Tributo Al "Sultan" (Patxi Churruca)

   Yo no sé si os ocurre que escuchando alguna pieza de música ésta se transforma en imágenes. Es lo que me pasó la vez pasada escuchando el tercer movimiento de la novena sinfonía de Beethoven, un adagio maravilloso, una pieza suave, armoniosa. De pronto, las notas musicales me transportaron a un escenario de tiempos pasados en  el que la imagen del gran Patxi Churruca y la música se fundían en perfecta simbiosis.

     Ha habido grandes zagueros, grandísimos zagueros, los Chimela, Chucho Larrañaga, Felix, Lopez, Irastorza... Y otros de otras épocas que no llegué a conocer. Estilos diferentes, otras características, extraordinarios todos. Ahora bien, la majestuosidad del Sultan, así lo llamaban a Patxi Churruca, era de tal calibre que yo nunca jamás he visto cosa igual sobre cancha alguna. Sus movimientos estaban dotados de una armonía que más que jugar a un juego parecía interpretar alguna especie de danza clásica.
  
Su derecha, su revés, su rebote, eran de tal elegancia que el juego brusco y agresivo que es el jai alai de pronto se convertía en algo armonioso hasta lo inimaginable cuando intervenía Churruca, El Sultán. Su caminar, más que caminar flotaba sobre la cancha, todos sus gestos, desde el revés con saltito, la derecha de lado, una maravilla.

   Lo mismo diría de Ondarres, en los cuadros alegres, todo en él era armonioso, lo difícil lo convertían en fácil. No es que jugaran una barbaridad, eran encima elegantes.

  Era por la década de los sesenta, el escenario, el Jai Alai de Gernika. El fronton a rebosar de gente. No recuerdo la combinación completa, sólo que El Sultan y Ondarres eran contrarios. El tanto fue larguísimo. Ante el ataque de Ondarres, Churruca levantó tres txik-txaks increíbles. El rumor del público in crescendo. De pronto, El Sultan interceptó la pelota con su derecha y soltó un dos-paredes finalizando el tanto. El fronton se caía, un delirio.

   Si hubiera vídeos de la época, si los viéramos en pantalla, imagino al Sultan caminando majestuoso sobre la cancha, entrando de bote-corrido, reboteando, todo en perfecta coreografía, todo en cámara lenta, mientras, suena la  música de fondo, suena el tercer movimiento de la novena de Beethoven.

    (Dedicado a Angel, aficionado de Durango que recuerda con nostalgia los sesenta y los setenta del Ezkurdi, y que dejó un "comment" tras leer la entrevista Bolibar, comentario que me hizo mucha ilusión).  

¿Tu Delantero Preferido Desde Los 70s Hasta Hoy?

  A la derecha de este posting veréis una encuesta. La pregunta es quién en las últimas décadas, qué delantero, te ha gustado más, tu preferido. Por su forma de jugar, su estilo, su carisma o por lo que sea. La tentación es hacer la consulta de quién ha sido el mejor en tu opinión.

   No me parece una buena formulación. El tema es subjetivo. Goiko no se ha podido medir con los Joey, Katxin etc. No cabe, pues, la comparación.

  La lista se podría ampliar porque delanteros de talla los ha habido en cantidad. Sin embargo, el diseño de este programa no permite incluir más candidatos.

  Ánimaros, a ver qué sale y luego, a posteriori, hacemos una valoración.
Eskerrik asko, gracias.

Gracias Christian

     Clickeo y no está, lo busco y no aparece. Se había convertido en una costumbre. Qué dirá Hov; y Carl...; qué nos contará DPOE sobre el Citrus de Ocala... Es como si de repente te cierran el bar de la esquina y dejas de estar con tus amigos. Porque eso es lo que había conseguido Christian con su chiringuito: juntarnos gentes de diferentes procedencias en torno a la pelota y pasar un buen rato "keeping in touch".

  Echaré de menos Club Fronton, intuyo que muchos sentirán lo mismo. Nos acostumbraremos. Y espero que Christian vuelva, con buenas ideas, con mucho ánimo. Gracias Christian por la lección.

