Pétanque America Open 2012

Boules, beach, music & fun ....
 We highlighted this video years ago, and it remains the quintessential depiction of having a good times with boules. And so close to the atmosphere we enjoy in Amelia Island!
 Now on YouTube, without annoying advertising, the fabulous group "Message", zouk music from Guadeloupe: (PA)

Circle of Pétanque

100 Years of Pétanque

Three Reasons to Cross the Bay Bridge

What to do on an average, ho-hum weekend in the Bay? Head east for a quick game of petanque, a knock-your-socks-off Mexican meal, and a 21st century take on Hamlet, under the stars. 
Click here for the full article.

FPUSA News

As we transition from Summer to Fall, I  wanted to send you a brief update on recent news and info on two upcoming events Firstly, please join me in congratulating our new Women's Team USA! Erin McTaggart, Narin Garrett and Barbara Hall (all from  Valley of the Moon Petanque Club in Sonoma, Ca.) were victorious in the Women's World Championship Qualification Tournament that was held in Blue Hill Maine on September 8-9. The team will represent the USA at the FIPJP Women's World Championship currently scheduled for Tunisia in late 2013 and will certainly be fine representatives for all of us. Nice going, Ladies! Special thanks goes to the Maine Boules Club for hosting the tournament and to all the players who took part. And speaking of World Championships... Next week our Men's Team of Pascal Corschia, Juan Garcia, Ziggy Kessouagni and Peter Mathis travel to Istres, France to play in the Pan American Confederation playoff in order to qualify for a spot in the FIPJP Men's World Championship on October 4-7th in Marseille. Teams from Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Bermuda will be their opponents in Istres and the Pan Am Confederation's three berths in the World Championship will be awarded to the top finishers. The team will be accompanied by Coach Didier Bloch of Boule du Desert and FPUSA Secretary, Frank Pipal, who will be our Head of Delegation. Let's all wish our team GOOD LUCK! Be sure to bookmark this link and follow our team's progress in Marseille.

PETANQUE AMERICA OPEN, NOVEMBER 10-11, AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA There are still a few spots available for what has become the signature event on the U.S. petanque calendar. 128 doubles teams from around the country and abroad will descend on this small and friendly community just outside of Jacksonville, Florida. As some of us already know, PA's Philippe Boets and the crew from Amelia Island Boules offer a great opportunity for players of all levels to compete in a friendly environment, see old friends and make new ones. There will be technique clinics on Friday, November 9th and many other activities over the weekend. For more information and to download a registration form,CLICK HERE. Last event reminder: FPUSA Men's International Qualifier, October 27-28 to be hosted Boca Petanque 2000. The winners of this tournament will represent the USA in 2013 at the FIPJP Confederations World Cup or another international tournament to be announced. Entry form and tournament regulations are available for download. Thank you once again for your support of FPUSA! Wishing you all the best, Ed Porto President, FPUSA

For more information contact:

DAVID RIFFO (707) 373-4539 or davidriffo@yahoo.com

Sponsored by Bank of the West 

"La folie petanque" - Petanque madness (in the world)

La Folie Pétanque, un film de Bruno Evenou by france3provencealpes

The Making Of A Boule

If you have not already made your reservations for the Lamb Picnic, time is running out.  Alain's contact information is near the bottom of this email.  Please get in touch with him.

American Pétanque Exchange

Steve in Virgina has just launched the "American Pétanque Exchange." A "players seeking players" message board. Let's all link to it and make it a useful tool.

The American Petanque Exchange (APE) is an electronic message board whose purpose is to help (new or experienced) petanque players in the USA to find and communicate with each other.

APE is not a club or a meetup.com — it does not hold meetings or sponsor tournaments. It was inspired by the Petanque America message board, which closed in 2005.

§ Find out more about the game of petanque
§ Find pétanque clubs in the USA

Lamorinda Cup Tournament

2012 Emile Furlan Memorial Tournament

Pétanque in the top ten travel sports, at number 3

3. Petanque - France Nothing says "France" like a group of serious-looking, competitive men standing around a sandbox with a cigarette in one hand and a petanque ball in the other. If you're not brave enough to ask them to teach you how to play, try contacting an organization like the Federation of Petanque USA for a few lessons with your local club before you go. For the rest of the article, click pétanque

FPUSA NW Regional Melee Triples in Marin

Petaluma Valley Pétanque Club

Happy Bastille Day

Valley of the Moon Pétanque Club - Summer Newsletter

Click on VOMPC Summer Newsletter to see what our neighbors have been up to and for exciting events to come.

Bastille Day in New York

Pétanque Partner Finder

Hi Petanquers,

Some new names have been added to Petanque Partner Finder on the list 'Who else wants to play...' in Portland,
In the FPUSA NW Regional Mixed Triples Tournament  on Saturday, 28 July 2012.

