WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL BLOG for La Pétanque Marinière in San Rafael, California. LPM has been an active Marin pétanque club since 1972 and affiliated with the Fédération of Pétanque USA, since 1975. We welcome people of all abilities, ages and nationalities to come and enjoy pétanque with us.

The Pierre Joske Courts are located on Civic Center drive in San Rafael. (click for directions). Casual games are played every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from about 1 pm. Tournament play is usually held on the second Sunday of every month.

Please consult the links on the sidebar to the right for more information on clubs in the bay area, nationally and world wide.

If you would like to play but haven't any boules, please contact our President, Christine Cragg. They can bring some for you to use, as well as introduce you to the basic skills and techniques of pétanque. In addition, if you are looking to purchase boules but are unsure as to which size and weight are right for you, we have a range of different examples from which to choose.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Tino Lofaro

Tino & Antoine Lofaro

Barely a day has passed since La Pétanque Marinière said goodbye to one of it's beloved members when news arrived this morning of the passing of yet another.
Tino Lofaro passed away in his sleep last night. As of this moment we have no details.
LPM would like to extend it's most heart-felt condolences to his brother Antoine, sister-in-law Eva and the rest of his family.

Rest in Peace Tino, my friend. Not only a new and valued friend of mine these past two years, but the teacher of so many things finesse in Petanque to this novice player. Your smile, and wit, will forever be with me. Mike Menafee

Thank you for thinking about my brother Tino and thank you to everyone who called me and thanks for your support in this difficult and terrible moment. Antonio Lofaro

Adieu sweet Tino - always kind hearted and truthful - we will always remember you in our hearts! Hans, Bridget, Maxi & Wolfie Kurz

"We are devastated to learn of Tino,s passing through facebook. We are in France until the 16th. Please send our condolences to the Lofaro family" Louis and Jan Toulon

"So one night we were having a lovely dinner at Antonia's house, with plenty of wine to drink. Tino was there...he was always fun , and sweet...I offered to divorce Hans and marry Tino, so he could get a certain card...he laughed so hard, it was great. I kinda wished he would have taken me up on my offer...!! "The all time Best Shooter, I ever met, hands down!"
Bridget Root Kurz

"My sincerest sympathies to Tino's family." Diana Jacobs

"I'll miss his smile and kindness. I made a career of losing to Tino over, it seems, the last ten years. Some times by a lot,sometimes by a few. The few times I slipped by him were the times Tino was having a "bad day" for Tino. He didn't miss many shots.When called upon to point you could count on him. He always gave me advice and strategy. He made the Willits Club better with his suggestions on strategy and technique. We didn't play together that often, but, in the pick up games, Wednesday's in Sonoma, or, the few mele's we hooked up, I always felt invincible with the Great Tino on my side. Go Tino! There's a Big Petanque Game waiting you in the Sky. You'll be the New Kid again, stepping into the circle with some of the Greatest Old Masters of the Game. Go Tino! We'll miss you."
"Condolences to Tino's friends and family from the Willits Boules Club. Tino was one of the True Gentlemen of The Sport of Petanque here on the West Coast. You could always expect a smile and a handshake first thing when you saw him in the morning, and fair play and great competition when you met him in play. Play on Tino. Play on." Eldon Moilanen

"My condolences to Tino's family and friends." William Widmaier

"I lost my semi final at the US national triplette 2010 against his team and I was waiting for the weather to get better and practice some more to have a rematch (Gilles and Barbara you are not off the hook yet, lol). Tino, I learned some petanque moves from you and I am becoming a better player because of that, my familyand I will greatly miss you on the pistes. My sincere sympathies to your family." Tho Po Yang

I just went on your Club Web site and found lots of Images of Tino there.
So sorry to hear of him passing.
He was quite the Character with his play of Petanque along with his personality.
Send my best to his Friends and Family. Mary Campbell Mann