   Qué no podrían hacer las empresas y federaciones, instituciones que se les suponen los recursos para promocionar e innovar, de contar con gente como Christian, quien sin saber si la "pelota es redonda o cuadrada" (lo digo con todo el cariño del mundo) ha sido capaz de remover toda una base de aficionados, un núcleo duro que existe, está ahí, como ha demostrado  el site de Christian.
  Seguiré clickeando y buscando con la esperanza de encontrarme de nuevo con los amigos que sé están ahí pero no los veo. Mientras seguiré escribiendo en este humilde blog y en txiktxak.com que nació como pequeño complemento de Club Fronton.

  Un abrazo Christian y gracias de nuevo.

Le Petit Danny

     Danny, Petit Danny, pequeño gran pelotari que después de cuatro décadas (se dice fácil) se retira de las canchas, según leo en la magnífica entrevista hecha por Jesus Zulaica. Es fácil escribir sobre las grandes figuras, sus hazañas, la leyenda construida entorno a ellos. Hay, sin embargo, gente más corriente que pese a tener un mérito extraordinario pasan de largo sin suscitar apenas un comentario. Es injusto. La entrevista realizada por su amigo Txantxa es un homenaje más que merecido, una forma de hacer justicia, diría.

    No es fácil ser figura en el jai alai a pesar de estar físicamente bien dotado. Es un deporte muy exigente. Es complicado jugar muchos años, te tienen que respetar las lesiones, tener suerte en definitiva. Lo que ha hecho Danny, Petit Danny, es casi imposible, al alcance de unos pocos. Perdurar en el tiempo dándolo todo y con pocos recursos físicos. Tiene un mérito descomunal que siendo "poca cosa", algo más de metro y medio y 60 kilos de peso, se le considere "libra por libra" uno de los grandes de nuestro deporte merecedor, si existiera, de una plaza en el Hall of Fame del Jai Alai.

    ¿Qué ha contribuido a que Danny haya podido jugar tantos años dándolo todo?

   La suerte de contar con unas posturas idóneas (biomecánica) para desarrollar al máximo su potencial. Eso que se dice: "con menos no se puede jugar más". Lo que le ha permitido jugar cuatro décadas sin apenas lesiones. Insólito. 

    Hay algo más, creo yo. Danny refleja el espíritu de una época aquella en que lo competitivo era tan brutal que no quedaba más remedio que luchar y luchar por hacerse un hueco y cuanto más arriba mejor.

   Petit Danny llega a Florida verde, no "jugaba ni patrás", según sus palabras. Su único recurso es luchar y adaptarse o marcharse a casa. Survival of the fittest. En aquella selva que era el jai alai en los 70s y 80s las fieras se comían los más débiles. Y Danny aprende a luchar porque quería y necesitaba a toda costa mantenerse en aquello que le apasionaba, el jai alai, y cuanto más arriba, mejor. 

  Danny ha dejado atrás contrincantes, intendentes, frontones, huelgas. Hace diez años confesaba al Hartford Courant que se "acabó", se iba a casa. Danny, sin embargo, continuó, a la primera oportunidad volvió y siguió luchando, diez años más. Sí, ya lo sé, más de uno dirá, ¿donde se gana más que en el frontón? Cierto. Hasta cierto punto. En el caso de Danny hay algo más también. Ése espíritu luchador que le facilita el continuar con dignidad. Enfadándose, soñando por jugar las de arriba, aunque sea de suplente en la última, cuando la mayoría desea irse a casa cuanto antes.

   Nos podemos fijar en las estrellas que ha dado el jai alai, pero si queremos encontrar lo mejor que ha dado el deporte, Danny es el ejemplo. 

Exclusive Interview With "Amazing" Danny

A Conversation with Danny Erdocio

January 17, 2010

Where and when were you born

I was born in St Jean de Luz, on October 31, 1958

Are you married

Yes, my wife’s name is Denise and we have three children; two boys and one girl.

Where do you live now

I live with my family in Port St. Lucie, Florida and we run a family cleaning business servicing companies from South Florida to Orlando

What is your height and weight

I am 5’5” tall and weigh 135 lbs

How did you get started in Jai Alai and how old were you

I started when I was 10 years old at the jai alai school in St Jean de Luz, it was 1969.

