It was a wet, rainy, and miserable day as bocce teams from around the Kootenays came to Nakusp for the first ever Special Olympics bocce bonspiel at Rotary Park.
Bocce is played with eight balls, with four balls per team, and one smaller target ball called a pallina. The pallina can be rolled or tossed any distance, as long as it passes the centre line of the court and stays within the boundaries of the court. The goal of the game is to get your team’s balls closest to the pallina.
Though the weather was poor, it wasn’t enough to dampen the spirits of the athletes taking part. Six teams, three from Nelson, and one each from Trail, Grand Forks, and Nakusp.
It was the athletes themselves who came up with the idea for the tournament.
“They initiated it, that they would like to play against other teams instead of just practising,” said Hans Sparreboom, head coach for the Nakusp team. “It’s somewhat difficult living in this area because of the distances involved, but I think today is a good indication that people are willing to travel and have fun with the game that they enjoy.”
Games were temporaily halted after lunch, as rain came pouring down, though luckily it didn’t last long, and players were soon back on the field.
One of the Nakusp platers, Michael Waskul, will actually be playing on the bocce team for the provincials next year in Kamloops.
He feels having a tournament like this in Nakusp is a very good thing.
“It’s good to have it in your home town, and it’s good to meet other teams,” he said.
This may have been the first bocce bonspiel in Nakusp, but the hope is to continue hosting the tournament in the years to come.