Was shocked to learn of Tino's passing. He was a great guy and a great player. He always said he wanted to play on a team with me sometime but we never got to. I even thought of us asking him if he wanted to go to Portland with us as a shooter. He enjoyed life and petanque so much, and thought he would be with us for a long time.
So very sorry to hear the news. Sara Davis

Tino was one of my heros. A sweet and gentle person, you were, may you rest in peace.
Alec Stone Sweet

Tu étais mon ami tu étais comme mon frère, tu me manques depuis que t es parti de villefranche. Jamais je ne t oublierai. Michel Veziano

Monday, December 20, 2010

Jean Louis Castagné


La Pétanque Marinière is deeply saddened in having to announce the passing of one of it's oldest and most respected members. Jean Louis Castagné passed away on December 19th 2010.
Louis was a gentle yet hard working man who always had a twinkle in his eye and a kind word on his lips. During his 38 years as a baker at Bordenave's French bakery in San Rafael,
one could tell by tasting the bread whether he had baked it.
Born in France, he was a long-time resident of San Rafael and was an active member of several French clubs including The Lafayette Club and La Pétanque Marinière.
Louis is survived by his loving wife, Marie Louise, daughter Josette, son Paul and granddaughter Cherise. Visitation hours are from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on December 28th with a vigil at 7:00 PM at Keaton's Mortuary in San Rafael. Funeral mass at St. Raphael's Church on December 29 at 10:00 AM followed by interment at Mt. Tamalpais Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to a charity of your choice.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010



"Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" is a Christmas song with an added counterpoint performed by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. "Little Drummer Boy" is a Christmas song written in 1957, while the "Peace on Earth" tune and lyrics were added to the song especially for Bowie and Crosby's recording.
The track was recorded on 11 September for Crosby's 1977 television special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. The pair exchanged dialogue about what they do for Christmas before singing "Little Drummer Boy" with a new counterpoint with original lyrics written for the special, "Peace on Earth". Bowie's appearance has been described as a "surreal" event, undertaken at a time that he was "actively trying to normalise his career". He has since recalled that he only appeared on the show because "I just knew my mother liked him." Buz Kohan was not sure that Crosby knew who Bowie was, but Ian Fraser claimed "I'm pretty sure he did. Bing was no idiot. If he didn't, his kids sure did." Crosby died on October 14, just over a month after recording the special. In the U.S., the show aired on 30 November 1977 on CBS.

According to co-writer Ian Fraser, Bowie balked at singing "Little Drummer Boy". "I hate this song. Is there something else I could sing?" Fraser recalls Bowie telling him. Fraser, along with songwriter Larry Grossman and the special's scriptwriter, Buz Kohan, then wrote "Peace on Earth" as a counterpoint to "Little Drummer Boy". Crosby performed "Little Drummer Boy", while Bowie sang the new tune "Peace on Earth," which they reportedly performed after less than an hour of rehearsal.

LPM 2011 Calendar

La Pétanque Marinière 2011 calendar

All tournaments will start at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays (except as noted).
Most tournament entry fees are $7. Exceptions may apply.
For further information, call Christine at: 415-302-5069 or by email at: petanque.marin@gmail.com

Caution: all data susceptible to change
For the most up to date info go to: cochonnetmarin.com or petanque-marin.blogspot.com

February 13 (Sunday)

Select Doubles
Registration ends at: 10:00 a.m.
Games start at 10:30 a.m.
Cash Prize


March 13 (Sunday) California Commemorative Cup
***Daylight savings starts***

Select Doubles - 1 man + 1 woman
Concours - plus consolante if 16 teams or more.
Entry fee - $7 per person
Prizes:
1st Place - Plaques & Perpetual Trophy
2nd Place - Plaques

Registration ends at: 10:00 a.m. SHARP
Games start at 10:30 a.m.
Bring your own lunch
Apéritifs to be served after the tournament.


