I’m a French basque, who grew up in Miami..My dad played professionally and so did his brother, cousins, etc…Many of my family play the game, and if I didn’t move to the states I def would have ended up a Jai Alai player, as I started to play as a kid …Much respect for this sport which has been in my family for generations
On our last trip to Florida back in 1995 we got to watch a game of Jai-alai and while I didn't understand the rules at all(actually only got a good description a couple months ago after much searching) I loved the play of the game and wanted to watch soo much more. What was hilarious was the old Asian women in front of us yelling at the players. OMG, they were sooo cruel in their insults.
Most exciting game on earth. I started at the Palace in TJ The on to Macau Then in Basque Country. Not going to the Fonton In Mexico city. My heart cant wait
When they failed to get the game into the Olympics in the 1960s, and gambling became easier to do with casinos, it was just a matter of time until it died off. JainAlai is just too dangerous to have a feeder system of children playing the game to ever be more than a local sport in Spain, or a gambling game in Florida.
Well this explains why it never took off as a national sport. We use to play our own version of this with Trac-Ball off the local library wall. Tried playing in the school gym, ball hit the wall with a B O O M that brought the janitors to invesitgate.
It was made in 1988 the same year as the strike,not sure if before the actual strike or not..Unfortunately for Jai-Alai the Fl Lottery started the same year..
The reason this sport isn’t as big as you would think is probably due to the cost and limited people that produce the equipment. The ball and the basket need to be hand woven and it sounds like those balls don’t last long in the game. It’s like if a baseball cost $100 to make and the bats or glove cost $900.
Was watching an urban exploration doco where they explored an abandoned Jai Alai fronton, had no idea what it was and ended up here. It looks like an awesome sport, what happened to it?
The strike that took place from 1988-1991..That started the snowballing,fans found other things to do.Competition increased and Jai-Alai has been going downhill ever since.Miami & Dania playing year round was really over-doing it.People only have so much money to gamble away.
I just saw the same Urban Exploring Doco, Ended & up @ the Same Place! Crazy I've Never Heard of this Before! It must have been Quite a Popular Sport back in the Day! -Cheers👍😉
Jai Alai needs a legitimate national/international league. It's a spectacle sport based on betting, which is why it has fallen so hard. The audience back then apreciated it as such , but that doesn't work with our post-modern society of today. making a league or a tour, and getting a couple frontons outside of Florida would help it immensely. Of course, it's not the only sport that struggles.. raquettball and squash are also niche, and professional bowling has declined massively in popularity and viewership. It's a shame that the olympics don't include these sports despite allowing soccer, basketball, golf and tennis, which are basically pro players pretending to be amateurs
I remember that sport back home and we try to imitate that game with the plastic container shape like Jai Alai basket and we use a tennis ball hit the wall and then at night we bet on the game with different combination. We have only one Jai Alai court back home and we used to go there alot just to watch and bet at night. Is anyone know if they have Jai Alai court here in California?
They still play in Miami and it’s really popular in Spain and France! There are three places that still play in the USA, dania Jai-Alai, Miami Jai-Alai, and magic city Jai-Alai! You can watch live streams of it on @Jai-Alai Channel, on UA-cam. They live stream every week Thursday through Sunday! Hope this helped
@@Ben-jf3iv I'm not in USA and live in South Africa. Miami is 6 hours behind us. That means it will be at 10 AM and 2 PM where I'm at. But it's still during daytime, so I can watch live.
dubb when you watch in person it’s extremely fast and crazy to watch! @jai-alai channel, still live streams the sport every Thursday through Sunday, you should definitely give it another chance!!
I’m a French basque, who grew up in Miami..My dad played professionally and so did his brother, cousins, etc…Many of my family play the game, and if I didn’t move to the states I def would have ended up a Jai Alai player, as I started to play as a kid …Much respect for this sport which has been in my family for generations
there is no such a thing as Basque (french) drop the f word here lagun...we are NOT french. period.
On our last trip to Florida back in 1995 we got to watch a game of Jai-alai and while I didn't understand the rules at all(actually only got a good description a couple months ago after much searching) I loved the play of the game and wanted to watch soo much more. What was hilarious was the old Asian women in front of us yelling at the players. OMG, they were sooo cruel in their insults.
0:54 image taken seconds before death.
The best player and most consistent I've seen was Bolivar who played in milford ct,jai-alai .He would make unbelievable !
Thanks for posting this. Great video
Thank you for posting this video. It is the best documentary I’ve seen.
Great vid about the sport of jai alai. Really enjoy the action when in south FLA. Thanks for posting
This is the best video I have ever seen about Jai Alai.
ua-cam.com/video/D09eBWRnIz4/v-deo.html
Great documentary Bill. Wish there was more videos like these
Hey, they brought this video back!
Would see Jai Alai in Bridgeport CT and Miami and my favorite players were Elu, Joey and Benny
YEY I LOVE THIS SO MUCH
I enjoy the sport commentators. "2nd serve must be good, good serve lands between the 4 and 7 line". :)
WOW!
i jumped at the ball coming at the screen in the beginning lol
The sound of a Whipping Cesta!!
Dope. Looks dangerous
Most exciting game on earth. I started at the Palace in TJ The on to Macau Then in Basque Country. Not going to the Fonton In Mexico city. My heart cant wait
ua-cam.com/video/D09eBWRnIz4/v-deo.html
When they failed to get the game into the Olympics in the 1960s, and gambling became easier to do with casinos, it was just a matter of time until it died off. JainAlai is just too dangerous to have a feeder system of children playing the game to ever be more than a local sport in Spain, or a gambling game in Florida.
