EXTREME BOULE NEWS

February

 

The Month in a Nutshell: January saw Extreme boule action stretching from the South Coast of England to the Shetland Isles. In February it was the turn of the Welsh Extreme Boule scene to enter the limelight. In particularly it was the Cardiff boulers who set out to top the World rankings.

Now for some Extreme boule means mountains, bogs, forests… however some get their extreme kicks by clattering boule over tarmac, judging cambers, dodging drains and playing under street lamps – Urban Extreme Boule (UEB).

Extreme Boule veterans Murray, Moss and Wort met for a night time clash of UEB with only one thing on their mind – the number one spot in the World Rankings.  The poorly lit conditions meant players had to rely on their senses, more than their eyes and one man’s senses were far better honed than the others. Enter Jim Murray, long time top dog on the Cardiff scene, to play a round of sublime UEB. He dominated the game from the off, leaving Moss and Wort floundering, even serving up a cold hard slab of ‘La Rappiste’ from which Moss and Wort never recovered.

Moss in particular played pure botchy ball throughout and ended up, somehow, with no points.

In the end Murray took home the plaudits, and eased himself into the second spot on the World Rankings. Could this be his year?

Current World Number One: Sam Charles. No games from the master extreme bouler, but no one could match his points average, although Jim Murray came close.

Match of the Month: Murray 17, Wort 11, Moss 0. Murray won in style and Moss may have played one of the most notoriously bad rounds of Extreme Boule yet.

Photo of the Month: Night boule matches do not always generate classic images so we've opted for this photo, taken pre match, when Murray met Wort and Moss. It captures the pre-match tension, only eased with the opening of the port - an old Cardiff extreme boule tradition.

Murray, left, won the match at a canter

 

Fact of the Month: The highest game of boule recorded is 886m a.s.l. played on the summit of Pen y Fan. There are substantial rumours that a game once took place on a plane, but these cannot be verified.

 

Technique of the Month:  La Rappiste. A move in which a player dupes his opponents into playing harder shots, leaving themselves with an easy shot to the Jacque to claim the points. As pioneered by Jim Murray.

Check this out: We love the World Alternative Games!http://www.worldalternativegames.co.uk/

Cheerio for now Extreme Boulers!

 

 

Llangain Four-Day Match Result

Date: 14/10/11 - 17/10/11

Location: Llangain Farmhouse & Barn. Hay on Wye.
Weather: Clear & Crisp.
Extreme Rating: * * * * * *
Dangers & Annoyances: Birds of prey and an approaching winter.
Consumables: Ale, Port, Whiskey, Cuban Cigars, Cured Meats & Cheeses.

Result:

D. Woolridge 34

B. Martin 23

G. Searle 17

M. Hopkins 15

T. Wort 11 

L. Godden 4

K. Searle 0

B. Godden 0

S. Murphy 0

J. Godden 0

Match Report:

A gruelling four day match set against the sloping hills of the Wye Valley. Ten contestants battled it out on the green lustrous grass of Llangain farm. An age difference of 26 years between the oldest and youngest players added an edge of extremity to the match, the older players clearly rattled by the forward thinking techniques and plays of the youth. However, experience reigned supreme over the younglings, no one under the ripe age of 30 can be seen in the top five! Huzzah!


There were mutinous discussions against the organisers of the four day game. Some players and spectators alike, claiming an unfairness at games that were being played when not all players had even arrived, or indeed, long since left the arena.


Newcomers to the tournament, Searle and Martin came away with extremely impressive scores, especially. Woolridge cleared up overall with an eleven point lead, clearly desperate to win.
All could agree however, on the beauty of the arena itself. It lead to an air of calm over play. There's nothing like tossing the orb when you can hear an owl hooting somewhere down in the valley. A glorious weekend for the sport.

Llangain Boule

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