Coronado’s 1st Annual Bocce Tournament – and Picnic

For the last year, a number of residents have been getting together and playing Bocce Ball on a Sunday afternoon in a quiet area close to the Coronado Golf Course.  

With the increase of Bocce players in the ranks, the informal club took the next natural step, and hosted its first Bocce Ball Tournament yesterday Sunday, March 16th. The tangible excitement from the members around the upcoming event may indeed have elevated the social status of this informal ‘group’ to informal ‘club’. To that end, a website announcing the 1st Annual Bocce Invitational was born. Coroboci.com lists the rules of the game, the tournament roster and proudly proclaims the group’s informal motto, “Totally and completely unsanctioned by the Federation and proud of it.”

The game of Bocce Ball has it’s roots in the Roman Empire. Developed into its present form in Italy, the game is traditionally played on an oyster shell court, but has also been played on decomposed granite, soil and asphalt. Here in Coronado, Bocce is played on grass, with the players facing an increased challenge due to an uneven playing surface, which forces the play to take into account dips and bumps on the court. During the game yesterday, players were often seen throwing the ball to the right for a left intention.

A physically easy game to play, Bocce does not require strenuous activity. In fact, many of the players in yesterday’s tournament held a drink in one hand and threw the ball with the other.

To prepare for the tournament teams created uniforms to express the team’s name. The Wheeler Dealers wore hats with poker hands affixed. The Bocce Bikers came with temporary body tattoos and biking gear. Hawaii 5-0 wore flowered shirts and donned garlands, while the Killer Bs wore hats with bee antennas. Sweet Joe & His Bimbos, took home a champagne bottle as a prize for creativity in team name and costume.

The tournament was won by The Killer B’s, who beat out 8 teams of 4 players to take the 1st prize. Each of the winning team members received a carved Calabasa as a trophy. The Killer B’s also shared a small purse, which they donated to The School Uniform Project and Spay The Strays - two area Expat group that raise funds towards charitable work.

In the spirit of community, people brought food and drink to share and made a picnic out of the day. Lawn chairs were set up and BBQs fired up. While the tournament was won by the best team, the players and friends of the Bocce Bunch were the clear winners of a fun filled day.