Playing tricks on MPC Mascot

He can't even sleep without worry's... Sorry... I couldn't resist.

Boule Cloutee - Fishscale Design

Just recently acquired from the South of France. This antique boule cloutee was made with the hard burl of a tree, cut into a sphere shape, and then nails were carefully hammered into it's surface in a spiral pattern (with a copper type nail spelling out the owner's initial"I")

The size: about 100 mm and about 850 grams

a fantastic piece of petanque history

Joe's Article for Mastercard's "Priceless" Website

Click here for PRICELESS article link

Lessons for All...

While the experienced players did their triplettes on Courts 1 and 2, on Court 3, Cheryl gave Petanque Lessons to some new guests...

Super Hot Day on Saturday - bring out the Dr. Pepper

As the heat just piled on (it was 85 degrees) - members resorted to dipping their heads into the fountain (Jeff) drinking down endless giant cups of water from Au Bon Pain - and then, the free samples of pop from the Dr. Pepper trucks rolled in...

Wade, Scott, Allan & Jeffrey Compete to Closest Pointing

VOM Pétanque hosting national championships; Valley women sweep; winter champs

By Steven Serafini
Thursday, May 25, 2006 8:27 PM PDT

5.26.06 -- The top pétanque players in the United States will be coming to Sonoma to compete in the National Championship Tournament, with the winner representing the USA in the World Pétanque Championships, slated for September in Grenoble, France.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 3 and 4, the Valley of the Moon Pétanque Club will host players from New York, Florida, Southern California, Oregon and the Bay Area competing for the national title at the Henri Maysonnave Memorial Courts in Sonoma's Depot Park. The public is invited to watch all the top-level action.

Brasserie Petanque in Buenos Aires

Look at this authentic French Brasserie in the heart of Buenos Aires! It is the biggest brasserie in South America, with Executive chef Sebastian Fouillade and a staff of 20 are serving the finest brasserie menu... boeuf bourguignon, escargots, steak tartare, onion soup, moules frites, crepes suzette or creme brulee... and don't miss the profiteroles!

Petanque decorations are all over this place, from petanque tiles, items on their menu in boule-shapes, to life-size bronze petanque players mounted high-up on the walls on either side of the bar, to various petanque posters and other regalia.

This is a definite stopover if you're ever in Argentina!

Tuesday is Boule-Tastic!

The club was join by new bouler (and practiced bowler) Johnny who (after a few rounds) was pointing extremely well.

Then Muhammed showed up and entered the mix, using his energetic pointing moves with great success.

The day, however, was won by TonyT, Sharon & Gene - who, with experience, pulled ahead 13/8

Motor City Petanque Society Looking for Recruits

The Motor City Petanque Society is gearing up for member recruitment. This coming Saturday (May 27th) Gene will be asking people to sign up for his club at Campus Martius Park.

Monday - Lunchtime - Noon to 1pm - Campus Martius Park

Summer season for MPC starts to take Shape!

It's beginning to look like the club play is officially back in action at the MPC piste... as is the boule sorting! It was great to see old friends with smiles, along with a few more new ones too! The courts are sure to be busy this year...

Is 60 Degrees Too Cold?

Apparently its much warmer than I thought in Florida during the winter! The cold winter wear came out of the closet while our good friends, Michele and Jeanette visited our piste after returning to the "cold" of the Michigan spring... (P.S. I think I'm headed South with them next year!)

This Could've Been Ours!

After a visit to an auction at Four Bears Water Park, I had to walk away without purchasing the perfect 120' x 450' Boulodrome for next winter... It turns out that I was $35,000 short! :-(

Petanque is for All Ages!

Jack and his Grandmother were about to go to a movie when they spotted the club playing in the park. Jack was very interested in trying out the sport and we gave him a preliminary practice session (throwing boules, shooting boules, rolling to the cochon - he did VERY well) before having a full 13-point petanque game (Jack & Jeff vs. Dan (throwing left-handed)).

Jack really held his own, knowing all of the rules, hitting the opposition's boule a number of times, and pointing very closely. He is going to show his Grandpa and his Dad the game, and no doubt soon they'll all return to play with the club.

Running a Petanque Club is a Balancing Act

One of the many things Joe Z. and I try to do is minimize the number of arguments (and potential arguments) possible on the petanque piste.

