MEMORIES:
Mikey remembers...I played this with friends from elementrary school. We would sometimes see who could throw the ball the furthest by ... More »
Posted on 11/01/07
PHOTOS:
Manufacturer:
Jai-Alai, in Basque, means “Merry Festival.” The game originated there over a century ago and has been billed as the “world’s fastest ball game.” A part of the excitement and intensity comes from its reputation for crippling players permanently. With intense play like that, it’s no wonder that Wham-O’s Trac-Ball caught on with kids. It was better than catch and far superior to any kind of paddle ball game. The velocity that went into each throw out of the curved and tracked racket was astounding. It could, and often would, be aimed at a great number of parts with the intent to disable. Of course, tactics like that would have to be served with a sardonic smile, unless you wanted to play nice. Hrmph!
Wham-O’s Trac-Ball came with two rackets and two balls. The idea was simple and easy enough for first-timers and seasoned professionals. Anyone could lob the ball and with enough practice, the speed and precision would come into play. When fair play was at hand, it was even pretty easy to catch the ball with the special racket. As is often the case with deviously minded children, when the cats are away the mice will play, and when the cats, I mean adults, were away, the kids would go nuts with their own alternate rules, including points for areas hit, and bonus points for bruises and cuts. Nasty business that Trac-Ball was.
The Trac-Ball is the same as it ever was, and is still available for purchase, deemed safe to use by the powers that be, giving kids around the country the opportunity to dodge or be hit. If only we could have kept them out of the hands of the Bad Brads and Deadly Dereks of the world, many a neighborhood would have been a much less bruised place.