However, jai alai was not my first sport. I played rugby before jai alai – I did not even know what jai alai was. I was pretty good at rugby but broke my arm. I was actually good because I knew how to position myself on the field. In the 70’s you did not need to have a large physique to play rugby, like now. After my injury, my father asked me to go to the jai alai school to look around, I did and I became interested.

Did you play Plaza Libre

[Plaza Libre is a Jai Alai modality played on an outdoor court with only one front wall -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_pelota]

Not a lot because I did not have the strength and the St Jean de Luz school did not offer much Plaza Libre. I played a lot of Rebote [one of several Basque pelota modalities] and I loved it. As a 15 year old, I played in Villabona with a packed house. Rebote helped me a lot with my right side.

When and where did you make your professional debut

I turned professional in Ft. Pierce, Florida, March 1976. In France, I only played as an amateur partnering with Acin. We played well together and placed second in one of the jai alai tournaments in Mexico. My first contract was only for one season in Ft Pierce. Berenson and Callahan came to France to scout for talent and gave contracts to a few of us. As soon as we got to Miami, I was handed a piece of paper to sign. I did not know what it said because I did not speak English but I had to sign it. It was another contract reducing my pay from the original $1,050 monthly to $650. Acin got his contract reduced from $1,050 to $850.

Tell us about your early experiences as a professional Pelotari in the US

I realized I did not play very well [in Danny’s own words “ni pa tras”]. There was a lot of competition. I was sheltered in France and did not know that there was so much Pelota talent in Spain. In the beginning, I had a very tough time adjusting. I did not speak English or Spanish. I think I only won 36 quinielas in four months. The Players Manager used to call me into his office to yell at me telling me I had to throw harder [“dale, dale, dale…..”]. I would get very upset with the constant badgering. I knew physically I did not have the power to throw as hard as he wanted me to and I knew it was about more than just strength but I had not yet developed those other skills. That came later on.

What were your goals and objectives in those early years

In France, a player’s dream was to play in Miami so my main objective was to get there. But every year, I would land in the US and while others headed for Miami, I was sent to Ft Pierce. While I was just as capable as some of those players that went to Miami, I remained in Ft Pierce. I believe there was a certain prejudice because I was not big and strong as Alfredo, the Players Manager preferred.

And that made you fight harder. So what was the turning point in your career

I always fought hard; you know me. However, the real leap came with Berenson in 1981. My game gradually improved and, when Berenson bought Harford, he offered me a 3-year contract doubling my salary to $2,100 per month. I went to Hartford with the intent of taking no prisoners on the court. For me, it was a new beginning and salvation from my experience with Alfredo, where there was bad chemistry in the Player/Manager relationship. This opportunity gave me a lot of motivation to play well and win games. I started working out at the gym. Urquiaga was a great motivator for me, urging me to get stronger. I knew my physique limited my ability to play in the later games but I knew I could play really well.

Was this the best moment in your career

No, the best moment in my career was during the two or three years preceding the strike.

And the worst moments

My first year in Ft Pierce, I did not speak English so I could not communicate with anyone. It is a different world. You do not know where you are on the court because you cannot communicate. I had not played quinielas ever before. But in two months, I learned how to speak a bit of Spanish and everyone was very good to me.

What did you do when Hartford closed. Did you get a contract right away

No. I did not play for two years even though I was available to play in Miami, Tampa, etc. No one would sign me. In 1997, Ricky Lasa called and asked me if I wanted to play in Miami or Tampa. Since I lived in Pembroke Pines at the time, I chose Miami. The first two months were rough but little by little, I improved. I continued to play there until 2007. Then I played Ft. Pierce in the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

How would you define yourself as a Player

I do not define myself. That is something I leave to others who have seen me play.

I understand but what would you say were your strengths and weaknesses.

Good technique has allowed me to play in Miami to 49 years of age. Also, knowing how to place myself on the court. I have never been a superstar but I have played very well. With my physique I have achieved more than I ever thought possible. I am very happy and thank God for giving me a lot health. I was never injured except for a few days totaling maybe a couple of weeks in so many years.

