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Jai Alai, which in the Basque language means “Merry Festival,” is considered to be the world’s fastest ball game. It was developed over three centuries ago in the Spanish Pyrenees Mountains by the Basque people, and traveled to Cuba in 1898. Now it has found a home in Florida, where it was introduced in 1926 and is quite popular in that state.

Jai Alai is a lot like handball, except the players wear a crescent-shaped basket, called a cesta, on their dominant hand. True cestas are made of wicker reeds found solely in the Pyrenees Mountains. The frame is built of a steam-bent chestnut rod, and the leather glove, which holds the hand in place, is called a cinta.

The ball is called a pelota, and is considered the most dangerous ball of any sport. It is almost as big as a baseball, is harder than a golf ball, and can travel as quickly as 180 m.p.h. Think fast! It is fabricated with hand-wound Brazilian rubber which is covered with two hand-stitched goat-skin covers. One ball costs $150, and it must be re-covered after 15 minutes of play. Every pelota is hand-made, and therefore each one has a different bounce, which makes the game even more challenging.

Like racquet-ball or squash, the court is shared by the opponents. They must be conscious that the other player can fairly play the ball, and must concern themselves with interference. Games are generally played to 7 points, and the teams rotate players in a round-robin formation. A game with two opponents, or two sets of two players (doubles), is common.

The game is begun when the first person serves the pelota. The server must bounce the ball behind the serving line and hurl the ball directly to the front wall so that it lands between specific lines when it rebounds. If the serve lands outside of the specified lines, then the other team gets a point. In order to score a point, the player must catch the ball without it bouncing, or after the first bounce, otherwise the other team scores a point. The pelota must be thrown right away with one fluid motion, and can be aimed at any of the three walls in play.

Once it starts, keep your eyes peeled, because the players seem to be able to fly like insects, and that ball really cooks. And to think that a sport so specific and challenging started in one mountain community!