Established September 26, 1999 and dedicated to the game invented by Roman soldiers who spent leisure time throwing rocks at rocks.

Come visit King Arnarsson, play petanque, and allow him to occasionally interfere with your game!

On May 17th, King Ingolfur Arnarsson will have completed his annual trek from the mountains at Lake Tenaya in Yosemite Park, to create havoc at Oakhurst Petanque Club. He loves the game of Pétanque and enjoys visiting with the players. It is what he visits upon the players that is the fun.

King Arnarsson's castle bears the flags of his heritage. Originally the family was from Iceland where the original King Arnarsson discovered the island country in 754 a.d. After several generations, the family made it's way to Canada and more recently (1800s) to California settling originally in what is now the Lake Tahoe area, moving to Yosemite National Park in the early 1900s. The flags, left to right, on the castle are Iceland's, America's, and Canada's

You see, if the King senses that your score is too much higher than your opposing team, he will attempt to rectify matters by causing the leading team to suffer consequences. You may find yourself tossing the boule with a 3-person slingshot, or having to replace your boules with cubical ones. You may have to use an off-center-weighted cochonnet, or you might just as easily be given a "free carreau" card, allowing your team to replace any boule with one of your own or the much coveted. This is, of course, just the beginning of the king's often-hilarious antics.

While the game is played in a "panache" format (different team members each game), there are frequent stops for the hilarity, not to mention a stop for a provided lunch to improve the energy of the players.

The exceedingly kind and benevolent King Arnarsson "works the crowd" constantly, and does so with an extraordinary sense of humor. It is this combination that instills the cooperation of the Pétanqueurs.

Following the days events, at 5:30 the players meet personally with the King at the "King's Dinner" to be held on the patio at Crab Cakes Restaurant. Advance reservations are required for playing in the games, as well as for the dinner. A printable .pdf entry form is available by clicking the picture of King Arnarsson's castle at left.

The King and his party will be traveling down through Yosemite, intending to pass through the main southern gate of the park on Tuesday, May 13, allowing he and is party plenty of time to be at Oakhurst, May 17th at 8:30 a.m. as we all hail "his benevolence"

Come join us!

Thank You, Robin and Mark:

Our thanks to Western Sierra Nursery's Robin and Mark Holland for their kind donation of several flats of flowers to our club. They've now all been planted and the place is looking lovely. In addition they furnished our new London Plane Trees at a nice discount. Good people deserve a pat on the back...and these are good people!

Petanque New Zealand's National Tournament Coordinator
and Fellow Petanqueurs to Visit Oakhurst July 12 and 13

Trevor Neilson has played a prominent role, either as Club Captain or President in the Rotorua Petanque Club in New Zealand. His club has hosted several of the New Zealand national championships. As National Tournament Coordinator, he works toward coordinating events among New Zealand's 47 affiliated clubs spread across five regions and with a membership of overr 1,400 players.

July 12 and 13, we can expect a visit from Trevor and a selection of the best New Zealand has to offer in petanque. We are most excited they are taking time out from New Zealand's winter time to join us in sunny Oakhurst, and their timing is perfect: on the 12th, we have the annual petanque & and food party at Jim and Maggie Elliotts "Ranchito Nipinnawassee" and our visitors were invited to join us. Then, on Sunday the 13th a competition with the "Kiwis" at Oakhurst Petanque Club will be held.

Timing is everything, of course, and as of 5/1/2008 we don't know exactly where they will be before, and what time they'll arrive in, Oakhurst. Those details will be printed here as they occur. Of course, if you should visit Lower Hutt, New Zealand, I'm sure they'll give you a wonderful greeting.

The Rotorua Petanque Club was established in 1995 when the Rotorua Bowling Club offered a group of interested people a practice bowling green they were not using. At the time the Rotorua District Council were in the process of upgrading the Government Gardens and helped cover the costs of building a retaining wall on the inside of the terrain after the top soil and grass had been removed. The Bowling Club then contributed by providing the pumice fill which was compacted until a suitable playing surface was achieved.

Pictured is the petanque club's terrains, showing the most photographed building in New Zealand, now the Rotorua Museum.

In 2007 the Rotorua Energy Events Centre was opened at the Government Gardens, a building containing room for 6,000 unseated or 3,000 seated fans and which the New Zealanders feel would make a fantastic venue for a future World Petanque Championship.

This is Freddie the cochonnet thief. Guard your cochonnets with your life! He's our newest club resident, a Stellers Jay...and News Flash: Freddie appears to be in love. He's been getting the attention of a potential wife (the little tart!). They both seem to enjoy unsalted whole peanuts as treats, so if you want to bring them a gift, feel free. It keeps their minds off the cochonnets!

Below is Digger. This ground squirrel "owns" our terrains and has very little fear of people. He, too, enjoys the peanuts, and always appreciates any handouts from club members.

Rare Plant at Petanque Club

According to www.calflora.org this plant has never been officially observed in Madera County, much less at Oakhurst's elevation.

The rare Orobanche.vallicola arose, literally, beneath a wild elderberry bush. Several local wildflower enthusiasts were astounded by the occurrence since Orobanche (Broomrape) is a parasite and, apparently, grows only from the roots of the elderberry, from which they obtain their nourishment.

These experts were further amazed that we have not one, but six of the plants growing around the base of the elderberry! Sometimes Orobanche main feeder roots extend up to six feet down into the soil to tap the host's root. The plant above-ground is a fuzzy, brownish plant with blossoms that change color with each day they are showing (see picture above right).

We're hoping it reappears this Spring. Further info: here, here, and and here.