Yesterday, at the invitation of Jean-Michel, I drove to Sonoma. I came to watch their Winter League finals opposing Peter Mathis and Kris Edwards on one side and Kevin Evoy (the Dread of the Ocean) and Casey on the other side.
I had not come to the city of Sonoma for probably a year, and I was surprised to see how busy it was. Everybody seemed to be out and about, or dining in makeshift outdoors dining areas. And these areas encroached on the street, reducing the already scarce parking slots.
My second surprise of the day was to discover that very few people on the Sonoma pétanque court were wearing masks. In Marin County, it is a capital sin, and you probably could be beheaded for trespassing. In Sonoma though, unlike Marin (and Saudi Arabia), you don’t have to struggle to recognize a concealed face.
The weather was sunny, though a little windy and while waiting for the main event, I watched a few people practicing on the field. Peter Mathis first caught my attention with his impeccable “plombés”. I have been struggling for years to do this without ever really succeeding, and I was fascinated by his prowess. He was kind enough to stop and give me a few tips.
I also watched Ashlee Dencklau practicing her pointing and I was impressed by her accuracy.
By 2:00 pm, there were about 25 people on the field and the finals got underway. Two equally balanced teams (one pointer, one shooter).
The chosen field, the one now equipped with electric light, is difficult. It is covered with pebbles of unequal sizes making it hard to point accurately. Even a good player seldom succeeds with a single shot.
The shooters had a somewhat easier job to hit their targets, but players in California are a long way from the accuracy shown by foreign players. Yes, I watch some games on YouTube and I am flabbergasted by their accuracy. A few days ago, I watched an astonishing 13 meters (about 40 feet) “carreau” that took my breath away.
Even though the Sonoma game was interesting to watch, it did not have the appeal (and the crowds) of a regular tournament. Very little passion or emotion in it.
The game ended unspectacularly with a score of 13/9 in favor of Mathis and Edwards. This subdued atmosphere made me a little nostalgic for the tournaments/picnics of yore. But the cavalry seemed to be underway. With 3 types of Covid vaccines now available to the American public, we dare to hope that things will slowly go back to a certain amount of normality and regular tournaments.
In the meantime, feast your eyes on the few pictures that I took yesterday in Sonoma.
See you soon.
Alain