Jai alai is a sport which began over 400 years ago in the Basque region of Spain. The first players just threw balls against walls of buildings. Jai alai is a Basque word meaning “merry festival.”
Jai alai is still played the same way it was played when the game was invented. Jai Alai is played on a special court called a cancha. The cancha has three walls that are made out of granite. In jai alai a ball about ¾ the size of a baseball is thrown against a wall. The ball is the hardest ball of any sport. It is made of rubber and layered with nylon and goatskin covers. A pelota can usually only last about 20 minutes of use because the cover splits when it is thrown at such high speeds. The pelota is caught and thrown using