These two men are looking for a female to make up a Mixed Triple Team.

Click here to see them. 

If you are looking for a partner to play in this tournament, get your name on this list too.

--

The Petanque Partner Finder Team.

LPM July Tournament

Pétanque Partner Finder has created a Partner Finder for the Select Triplette Tournament on  Sunday – July 8, 2012. 

The link is: http://lpmppf.weebly.com/

See you on the 8th!

Bastille Day with the VOMPC

ALLONS ENFANTS DE  LA PETANQUE!!!!!!  The day of glory has arrived...

Yes, that's right, VOMPC's annual Bastille Day Celebration the Grand Concours de Petanque is a little more than two weeks away!  We shall be celebrating on the actual date this year, Le Quatorze Juillet, making it that much more special.

Our host Peter Mathis will be directing the random triples tournament and Ravenswood Wine is providing the wine (glass of wine with lunch and tournament prizes).  Tournament registration closes at 10:00 am ($5 entry fee).  It's always an enjoyable day in the field and you just might get your name engraved on that gigantic trophy.

Chef Christine Piccin will once again grace us with her creative culinary presence.  The menu is refreshing and imaginative.  From the Amuse of Chilled Watermelon Mint Soup to the dessert of Chocolate Mousse Profiterole Cake with Whipped Cream and Edible Flower Confetti (for a complete menu please see the attachment).  We are only able to serve 150 people and it's always a sellout. In other words, RESERVE EARLY!!!

Lunch is $20 per person and reservations are necessary.  We have a cut-off date of July 11th but it may be sooner if we reach the maximum.  Please call the hotline 707 343-9465 or go online at www.vompc.org.  

For entertainment this year we have a dapper young accordianist JD Limelight, who will play French Cafe music during our fabulous repast. The day would not be complete without Jean-Michel "Le Facteur" Poulnot leading the French National anthem, La Marseillaise, sing along.  I have attached the condensed version with translation (subject to interpretation) so that everyone will be able to belt it out with authority.

It promises to be another thoroughly entertaining day and we hope to see you there!

Merci, A+

Shannon Bowman

Valley of the Moon Petanque Club

Communications Committee

2012 NW Region Mixed Triples and Men's and Women's Singles

LPM Meleè Tournament

Great news For Pétanque in San Francisco

Pétanque court proposal sets out for support in implementing a new court in San Francisco's Panhandle Park with use of the community opportunity funds grant.

The French game pétanque and the Italian version bocce ball are  games with growing popularity. Michael Varner, pétanque player of five years and Panhandle neighbor, is a member of La Boule d’Or, the oldest formal pétanque club in the U.S., and needs support in his proposal for new courts.

There are two locations in the City where there are bocce ball courts already: La Playa Park at Judah and La Playa, and Aquatic Park at Fisherman’s Wharf. La Boule d’Or has terrain in Golden Gate Park also, near 36th Avenue, but the remote location hinders its growth and popularity, says Varner. He is looking to have a more centralized location.

For the rest of the article, click here.

Petaluma Valley Pétanque Club

Where's The Beef? - VOMPC

This tournament is a hoot!   Last year was great fun as players were subjected to all sorts of peculiar petanquing.  The VOMPC chits are given out as deemed necessary by the roving officials.  If your team is seriously lacking in points, you may be given a "carreau card" that allows you to replace a pesky opponent's boule with your own.  Or an "ass-backwards card" that forces an opponent of your chosing to play facing in the opposite direction.  Particular attention is paid to whiners and poor sports, which is seriously frowned upon.

Please note we are starting a little later than usual with registration ending at 10:30 am.  Tournament play begins @ 11:00 am and the cost is $5 per person. The fabulous vegetarian lunch (in honor of veggie director Peter Wellington) will be prepared by Chefs Narin Garrett and Ryan Tatarian.  Appetizers, Primavera Pasta, Tossed Salad and Bread Pudding Dessert paired with a glass of Wellington wine is only $10.  Reservations are required for lunch so please call the hotline @ 707-343-9465 or register online at www.vompc.org.  

We hope to see everyone there in good spirits!

Boule on!

Valley of the Moon Petanque Club

Sacramento Pétanque -FPUSA Northwest Regional – Select Triples

Club Français de Sacramento

Hi all, 


It's time to get your teams together and register for the FPUSA Northwest Regionals - Select Triples on Sunday June 3rd. 


Please note that the closing date is May 31 @ 5PM. 
If you cant mail your registration in please email me @ mcgillfam@gmail.com. or call me @ 916 233 8327 .




Thank you  hope to see you there

Kevin McGill
Director of Petanque
Club Francais de Sacramento

La Pétanque Mendocino

About REBC                          The "Noyo Yoyos"                       Tournaments

Redwood Empire Boules Club

Hi all

Beat the heat and join us for a great weekend of petanque on the coast! Mark the weekend of June 23-24 on you calendar.

