one of the 30 to get me as a team mate). There are a few different ways to toss the balls. I still have not found my niche yet, but I think I will soon. The Club does a good job of getting everyone that wants to play in a match. If you want to play, you get to play.
I enjoyed the competition, getting some fresh air and of course the people. Everyone was very welcoming. I recommend anyone looking to get outside, socialize or learn a new sport to come out Sundays and check it out!
Hey we held our own against players who have played much longer than both of us. I’ve been playing less than a year! Plus you are actually a pretty natural shooter.
Glad you enjoyed yourself Mike…
There’s also a large petanque club in Detroit,at Campus Martius Park, namely, “The Detroit Petanque Club”
We meet every weekday (12p-1p) for a couple of lunchtime games; and a much larger group on Saturdays (10:30a-5:30p) at Campus Martius.
Membership is free, you’re always welcome, we supply the boules, just show up at anytime during those days and have fun!
Check out our webites:
http://www.michiganpetanque.com
http://www.detroitpetanque.com
especially the photos on the BLOG…
Jeff Widen
-President – Detroit Petanque Club
Jeffrey@detroitpetanque.com
Fun sport indeed.
I’m glad I spent a little time to stop by and play a round. I just wished I played longer.
Then again, I will be down there a lot this summer since my job is a few blocks away, so get your boules ready, Jeff!