In praise of women

The most dangerous animal in the world is a silent smiling woman… holding pétanque boules.

There was a time (not too long ago) when the pétanque field was ruled by misogynistic old fuddy-duddies. Segregation was strictly enforced and women were not allowed to play with the men. These Cerberus were the keepers of the Faith, the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice of the sacred game of pétanque.

Thankfully, times have changed. Most of the grumpy old men are now playing pétanque in the sky (without women) and dames all over the country are now competing with men.
And there are many reasons for that.

First of all, women can do anything men can do… sometimes better. Then, women all over the world have been seeking parity for a long time; they wanted to have the power to choose and they got it (except in Iran I am told).
Pétanque by the way, is not a contact sport; you don’t have to weigh two hundred pounds to qualify. If it was so, few women would meet these requirements.

And finally, “Chicks were born to give you fever…” Men and women obey the laws of physics; their different polarity attracts each other. Wherever you see men, you will find women, and vice-versa. And yes, relationships were and are born on the pétanque field!
I don’t know about you, but I would rather play with attractive women than grumpy old men.

Whenever you see a club in decline, I surmise that it is often caused by a lack of female players. Women bring to the field a certain « je ne sais quoi” that make games more entertaining. When playing with the opposite sex, players are more attentive and when women are absent, games can lack spices.

To paraphrase James Laver, “When women take off their corsets and heighten their skirts, you better watch out.”

I have dug in my vast collection of photographs and chosen the most recent snapshots of young ladies who have performed on our local fields. As usual, I try to pick pictures showing the best form. To me, form is primordial and as a shutterbug, I don’t care if you hit the target or not. As a matter of fact, when I snap a picture, I seldom know what the result of the pitch is.

Your style is what I am interested in. I focus on your throw, on the second the boule leaves tour hand. I want to see your facial expression, and the boule suspended in the air in front of you.
That’s why I like taking pictures of Hans K. so much. There is style and emotion in his game, and for me, that’s what counts.

And don’t believe for a second that pétanque is not a real sport. When you play a tournament and reach the semi-finals or the finals, you have at least 5 or 6 games under your belt and your body is starting to balk. On the average, during a tournament, you spend at least 6 hours on the field and this pastime is not for wimps.
This sport keeps you in shape and is great therapy for many ailments.

Keep on pitching ladies, I am a fan!

Alain

PS: Be sure to watch the pictures!