The REBC will host the 2012 Northwest Regional Men's and Women's Doubles on Sunday, June 24th, in Fort Bragg. This will be the first tournament at our new facility, and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible for the competition.

We invite everyone to make it a fun and relaxing weekend on the beautiful Mendocino Coast. As an enticement, we have scheduled the first annual Skip Wollenberg Memorial Open for Saturday, June 23rd. This will be a select format, so you can play with your partner for the regional, or a different partner if you like.

We are also introducing a feature that is in development, which we hope to make available for all tournaments through the FPUSA. We are calling it the "Petanque Partner Finder" for now. It is designed to help players who are looking for team partners do so easily and efficiently. Etienne Rijkheer of the Lamorinda club has done a great job developing the application. You will find a link to the "PPF" in the attached invitation, and on our website: www.redwoodempireboules.com. Even if you don't need to use it for this tournament, please take a look and give us feedback.

The attachment has a description of the events, travel and lodging information, maps, and the entry forms for each event. Everything you need to know is there. Please save the date and plan to come.

Best regards

Mickey Coughlin
President, REBC

Augusta, Maine

John Rolland Boca Tournament

Los Angeles/Topanga Canyon Event

Dear petanqueurs friends,

Please come to play at the exciting open doublette (2 players) petanque event in Los Angeles California.

WHERE: The tournament will take place in a fantastic location resembling Provence in Topanga Canon, a still”rural” area of Los Angeles. A charming bar restaurant is readily accessible from the court surrounded by the verdant vegetation of the canyon. Froggy’s is just a couple of miles from the Pacific Ocean and Malibu

The tournament is a doublette tournament open to anyone, a true open tournament.

The participation is $100 per team.

Team that have lost will be able to buy back (reenter the tournament) twice for a $40 extra fee each time they want to reenter (2 buy back maximum).Buy back are only possible before the quarter finals.

PRICES are $1500 + some of the entry fees depending of the participation.

DATE: 06/09/2012- tournament starts at 10:30 am-Inscriptions are open until 10 am.

LOCATION: Froggy's Topanga Fish Market Restaurant

1105 N Topanga Canyon Blvd
Topanga, CA 90290

ORGANIZERS AND CONTACTS: JEANNOT ZANELLA  818 259-1218

                                                         FELIX LEGRAND       310 339 5945

Feel also free to email at grouveyrol@sbcglobal.net if you have questions.

The tournament is organized outside of the FPUSA

tir au fer / carreau

LPM - Men's & Women's Tête a Tête

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tête a Tête

Men’s Tournament / Women’s Tournament

                           Tournament Fee $7.00

Tournament Registration ends @ 9:30

Games begin @ 10:00

Cash Prizes

Three places in each tournament

(Bring your own lunch)

Note:  There is a foot race being held on the Civic Center Campus that morning. Parking will be difficult!  Please allow time for this complication.

Registration cut off and tournament start up times will be honored.

Be on Time!

For up-to-date-tournament information

www.cochonnetmarin.com or petanque-marin.blogspot.com     

Dave’s cell (707) 373-4539

Blog Updates

Please refer to some of the most recent posts, as some have been updated, either with new information, entry forms or cancellations due to forecasted inclement weather. Speaking of weather, several new and important cities, to where players might be inclined to travel, have been added to the weather list.

Also, if you have never been to Bryant Park in New York City, National Public Radio did a nice interview of the local boulistes who frequent the park. Matthew Broderick, as well, recorded a wonderful podcast of pétanque in the park. If you close your eyes, it is easy to feel as though you were there.

FPUSA Singles/Mixed Triples in Fresno

If you plan to play in the nationals coming up in Fresno, the following is information that might help you deciding where to stay.

Nationals in Fresno April 28 & 29

Stay 1 block from the pistes!

The Ramada Inn

324 E. Shaw Ave.

Fresno, CA. 93710

559-224-4040

$70 rate

under: Fresno Petanque Club

CODE #: FRES-00

Fresno/FPUSA Nationals

FPUSA 2012 Northwest Regional 65 Over/Under Mixed Doubles Tournament

On 15 April 2012, Lamorinda Petanque Club will be hosting the

2012 FPUSA Northwest Regional 65 Over/Under Mixed Doubles Tournament

at 480 St Marys Road in Lafayette.

If you are thinking of participating in this fun new tournament, one player needs to be female and the other male. Also, one player must be over 65 and the other under 65 on the day of the tournament. So, you can have a 70-year-old female and a 15-year old male as a team, for example.

We think that there are enough players of all ages in the area to achieve this 65 over/under mix, so get busy and organize a partner, and come along to this fun new competition.

Click here for the entry form...

For those of you who have never been to the Lamorinda Petanque Club, you will find directions and more elsewhere on this blog.