I think that genes may have also played a role but your long, smooth swings were always like those of a much taller player. Very long and fluid. In the singles, you would catch the ball with your right arm, in the 10^th line, and you would extend the ball to the back wall. Also, with the reves you did not have to hit the ball high on the frontis to reach the chula. Again, the trajectory of your long swing made this possible. What other features were advantageous for you.

I have been told that my muscles are long for a person of average height. Placement on the court, knowing how to finish the point, the technique as you call it are very important, in addition to taking care of yourself by living a moderate lifestyle.

Any weaknesses

My weak point was possibly my left hand rebote, even though I improved it tremendously in the last few years in Miami. Given that I was losing a lot of my strength, I had to compensate in other ways.

Earlier in my career, when I got to the States I did not know what costado was. But I learned by observing you and Joey.

Was there anyone you preferred as a partner

I have always liked Urquiaga as a partner; he would communicate well with me and would cheer me on. I liked playing with him a lot.

When you were younger, was there a player you looked up to – who did you like.

When I was in France, I liked Chino Bengoa; even though he was short, he was a superstar. In the US, I learned a lot from you. You did not have a lot of power but you did everything well with few mistakes. I learned from Mendi as well. Players who did not have a lot of power but were very talented.

Which was the best roster you played in

Hartford was the best, before the strike.

Which was the best court you played in

Miami was the court I liked best. Easy to play in, not very long, did not have any flaws so the balls were true. The worst for me was Ft. Pierce, too big.

Who was your best Players Manager and why

Arra was the best for me because he treated me fairly, just as he treated everyone else.

Not including players who have made a name for themselves, do you see any young players with potential for becoming superstars.

I do not know what to tell you. In Miami, I do not see anyone because they are mostly mature players and there is no longer the love of the game that we have seen in the past. The caliber of play is lower. Some young players do not have the work ethic and there are only two frontons. There is no real competition. Jai Alai is going through bad times. For example, there are players that are asked to substitute in the later games and, instead of taking the opportunity to play hard and show what they are made of, they get mad. You are getting paid to perform and you have to give it your all but it is no longer that way, generally.

How has Jai Alai changed from the seventies and eighties to this decade.

The balls are livelier in Miami; the style of play has also changed. There is no variety like before when players would set up the point and there was strategy within a quiniela. Now it is all about overpowering the opponent. The balls have an enormous impact on the game. It has become a very physical game with less strategy.

You have played through four decades. Did you ever think you would play so many years.

Not at all. Impossible. It was one year after another because I was feeling well. I kept on signing contracts because I did not have injuries. In the end, I was not fired. I am going to retire on my own. The world of jai alai is sad. I am walking into the sunset with no recognition even though I have had the longest professional career in modern Jai-Alai history. Jai-Alai has no Hall of Fame. If there was ever one, it should be in Euzkadi. It is sad

If you could go back in time, would you do anything differently.

Only one thing and that is to postpone my debut from 1976 to 1978 to wait for the amateur world championship where I would have played with Acin – we could have won. With a title like that and two additional years of experience under our belt, things would have been different. I would not change anything else. I am proud of my achievements, I am not a superstar but I have done a lot with the physical traits that the Lord gave me. In my 33 years of professional experience, I have been very hard with myself, very demanding.

What advice would you give a young player coming to the US to play for the first time.

If you become complacent, you are doomed. If there were good days, I always planned to be even better the next day. True love of the sport is to never be satisfied. I always aspired to play the middle games, and then the later games, never to stay in the same place. At least to always strive to be better. Young players have to be strong willed. If they truly love the sport, they will not succumb to the bad habits of some of those around them who might have become lazy or complacent. The mind is stronger than the body and they have to have iron will.

