Everyday, rain or shine, up to fifty people come to relax and play pétanque—a game originally from France which resembles bocce ball.
Pierre Benjamin, the organizer of pétanque at Bryant Park says that people from all walks of life come to try their hands at the game, especially during their lunch hours.
Playing is always free of charge and so are the lessons; everyone is always welcome. Benjamin says that he’s been noticing more and more people come out to play ever since the economy started to slide.
Benjamin has been playing for the past seven years and started at Bryant Park in 2003, two years after if first began. Being retired, he says that with pétanque, he’s found an occupation that keeps him busy.
For those interested in taking the game up a notch, you can join La Boule New Yorkaise, a New York pétanque club. Just this Sunday, La Boule New Yorkaise hosted the 2009 Hery Open, which takes its name after one of the best pétanque players in the country, Hery Rakotoarivony.
Pétanque was originally invented around 1907 in the French town of La Ciotat where unemployment was rampant. It’s in France that Benjamin says the game is most popular.
The game is simple but not as easy as some might imagine. A small wooden ball named the ‘cochonnet’ is thrown and the goal is to throw several metal balls somewhat resembling shot puts as close to the cochonnet as possible. The game is usually played in teams so it’s a great way to spend time with some friends or make new ones.
Anyone interested can drop by everyday from 11:30-6:30 p.m. near the corner of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street, at the gravel area in Bryant Park. Keep an eye out for a La Boule New Yorkaise team member for a free lesson, weather permitting.
Pierre Benjamin, the organizer of pétanque at Bryant Park says that people from all walks of life come to try their hands at the game, especially during their lunch hours.
Playing is always free of charge and so are the lessons; everyone is always welcome. Benjamin says that he’s been noticing more and more people come out to play ever since the economy started to slide.
Benjamin has been playing for the past seven years and started at Bryant Park in 2003, two years after if first began. Being retired, he says that with pétanque, he’s found an occupation that keeps him busy.
For those interested in taking the game up a notch, you can join La Boule New Yorkaise, a New York pétanque club. Just this Sunday, La Boule New Yorkaise hosted the 2009 Hery Open, which takes its name after one of the best pétanque players in the country, Hery Rakotoarivony.
Pétanque was originally invented around 1907 in the French town of La Ciotat where unemployment was rampant. It’s in France that Benjamin says the game is most popular.
The game is simple but not as easy as some might imagine. A small wooden ball named the ‘cochonnet’ is thrown and the goal is to throw several metal balls somewhat resembling shot puts as close to the cochonnet as possible. The game is usually played in teams so it’s a great way to spend time with some friends or make new ones.
Anyone interested can drop by everyday from 11:30-6:30 p.m. near the corner of Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street, at the gravel area in Bryant Park. Keep an eye out for a La Boule New Yorkaise team member for a free lesson, weather permitting.
