The cesta point lived its glory days between the 1960s and 2000s on the American continent, before collapsing. For several years, a few kilometers from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Dana (Florida), a short three-month season is relaunched. “We are in the ashes of the ball, the fire has passed” recognizes pilot Johan Sorozabal. His father, also a pilot, had a career during the heyday of chistera and was born in the United States, of which he is a national. But it was in Biarritz that Johan Sorozabal, 22 years old and 2023 French champion, had to learn to play. In the United States, “we hope to rebuild on what there is, but we are still happy that it can exist, they could have razed the pediment, and it is still a hope that it will start again, or that it could be part of a international circuit one day“.
The cesta point in the United States was closely linked to games: pelota was successful, because American legislation allowed casinos to be opened and slot machines installed in these sports venues. A change in legislation put an end to this. The timid revival of this sport has not nothing to do with philanthropy : “there they relaunched a three-month season, because they cannot put more slot machines, they did studies, they would not fill and that would be a loss“, recognizes the American puntist. “Finally they bring young people from here, they have expenses, they are no longer employees, so they can reduce the payroll which was colossal for 36 players. It only lasts three months so they don’t have any major costs and in terms of costs they are doing much better“, details Johan Sorozabal. “They manage to have people, they manage to get by financially, and it’s also very good for us who are fans of this sport to be able to make a living from it for three months there in the United States and it also allows young players from here to be able to leave” in relatively comfortable conditions: players receive $2,000 per month in addition to match bonuses.
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Stéphane Garcia
The rest of the fans
The cesta still left some traces, “in Florida, there were still many aficionados. They still love sport there, they are fans“, enthuses Johan Sorozabal. A love of sport where money is omnipresent, since in the frontons in the United States we bet on the players. The games are not played in two rounds of 15 points like in Europe, but in “quinielas” of seven points: the loser is eliminated, and the evening takes place with bets on the winners, the number of points scored, etc. There is also a fronton in Magic where the game has been changed (distorted, some say. ), with a shorter pediment and a foam pad In Dania, the number of seats has been reduced from 5,000 to 500, “it’s not much, but on weekends, from Saturday to Sunday, it’s still regularly full” the French champion is satisfied.
Gorka Sorozabal leaves at the end of November 2023 for this season which will last three months until February 2025. Johan Sorozabal will only go for a few days for the American selection. But especially for the American selection: Benny Bueno, the manager of the Florida fronton of Dana, is also the coach of the US team and he asks to see all the players, before a training camp which will take place at the beginning of 2025. Then , it will be the “Nations League” from March 2 to 9, 2025 hosted by the Mexico City fronton, which will pit teams representing France, Mexico, Cuba, the United States and Spain, title holder.
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