I enjoyed this journey back in time with my friend, Danny. A smart player who may lack physical traits valued by some but has overwhelming staying power, as evidenced by his long career. Even more remarkable than his long tenure in Jai Alai is the fact that he was injured no more than two weeks in all those years; an amazing feat in itself. As Ignacio “Charli” Urizar recently stated in Fronton’s forum “Danny was one of the smartest guys in a cancha……..Good serve, great catching in the left wall and very smart killing the point in the front. A complete game for a small size player with a big heart for the game”. As Artano and Urquiaga have said, pound for pound, Danny is the best Pelotari. Arra does not try to answer the question of how he managed to play for so many years in an ever-changing game and just concludes that Danny should be sent to NASA for scientific analysis. His principles and humanity, his love of the sport, his work ethic and contributions to every roster he was ever a part of make Danny a true ambassador of the game Those of us privileged to have been his colleagues, feel honored to know him and to have witnessed his professional quest for self-improvement and excellence.

If you have also been part of Danny’s journey as a colleague, fan, or friend, we invite you to share your thoughts with Danny and our readers.

Thank you / Eskerrik Asko!

I Just Moved To Another House (Site)

If you want you can find me at: www.txiktxak.com
my new site, I'll be glad to have you.

Lekuz aldatu naiz, goiko helbidean aurkituko nauzu, ongi etorria.

Me he mudado de site, en la dirección de arriba me encontrarás, bienvenido.

Jai Alai Over Fifty? Definitely, Yes!

Yesterday evening even though it was as cold as Bridgeport used to be in winter time I decided to go and practice some jai alai. Usually we gather on Friday evenings four guys to play for one hour or so on a court that is 43 meters long. Kind of indoor soccer jai alai version, very suitable for people over 50,  like me.

   I was a little afraid because it had been about four weeks since last practice, and boy, let me tell you something, 4 weeks without catching a ball it's too much when you are over 50. I had good reasons for missing practice, you know, a bad cold here, problems with a sciatic nerve there, tendinitis in my left arm from my last practice... Christmas... Well, the thing is that I got there before my jai alai buddies got there, plenty of time for a warm up.
  The place was freezing as all the frontons around are in winter time. I put my uniform on right in there and before I suffered of a hypothermia I started jogging with my winter coat on and the berret on my head as well.
      "What the hell are you doing here by yourself ", I said to myself.

    One of my practice partners is Astiga, 65 years old, a former pro in the 50s and 60s of the past century. In Orlando and Palm Beach, where he used to play, he  was known as El Niño Jesus, because of his angelical face that he still conserves. The other two are younger boys, Ivan Salas, 28 years old, he played in Fort Pierce; the other is Astiga's son, Jon.

"Amazing Danny" and Elordieta would fit really well into the group je,je...
  "Ballet with bullets?" "The fastest ball game in the world?" Come on! you must be kidding. If you watch us, Astiga and me, I assure you that you wont believe all that propaganda.

  Astiga and I usually begin practicing 15 minutes before the two kids, we need some advantage, extra warm up time. Those 15 minutes are the best for me, I feel great, even though what we throw, the way we move, is some kind of slow motion jai alai, we don't need  a rebote wall (we hardly pass the ball over the 10 line), I feel superb because my shots comparing with Astigas... well, I feel like Chimela  at  Miami, je,je.

   My climax lasts just about 15 minutes. When the two young kids get into the court and start throwing... party is over. Then I realize that I'm over fifty. Mentally I know what to do. I visualize a chula but I never reached. I go for the bote-corrido, but I'm always late. My rebote, oh! I feel stiff like a tree. My right-hand... well, I never had a good one, better said, it always been a lousy one. "What can you expect now, to get better?".
  Jai alai over fifty?...

 Anyways, what the hell, I have a lot of fun. To be able to catch and throw. To listen the sound of the ball hitting the front wall and the cesta... boy! nothing like it. And after that, you take a shower and you go out and you see flurries coming down from the sky. I feel like in Bridgeport in winter time right after the quinielas walking through the parking lot, feeling like a player again.

  Jai alai over fifty? Definitely, yes!

Otros Tiempos

Eran otros tiempos, no cabe duda. Miren la visión que existía hace unas décadas sobre lo que suponía el ser pelotari, jai alai player. El texto corresponde a Paco Turrillas, periodista guipuzcoano que exiliado tras la Guerra Civil española residió en Mexico. Dirigía la revista Cancha y, además, escribió la biografía "Neuk"de Guillermo.

