Bocce balls are anything but drab.
I learned a little bit about the colorful side of bocce today at the Campo di Bocce in Los Gatos. The balls for instance. I’m accustomed to the drabber monochromatic rental balls I’ve handled the half dozen times I’ve played the game. Apparently, if you’re serious about bocce, you strut your stuff with lavishly detailed and colored balls that add a festive element to every roll.
Bocce players are anything but drab. Check out the matching socks.
Behold the opening ceremonies of the 2011 U.S. Bocce Championships. Ben Musolf, President of Campo di Bocce and master-mind behind bringing the Championships to Los Gatos and Livermore, opened the festivities with the Mayor and Vice Mayor (left front and rear) lending support.
As this was the opening of the National Bocce Championship Tournament, there were introductory comments by Ben Musolf, president of Campo di Bocce and recently crowned national champion of volo, a bocce variation played on a dirt court with different balls. There was a stirring a cappella rendition of the Star Spangled by gentleman with a certain Joe DiMaggio-ishness to his stately presence. Mayor Joe Pirzynski declared bocce the official sport of Los Gatos and then he and the vice-mayor Steve Rice literally pitched in and rolled the opening balls.
Mayor Joe Pirzynski, citing the powers vested in him, declared bocce the official sport of Los Gatos, much to the delight of the crowd. You can barely see Joe's bandages earned the day before when he rescued a Yorkie from the jaws of a large terrier, forever winning the dog-lover vote.
Vice Mayor Steve Rice shows impeccable form in front of a large crowd of expert bocce players as he and Joe opened play with ceremonial rolls.
The ceremony was a wonderful slice of Italian-American patriotism and community. And then commenced the gentle, good-natured sport of bocce.
This is the way it's done by the experts. Actually, there were innumerable styles of throw, some soft as an evening breeze, others as fast and violent as a thunderstorm. I enjoyed watching the teams work out strategies to counter the moves of their opponent.
I learned today that it’s almost as fun to watch these skilled players as it is to play myself. For starters, when I play, there’s always great food and drink within arms reach. That’s the awesome thing about bocce – it’s totally competitive and skill-based, and easily played with a slice of pizza in hand.
If you haven’t tried this game, consider giving it a try. We’ve always come home smiling.