April 10 (Sunday) ** Lentils and Sausage Picnic **

Registration ends at: 11 a.m. Games start after Lunch
1 p.m. or before Panaché format, open to all
Bring friends and guests. Non-Cash Prize


May 7 (Saturday) Men's & Women's Tête a Tête

Registration ends at: 10:00 a.m. Games start at 10:30 a.m.
Men’s Tournament / Woman’s Tournament
Cash Prize


June 12 (Sunday) ** Annual Steak Picnic **

Registration ends at: 11 a.m. Games start after Lunch 1 p.m. or before
Panaché format, open to all Bring friends and guests.
Non-Cash Prize

July 10 (Sunday) FPUSA Northwest Regional

Pre-registration Required
Details to Follow
Select Mixed Doubles


August 14 (Sunday) Fourth-Annual Bay Area and Beyond Inter Club Tournament

Fifth-Annual Interclub Tournament. Non-cash prizes. Pre-required registration.

Register by e-mail at: petanque.marin@gmail.com or call Christine Cragg at 415-302-5069



September 11 (Sunday) ** Annual Leg of Lamb Picnic **

Panaché format, open to all. Bring friends and guests.
Registration ends at: 11 a.m. Games start after Lunch
1 p.m. or before
(Free for members in Good Standing).
Non-Cash Prize


October 9 (Sunday)

Tino Lofaro Memorial Tournament
Triples a la Melee - Cash Prize

Registration ends at 9:30. Tournament begins at 10:00

November 13 (Sunday) Tournament a la Mêlée.

Registration ends at: 10:00 a.m.
Games start at 10:30 a.m.
Cash Prize


October -November Tba Annual Business meeting and dinner

For picnic reservations call: Alain Efron : 415-479-5820 E-mail : lutecemeister@gmail.com

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

2010 PA OPEN - Opening Ceremony

courtesy of Pétanque America:

An unforgettable moment of the Open.
Most players never met. Neither did the musicians. No problem.
Turn up your speakers

Friday, December 3, 2010

Berlin Pétanque Scene

Lifestyle | 26.11.2010

Too cool for boules - Berlin's petanquists spin the metal balls their way




Boules is cool again, or so they say, with registered clubs mushrooming all over France and the UK. But there's a whole other petanque culture to be found on autumn evenings along Berlin's canal banks.


"Please, can you get as little information as possible from that Guardian article," my brother says to me, looking strained with exasperation when he learns I'm planning to write about his favorite pastime. He is referring to a piece published over the summer about the new trend for boules in France. The author took the occasion of a celebrity boules tournament set up by fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld in St. Tropez, and then described at length how the stereotypical Gallic pastime was suddenly in again.

The article was illustrated with photos of supermodels and film-stars idling around, gaily flinging metal balls all over the place while wearing straw hats, white shoes and similarly breezy fin-de-siecle attire.

But it wasn't the sight of his favorite social game being hijacked by a bunch of giddy, overpaid fools that so offended my brother - a man who does get frustrated with that sort of thing - it was that the journalist made a distinction between this and "the little image in his head" of normal, traditional boules, also known as petanque: a game for morose, alcoholic French pensioners in string vests and flat caps.

The truth about boules...

Thursday, December 2, 2010

New Pétanque Clubs

There are some new clubs in our ever expanding world of pétanque. If you're traveling and plan to be in their area, don't forget to bring your boules.

THE DAWG’S BOULES, Decatur AL
3451585@GMAIL.COM

SAGUARO PETANQUE CLUB, Tucson AZ
seamoon48@gmail.com

SUNRISE PETANQUE, Santa Rosa CA
skibowlbike@sbcglobal.net

BOULES DE LEON, St. Augustine FL
boulesdeleon@yahoo.com

AMELIA ISLAND BOULES, Fernandina Beach, FL
http://ameliaislandboules.blogspot.com

JUPITER PETANQUE, Jupiter, FL
http://www.jupiterpetanque.com

BOSTON PETANQUE CLUB, Boston MA
www.lemistralclub.home.comcast.net

BOULE ON KILL, Esperance NY
lholland2@nycap.rr.com

ROGUE BOULIGANS, Williams OR
spitnpolish@apbb.net