"En la tierra vasca apenas si hay muchacho que no pruebe seguir la ruta trazada por hombres famosos del jai alai. Donde hay un fronton medianamente reglamentario no habrá un muchacho que deje de presentarse, de esperar turno, de sentirse feliz si, en lugar de jugar un partido, puede jugar tres. Y todos con la misma mira: salir de casa con la cesta, vivir de ella y viajar por medio mundo.

En Markina, cuna de pelotaris de cesta, donde viven retirados hombres que fueron ídolos de los públicos, los muchachos de los caseríos bajan al pueblo y se enguantan la cesta. Corren por la cancha, saltan, sujetan la pelota, la lanzan con violencia, juegan horas, un día y otro, hambrientos de cancha siempre, esperando ansiosos el juicio de los pelotaris retirados. Cuando alguno de éstos dice: "ese nunca será pelotari", ya puede volverse al caserío y ponerse a manejar la guadaña, la hoz y el arado.

Usted sabe que los profetas son un señores que llevan el reloj adelantado. Y los viejos pelotaris, lo son. De ahí que cuando uno de ellos sentencia con absoluta seguridad: "bonito estilo tiene. Me gusta...", entonces la suerte del muchacho está decidida: será pelotari.

Bajará del caserío todas las mañanas, se pondrá la cesta y seguirá su curso de estudios en la "universidad" de la pelota, que es el frontón marquinés. Pegará miles de pelotazos contra aquella verde y sufrida pared y, cuando ya esté hecho, embarcará con otros compañeros en Bilbao o en burdeos, tomará el avión en Madrid o París y, unas semanas después, lucirá sus habilidades en cualquier lejano frontón, hasta las fiestas del Carmen, a mediados de julio, que se presentará en Marquina a lucir su atuendo elegante, para al fin, cuando la edad se lo recomiende, volver al pueblo, colgar la cesta para siempre y, ya retirado, hacer lo que los demás: recordando otros tiempos presentar setodas las mañanas en el frontón luciendo su hermosa cadena de oro y, de cuando en cuando, sentenciar señalando con el dedo a los principiantes:

"Ese nunca será pelotari.

O:

"Bonito estilo tiene aquél. Me gusta"...

(Dedicado a Etxeba, Mentxaka, al Txino, Goio y a otros tantos y tantos que no dejan de acudir a la "universidad" siempre que pueden, grandes entusiastas en cuyas venas corre jai alai a raudales).

Quote For The Day (Katxin Uriarte)

 Quote of the Day
"For me, throughout my career, Ondarres has been the reference player, the one I liked most. Everyone has his own favorite. Churruca, for instance, used to tell me that for him, Salsamendi I was the best player he ever saw playing."  

Katxin Uriarte

Egiguren II and Aritz Champions in Markina

  Give him a fast ball and a great catcher as a back-courter and he'll beat anyone in the world (Goikoetxea permits). His name is Egiguren. Today in Markina, along with Aritz as a partner, they won the Christmas Tournament beating Garcia and Arriaga.

    The first part of the partido belonged to Garcia and Arriaga. The balls still pretty slow, good for Garcia who plays a pretty safe game, a low risk kind of play, I mean. A few killing shots except a some cortadas. Arriaga also was playing great, he's not a powerful player, he's already 37 years old, but still The Governador, his nickname while playing in Mexico-- he is a brave pelotari. I love his playing style with both hands, you can not ask for more to a back-courter with his heigh.

    However, as you all know, partidos are decided on the second part. Balls get faster and faster, players get adjusted, like horses ready for the final rush. As I said, give him a fast ball and he'll kill you with his rebote and his costado. Egiguren is too much Egi even for the 5 times world amateur champion like Garcia. Even El Governador had to give up and return the key of El Alamo, the partido I mean.