Great times, great sport
Never imagined that a traditional sport from my home place had become so popular in the US
This document is from 80s. Sorry, it never was.
The cocaine was flowing through every fronton
Everyone has seen this sport in clips but never knew the name. At least I didn't. But now I've found it 🙂
ua-cam.com/video/D09eBWRnIz4/v-deo.html
More than exciting than any ball game in the world!!!
Afl says nah mate
Well this explains why it never took off as a national sport. We use to play our own version of this with Trac-Ball off the local library wall. Tried playing in the school gym, ball hit the wall with a B O O M that brought the janitors to invesitgate.
Sterling Cooper Advertising
fucking spot on lmao
Question, was this media clip, if we can call it that, made during the strike?
It was made in 1988 the same year as the strike,not sure if before the actual strike or not..Unfortunately for Jai-Alai the Fl Lottery started the same year..
Jai-Alai was the golden cornerstone of Bridgeport, CT and the Carlucci wing empire!!
The reason this sport isn’t as big as you would think is probably due to the cost and limited people that produce the equipment. The ball and the basket need to be hand woven and it sounds like those balls don’t last long in the game. It’s like if a baseball cost $100 to make and the bats or glove cost $900.
Was watching an urban exploration doco where they explored an abandoned Jai Alai fronton, had no idea what it was and ended up here. It looks like an awesome sport, what happened to it?
It is. If you every put on a cesta and learn how to play you cant get enough of it ua-cam.com/video/JXf-qy0jVfc/v-deo.html
The strike that took place from 1988-1991..That started the snowballing,fans found other things to do.Competition increased and Jai-Alai has been going downhill ever since.Miami & Dania playing year round was really over-doing it.People only have so much money to gamble away.
Can't speak for Connecticut but the Florida lottery put jai alai slowly out of business
I just saw the same Urban Exploring Doco, Ended & up @ the Same Place! Crazy I've Never Heard of this Before! It must have been Quite a Popular Sport back in the Day! -Cheers👍😉
Jai Alai needs a legitimate national/international league. It's a spectacle sport based on betting, which is why it has fallen so hard. The audience back then apreciated it as such , but that doesn't work with our post-modern society of today. making a league or a tour, and getting a couple frontons outside of Florida would help it immensely.
Of course, it's not the only sport that struggles.. raquettball and squash are also niche, and professional bowling has declined massively in popularity and viewership. It's a shame that the olympics don't include these sports despite allowing soccer, basketball, golf and tennis, which are basically pro players pretending to be amateurs
🤩
Also spelled TXESTA!
They put the spelling bee on ESPN but I've never seen this on it!
It's like squash. But cool.
I remember that sport back home and we try to imitate that game with the plastic container shape like Jai Alai basket and we use a tennis ball hit the wall and then at night we bet on the game with different combination. We have only one Jai Alai court back home and we used to go there alot just to watch and bet at night. Is anyone know if they have Jai Alai court here in California?
There was one back in the 70s but it closed in the early 80s
How many frontons are in operation in the US today?
Soulvigilante 3 that I no of maybe fewer
I'm not sure if this is up to date or not.
www.fla-gaming.com/jai-alai-frontons-in-the-usa/
Why wasn't Patxi mentioned
Gambling= only reason it go soooo popular in florida. Millions were gambled per year on this sport... ( mucho money laundred)
Jai Alai was run by a bunch of crooks. See Rico, Callahan etc. That is what killed this great game!!
Not a great doc when Joey is not mentioned as the greatest American player in the sport.
The Proper People brought me here... So, is there still places where this is actively played? Or has it completely died-out?
They still play in Miami and it’s really popular in Spain and France! There are three places that still play in the USA, dania Jai-Alai, Miami Jai-Alai, and magic city Jai-Alai! You can watch live streams of it on @Jai-Alai Channel, on UA-cam. They live stream every week Thursday through Sunday! Hope this helped
@@Ben-jf3iv Great! Thanks for the info!
Dirk Hoekstra yeah no problem! I definitely recommend you check out the live streams they play at 4pm and 8pm tomorrow eastern time!
Dirk Hoekstra and I’ll also be In the live chat if you are watching
@@Ben-jf3iv I'm not in USA and live in South Africa. Miami is 6 hours behind us. That means it will be at 10 AM and 2 PM where I'm at. But it's still during daytime, so I can watch live.
Nobody encounters discrimination more than a lefty.
Haha I ducked from the intro
Does anyone remember Mark Matera? He was so quick! Milford Jai-Alai!
Mark won 5 games in one performance. Didn't happen often
This sport was made for gambling. I mean that literally
Yawnnnnnn, they had one in Daytona beach along time ago…..
Did you have to be 18+ to go see a game???
No
Bill Swanfeld even with the betting involved?
Yes, under 18 must stand clear of the betting areas (tellers)
@@efmutton No One under 21 is allowed in the Casino's in Florida
Boring game but yet still interesting to learn new customs. All I knew about this game was on the opening credits of Miami Vice
Place a small $BET$ and it will become more interesting !!
and thats why betting was involved.... without betting it would be boring as shit
Its boring to you get hit
As you learn more about the game it becomes more interesting,even more-so when you bet a few dollars..
dubb when you watch in person it’s extremely fast and crazy to watch! @jai-alai channel, still live streams the sport every Thursday through Sunday, you should definitely give it another chance!!
Ice Hockey killed this sport in florida
Seems like a crazy boring game lol....I dont get it lol
Great money laundering sport. That’s about it.
Not the world fastest sport
Damn close!
World's fastest ball sport
This is the COMPLETE Documentary ---It covers the sport of jai-alai very well...
I miss Tampa Jai Alai.