Los Angeles Petanque Club

La Boule Du Desert

San Diego Petanque Club

Petanque Talk!

The Los Angeles Petanque Club has a really nice terrain to play on - actually two very different surfaces are available, and if you are fortunate enough to be able to participate in a tournament there, you had better be ready to play on either!

Both are very challenging! The smoother surfaced pistes (shown below right - with Diana, one of the LAPC top players) play very fast - and have slopes in every direction caused perhaps by the roots of the over-hanging shade trees. This terrain is very fast! It is easy to over-throw on this surface and an accurate pointing throw will require a delicate touch. There are also what appear to be granite rocks poking near the surface in a few places, watch out for those (there are not many, but you boules might find one!). During part of the year the trees are dropping their seed pods, negotiating through those as they accumulate can test your skills as well.

The other terrain has a sort of pea-gravel surface (shown below) that is very slow and random... shooters love it and pointers can be less enthusiastic about where their boules go when under its dreaded influence. The surface of the gravel terrain can really surprise a pointer. Sometimes it will be like quicksand, and other times quite hard!

I watched some people appear to be able to roll their boule for some distance on the gravel without undo affect, and yet when I tried doing so my boules seemed to have a mind of their own! You will have to really study the surface where your boule will strike the ground and any roll up to the cochonette. Be prepared to try high lobs with lots of backspin in order to avoid the surface as much as possible. If your high lobs are not cooperating, try an assertive low "burner" throw across the gravel's surface.

When you participate in a tournament at the Los Angeles Petanque Terrain be ready to shift from the fast terrain amongst the tree roots to the gravel terrain several times during a tournament! You will have to adjust your throwing style on the fly in order to point well!

Level of play

The level of play at the LAPC can be very challenging. They have many players that have represented the US at the World Championships over the years. If you are not ready to go toe to toe with them however, you can still play in their panache tournaments and really enjoy yourself. To this point virtually all of the tournaments that I have participated in at LAPC have been panache tournaments. I look at them as Master Classes! I always learn something when playing there, not only by watching the many experienced players, but also by asking them questions about technique and strategy. They have always answered my questions, and even given me little lessons between rounds. One of my goals (what keeps me practicing!) is to be able to play at a level where I can hold my own in a Select tournament in LA. I've given them a 20 year headstart...

Facilities

There is plenty of shade to make play pleasant, and there are picnic tables right next to the terrain. There is nearby parking but you might find that you have to park in the larger parking lot further away as the nearby parking gets filled up if the park has other activities going on at the same time - which there generally are.

San Pedro Event

The LAPC puts on lots of fun events each year - from hosting serious Nationals and Regionals to friendly and sociable panache tournaments. Something for everyone and every skill level! But once a year they travel a few miles away for a very special event - the San Pedro Open! Click here for pictures and more information about this fun event!

Learn More about the Los Angeles Petanque Club

Click on this link to go to the Los Angeles Petanque Club site.