   Before this partido another interesting match has taken place at The University. Last year´s  World Champion, Foronda, and Konpa played against Zulaika and Hernandez. The forth partido as a pro for Zulaika, eager to win his first professional victory. Well, the young pro will have to wait for another occasion.
    For the most part of the game the score has been very tight. Good remates by both front-courters, good catching by the back-courters. Everything indicated that we were about to witnesses a great match. One thought came to my mind at the moment. Why not see this game trough the internet, I mean, isn´t it possible to record it with a handy camera and even if the quality would not be as great as the one offered by industrial televisions, at least give all ove the world people the chance to see it. I f anybody could give me the technical answer I would appreciated.

     Foronda and Konpa finally won the game. Their consistency has been the key. Foronda is a professional that really knows what to do and he does it, Konpa is another "old fox" who knows how to keep safe the back part of the cancha.
   Zulaika has reasons to be happy. His average level of play has been more than sufficient. It is a great challenge to play against people like Garcia, Foronda and Egi. As Katxin Uriarte said: "what he needs  is cancha, hours of cancha. Well, I guess Dania will be the right place for it.
  By the way, thanks to all of you for your comments wishing the best to the young Jon Zulaika.

    
  

Jon Zulaika's debut

Winter season is not the best time for jai alai in the Basque. Very few partidos take place. Frontons and players in a hibernation state. People waiting for overseas news. Will Orlando be open? When? How long?. How about Miami? It seems that they are going to close the place for some time, rehabilitate it and then open again. Is that good?

During Christmas two tournaments have taken place in the Basque. Instead of making a single tournament in which both companies, Master Jai and Jai Alive, would include their best players, for whatever the reason two separated tournaments were organized.
       Hernandez and Zulaika

   Last week at Durango, members of two families contending each other, Aimar and Felix The Old Lion played the final partido against Alberdi brothers. Aimar and 47 years old Felix beated Alberdi brothers 35 to 25. Aimar and Felix, nephew and uncle, demonstrated their superiority winning without little opposition from competitors.

On the other hand, Jai Alive's tournament is still being played. Next wednesday finals will be played at Markina's University. Egiguren II and Aritz will meet Garcia and Arriaga. The clear favorites are Egiguren and Aritz. Egiguren is much superior to any front-courter that plays for Jai Alive.

For the third and fourth place Foronda and Konpa will play against Zulaika and Hernandez. A very interesting partido because Zulaika will play his fourth partido as a pro.

This is good news because it is not very often you see young players making their debut in the Basque Country . To the contrary, last one doing it was 2 years ago, his name is Aizpitarte, right now he's playing in Miami and doing well according to the info given by our friends over clubfronton.

Why is that, why companies in the Basque don't give young kids the opportunity to make their debut?

In my opinion, there are a few reasons.

1. To begin with, jai alai activity except during summer time is scarce. In the past frontons in places like Barcelona used to operate on a daily basis, not anymore. Young kids had the opportunity to play hundreds and hundreds partidos before departing overseas.

2. There are too many veterans available in the Basque for few performances. Therefore, management prefers to include in their schedules matured players that left behind their Florida experience instead of hiring inexperienced ones.

In other words, companies prefer not to take any risks.

Not always, though. In Zulaika's case Jai Alive has taken the "risk". And according with the results it's very clear that both parties have reasons to be happy. Even though Zulaika has lost his three partidos, he played tete a tete, he has demonstrated that he's got the potential to be a top player. He is just 18 years old. With that age it's not an easy task to play against people like Foronda and Egiguren, top players. By the way, that's another reason why management is not for the labor of giving the chance to top aficionados to become pro. When they do it, they have to do it against these stars. And no all young amateurs are prepared. Zulaika may be an exception.

Pelota Federations should find a solution in which young players could compete among professionals without losing their amateur status. Young prospects need to get involved in high quality games, the amateur field does not offer that.

I'm sorry to say but I rather see playing young prospects involved with the pros than veteran players that long ago found their limitations as players. Jai Alai needs young blood badly.

Oh! before I forget it, and in the spirit of full disclosure, young Zulaika is my son, the nephew of Miami's Zulaica. It's such a pleasure to see that the saga continues. Jon Zulaika will join Dania's roster in May. Good luck, Jon, and enjoying as much as I did playing jai alai.