Usually, an argument falls into the "nobody kept accurate score so now there's question as to who has what" or the "my boule is closest" without bothering to measure...

That's why a club president must ALWAYS be prepared with a ruler, a knowledge of the FPUSA Rules, and some sort of scorekeeper (or scoreboard).

Avoiding arguments is the best method for club longevity.

Picnics, Cochons Played in the Street, Cowboys...

Alongside the petanque pistes at Campus Martius Park are sumptuous green lawns - perfect for pincnics, and even bocce (if anyone knows what that is... it's Italian Petanque).

When Dan struck the cochon out on to busy Woodward Avenue - Joe decided it was still in play. He got the point - and almost got nailed by a MACK too.

Alex and Brian Stop By to Boule

Muhammed Joins the Club

Having only just recently meeting Muhammed by chance during one of our lunchtime petanque matches, I learned that he was playing petanque about 6 years ago!

And his pointing skills are really reflected in his excellent game play.

Lots of Fun on Saturday at Campus Martius Park

The sun was out for the whole day, warming up the piste to about 65 degrees. Everyone was out at C-Mart, playing boule and socializing.

La Franc Boules from Bangkok, Thailand

Just when you thought you've seen every type of boule - BAM! Here's "La Franc" FIPJP Approved boules from Thailand from the FBT Sports company.

Petanque is very popular in Thailand, and in fact, if you're in the Thai Army, there is a mandatory 2 hours of petanque play each day! It promotes (as we all know) coordination, teamwork play, and strategic thinking. And I guess in a pnch, if you're out of ammunition, you can always use your three boules as weapons...

Dogs of Paris

You've probably seen all of our Havanese club mascot shots--It's quite clear we're dog lovers! (with Marley, Celia, T'Choupi, & Pepper), these are some doggy shots I came across that I thought would be fun to share from the year I first learned about Petanque in Paris. It's a puppy-loving city, and these are just a few of the little one's I saw...


Yorkie hides behind the park bench, my shooting was in its infancy and he wasn't taking any chances!


Little Yorkie hiding on the side lines


No, It's not Marley, it's his long lost uncle Marlè


In Paris, dogs can grocery shop too! I love Paris!


What's the size and weight ratio on these two??


Who can't love a Pug!?


Little Yorkie enjoying the park...


A little boule for this little guy...


A very fuzzy Chow-Chow


I'm not sure whose leading who here...

Poetic Take on Petanque

Sunshine and Petanque at Lunchtime at Campus Martius Park

Angelina (right side of photo in sunglasses) has a pointing throw that I think rivals Sharon's throw. The two of them together would make an unbeatable team. TonyR (beside Angelina) has also been concentrating on the finer points of game strategy.

It was a brilliant wednesday lunch - which a couple of games in, lots of onlookers asking about the game and getting into the heated action.

Shooting Competitions

Formally accepted shooting competitions involve a few basic pieces of equipment. There is a ring affixed to the ground within which are placed various combinations of boules and cochon. The shooter then stands in one of the 4 circles cut in a piece of tarp laid on the ground a particular distance from that circle. After each shot, the player moves to the next circle in the tarp. Scores are tallied for perfect hits - all the way to total misses. It appears that the equipment involved is relatively easy to fabricate - and should present a fun side-event at a petanque club's tournament.

We Have Mothers?

The new clock is in and operational, everyone gets docked for how late they are! Why is it almost 2:00, and only I and Cyrille are ready to play! Everyone else must have a mother to visit with today I guess...


Actually, our mother's were present. They were rooting for their sons behind the scenes! I'd say the results of our games, but I won't, and since Cyrille doesn't have administrative rights on the BLOG, no one will know what the outcome was... I'll just say that I won the last game! ;-)

Hand Painted Cochons

www.boule-fantasien.de/seiten/galerie/gallerie.htm
It appears that this German website offers hand-painted cochons for all sorts of uses, decorative and for petanque. These designs are wonderfully creative (and inspiring).

The Chicago Tournament Results

By popular demand, the results of the first ever Chicago tournament are here for review. It seems that the tournament has stirred the competitive spirit of all the MPA club members involved! Can't wait for the next one!