We need to have your entry form and payment by 12 April, so don't delay, act today!!

Heart of Austin Pétanque Club

HOT Petanque Tournament

On April 1, 2012, the Heart of Texas Petanque Club will host its annual Open Doubles Tournament at the Mueller-Browning Hangar in Austin, Texas. The Browning Hangar, built during the Second World War when there was a shortage of steel, is a historically unique structure remaining from Austin’s Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. The renovated aircraft hangar of glued laminated wooden arches has a clear span of approximately 130 feet, rising to a height of 37 feet which accommodates 15 petanque courts inside and another 8 courts outside with a playing surface of decomposed red granite.
Sign up while team openings are available and come to experience the thrill of playing in one of the world’s truly awesome venue as a boulodrome.. Teams will be coming as far as France, Morocco, Greece, Colombia, as well as national teams from TX, FL,CA,LA,Mi etc...
It is open and free for the general public to watch the games. We have food vendors on site.
PASS IT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. TO SIGN UP EMAIL ME BACK OR CALL 512 468 0957
THANK YOU.
--
A + LOVE Arsene
Arsene Dupen

Heart of Texas Pétanque Club

Rogue Bouligans of Williams Oregon

Valley of the Moon Pétanque Club -Ides of March

The Ides of March event has been cancelled due to forecasted inclement weather. For further information the VOMPC hotline is (707) 343-9465 or website www.vompc.org.

California Commemorative Cup- Slideshow

The California Commemorative Cup took place at LPM's Pierre Joske courts in San Rafael, last Sunday the 11th, and from all appearances, despite the threat of rain, was a resounding success.

Twenty teams from clubs as far away as Mendocino and Lafayette, not to mention Sonoma, Petaluma and of course our own, battled for the honor of having their names engraved on the cup.

In the end, LPM's Claudie Chourré and Lamorinda's Etienne Rijkheer triumphed over the field to win the honors. Their struggle was great, given that the competition was fierce, yet their perserverance and spot-on performances enabled several unexpected upsets.

LPM would like to congratulate, not only the winners, however all of the contestants who participated in making the competition exciting and the day enjoyable.

Dan Feaster of the Redwood Empire Boules Club took some fantastic images of the days events and can be viewed by clicking on slideshow.

California Commemorative Cup

Lamorinda Pétanque Club - Mardi Gras

EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER

A Note From Nan Walter

Last Sunday Dan and I went to the oldest pétanque club in America La Boule d'Or of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco for a tournament. We played on separate teams. The courts are veneralbe and as Finn can attest, very challenging to play. Dan's team came in third. There was a young French woman, a SF State student from Poitiers, who was doing a documentary film on the tournament there. She selected our team to follow for the day. Some of her footage is available on line. The team is yours truly; pointer; Higgins, tall guy in hat, former owner of Glendeven Inn, Little River, shooter and captain; Steve Jones, chiropractor, Petaluma, middle. We had a wonderful day and were pleased with our results. We were the only team to beat the winners! We also beat the second place team. Of the teams that finished in the money only Dan's third-place team beat us. The way the points are tallied accounts for our not finishing in the money.

The weather was gorgeous and much fun was had by all. Interesting to note, we were the only exclusively Anglophone team in the competition. Dan was the only native English speaker on his team. All the other teams were Francophone. Announcements were made in French and the handbill was in French.

Nan

La boule d'or contest from Alice Debois-Froge on Vimeo.

La Boule Cadienne de Lafayette

Last year, we had a very good time and enjoyed hosting you all. The
competition was good, the entry fees modest, the trophies and awards
were from France and supplemented by merchandise donated by Obut. The
demonstration rounds by Bernard Champey, a former world champion from
France, will again take place. The food here in Lafayette, we believe
is better than New Orleans and the hospitality, well, it's Cajun. The
tournament occurs in the middle of Lent, the time of year that lots of
restaurants have seafood dishes. Even steakhouses carry seafood
specials. It's also crawfish season. So bring an appetite .

Last year, we had built a two court addition to our existing two
courts. The courts were hard packed and difficult and challenging. The
new courts have mellowed and are softer now. We've added a fine layer
of sand to all of the courts and the result is consistent surface.
Additionally, we have an excellent area to play au sauvage. As you
remember, we play under live oaks so its usually cool.

We have a large french speaking community here and you can hear
francophones speaking Cajun and Creole Louisiana French as well as
accents from Europe and Africa.

If anyone needs to advice on where to stay, what to eat or what to
wear, then please contact me at this email address: Michael LeBlanc with a phone

number. I'll call you and we can make some plans for your visit.

Je souhaite que vous autres peux venir ici a Lafayette et jouer dans le tournoi.

Merci/Thanks

Mike LeBlanc

Valley of the Moon Pétanque Club - Calendar 2012

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