Yesterday we went to Sonoma to participate in the Council on Aging/Wine Country Games, a competition for athletes over 50.
Upon our arrival we were surprised to see so very few people on the field.
Only 16 individuals (8 doublettes) lined up to participate in the tournament.
In retrospective, this low attendance might have been caused by the rather steep entry fee ($40.00 per person, lunch not included) and a lack of sustained advertising.
It was for a good cause but the price was still rather high.
The participants were:
- Jean-Claude Etallaz & Bea Moua
- Peter Wellington & Mike Cooper
- Joe La Torre & Dave Katz
- Antoine Lofaro & Teri Sirico
- Jean-Michel (Le Facteur) & Bernard Passemar
- Alain Efron & Tamara Efron
- Higgins & Barbara Howard
- Carl & Linda Motshielder
The games smartly started around 9:00 a.m., because that early in the day the temperature was sill bearable.
Later on in the afternoon the temperature shot past 90 degrees and it became rather uncomfortable to stand in the sun.
Three timed games were played in the morning, with more games in the afternoon.
There were many good players among the contestants. I particularly noticed a certain Bee Moua (JC Etallaz’s partner) who is an excellent shooter showing great concentration.
When I started playing I realized very quickly that familiarity with the field was a determining factor. The Sonoma terrain is quite different from the San Rafael field and quite treacherous for the non-initiated.
It is dusty and the dust masks the ground’s irregularities and slows your boules.
Tellingly, we lost our 1st game 3/13 against Bee Moua and JC Etallaz
We won the 2nd game 12/11 against Joe La Torre and David Katz. Joe managed a superb “carreau sur place” and really deserved to win the game.
We lost our 3rd game 6/13 against Peter Wellington and Mike Cooper
We lost our 4th game 1/13 to Antoine and Teri.
Finally, after becoming a little better acquainted with the field, we managed to win our 5th game 13/3 against Higgins and Barbara Howard.
Around 3:00 p.m. the heat was intense and people were desperately seeking shady spots.
In the semi-finals
Le Facteur and Bernard P. beat Carl and Linda Motshielder 13/5
Antoine and Teri beat Peter Wellington and Mike Cooper by the amazing score of 13/1.
In the finals (played on the new court) Antoine Lofaro and Teri Sirico faced Le Facteur and Bernard Passmar.
Both teams played well.
The scores seesawed back and forth until the end when Antoine managed a superb “carreau sur place”.
The appreciative crowd burst into a spontaneous round of applause.
Two “carreaux sur place” in a row are extremely rare but Antoine did it.
He shot again and managed another unbelievable “carreau sur place” that clinched the game.
The crowd went wild.
Antoine and Teri beat Le Facteur and Bernard Passmar by a final score of 13/10.
A magnificent conclusion to a very good game.
When the dust settled:
1st place: Antoine Lofaro & Teri Sirico
2nd place: Le Facteur and Bernard Passmar
3rd place: Linda & Carl Motshielder
4th place: Peter Wellington & Mike Cooper
Every contestant was awarded a bottle of sparkling wine, with top finishing players getting more substantial prices.
Antoine and Teri both received a bottle of Pastis, a bottle of sparkling wine and a $25.00 gift certificate from Central Market in Sonoma.
Alain
To look at photos of this event and listen to the accompanying background music, turn your computer’s sound on, and click on the “My Photos” link located on the right side of this page. For best viewing, go Full Screen.
For sake of portability, all the pictures in this event were taken with an iPhone5 and mostly with a Canon Powershot S120 camera.