Dan Stays To Teach Us A Lesson

Me and Ken took on Dan and Lindsey well after all the troops were gone. Ken and I, we're practicing for the World Cup Qualifier Tournament in Sonoma, CA in June; we're playing as a team with Brian from Le Mistral in MA. We happened to be winning 3 of 3 games, but Dan was adement on staying late to teach us a lesson. Him and Lindsey won the next two games! But it was great!, Ken & I learned much about stamina in our games, and Dan added great advice about our team strategy for June.

Plenty of Competition and Competition Boules

While most of us started off using leisure boules, after a while, we wanted something to call our own. a personal statement of identifying with our beloved sport.

Competition boules offer up additional satisfaction because when it is YOUR boule that's close, or shot away or whatever - you feel even more personally invested in the action.

Before you go out and buy your professional boules ($60-$280 (or even $400 if you are Joe)) take the time to use other people's competition boules. Feel different weights and sizes. Once you find the right combination - make a note of it and then go ahead and make your personal statement!

Chicago Petanque Club Members Play in Detroit

Armin & Anne from the Chicago Petanque Club came up to Detroit to visit and play with our club.

It is interesting (and vital) to play boule on a variety of surfaces. Sometimes you'll be in a competition, and the surface you encounter will determine if you'll win or lose!

Rainy Days Don't Scare True Petanquers Away

True, even I was a little hesitant to show up today. The weather report for Detroit said 60% showers all day - but after my puppy (Pepper) finished chewing up my eyeglasses, and important documents [don't ask!]- it was time to escape (with Pepper) to the pistes.

Havanese Mascots Lord Over Today's Matches

Pepper joined the ranks of the many Havanese dogs in our ranks (Marley; Waldo; T'Choupi; and Celia). While the members bouled, the dogs played with their chew toys (and enjoyed free soup (French Onion!) spilled by Joe Z. - they lapped it up and smelled like onions afterwards!

Seagull Captures Cochon

During an afternoon game of petanque, an inspired seagull darted after a newly tossed cochon. It flew off with the aim-ball for a little distance, dropping it well off the piste. Birds, dogs, squirrels, even ocelots can intrude upon a game of petanque - what to do?


Article 11 — Displacement of Jack by Nature, Persons or Animals

If, during an end, the cochonnet is completely obscured by a leaf, piece of paper etc., remove these objects.

If the wind or slope of the terrain moves the stationary cochonnet, it is put back in its place providing its position had been marked.

The same applies if the cochonnet is moved accidentally by the umpire, a player, a spectator, a boule or cochonnet from another game, an animal or any moving object.

To avoid any argument, the players should mark the Cochonnets position. No claim can be accepted regarding a boule or cochonnet whose position has not been marked.

Gene Represents Detroit Pistons AND Petanque

As I approached the pistes to play our usual lunchtime session of petanque at Campus Martius Park I spotted Gene S. doing some pro-Detroit Pistons promotions nearby.

There's always something going on at C-Mart (Smart) - it's the Times Square for the MidWest.

The Chicago Tournament May 7th

Midwest Alliance in Chicago

Sunday, May 7th.
It was a super tournament meeting of the Midwest Petanque Alliance. The surface was challenging, the weather was beautiful, new friendships were made and the games were exciting. The final championship game was close with some excellent shooting.

The First Chicago Petanque Tournament

Thanks to Joe and Lindsey Z. the Chicago Petanque Club held it first official tournament. It was a tremendous success. Joe and Lindsey were co-tournament directors and did an outstanding job of organizing a really fun time for all.

The setting was on the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan in the north end of Lincoln Park. The weather was sunny and pleasant. Each doublette team played three games. The entire day of playing led up to a very exciting championship game.


Many photos and more details of this great day to follow later this week.

Dan Danielson
Chicago Petanque Club

Great Weather - Good Friends - Close Games

Havanese Central at Campus Martius Park

Saturday Brought Many New Friends to Play Boule

Joe Z. and Lindsey S. will be driving down to Chicago to meet up with Dan Danielson and his fellow Chicago Petanque Club members. Joining them will be a group of top U.S. Bocce players and together they shall play both sports at a splendid site along the lake.

Here's the Sun - Bring on the Boules

Today was glorious at Campus Martius Park. We played a series of games with Linda, TonyT, Myron, Margaret, Renee, Sondra, Keith and Jeff.

In front of many lunchtime onlookers, my game concluded 13 (us) to 3...