Pétanque, a low-key sport with its origins in Marseille, typically brings to mind images of retired men. After all, the game takes two to three hours to play, requires no great athleticism and involves a fair of amount of sitting, waiting and watching. This is not a game to be rushed but savoured; it certainly explains its devoted players in the 70+ demographic.

But amongst legions of fans across Belgium, perhaps most surprising is its rising popularity with younger people. This jean-clad foursome, for example, are not retirees, but scruffy, handsome guys aged 26 to 31, with nary a grey hair in site.

Maarten Dhaenens understands the misconception: “A lot of people think it’s an old man’s game but that is changing. I mean, why wait until you are old to chill?” he laughs. Maarten and his friends explain the allure with the same words being bandied about repeatedly – relaxed, low-key. “It is something to do. It is so chill, especially when it’s warm, with a bottle of wine or Ricard.” They have the same mellow air as retirees with all the time in the world.

Sportsmanship

When I ask about rules, I’m told with a grin that there is only one: “Play better than the others.” Despite the cavalier quip about rules, I learn that this group, and most players, are in fact quite polite and adhere to an understood set of rules. Pétanque’s name roughly translates to “feet together”, the game’s cardinal rule. This explains the handful of silver bike rims hanging on the fence behind the court; they are for players to stand in to make sure they’re not moving their feet. While this particular tool might not be used in a ‘real’ pétanque club, the fact remains – respect the rules.

Hans Dekeyser, a young man from Ghent, explains, “We always play outside and not in some official pétanque club. So it's definitely friendly competition but no less serious; we also stick to the rules.” He admits his favourite part about the sport is winning, but goes on to clarify, “Not to win, but to knock out the rest of the competition with your last ball, changing the entire score... and hearing the swearing in the back. That I love!”

The premise of the game is relatively simple and similar to horseshoes. There is a target, a small orange ball cutely called cochonnet or piglet, which you try to get as close to as possible by throwing metals balls called boules, while standing with your feet together. Because it can be played on almost any surface, from sand or gravel to grass, and because age, agility, strength and speed don’t apply, the game appeals to a wide population.

Generally, there are two types of players: pointers and shooters. Pointers aim and precisely lob the boules, rolling a few feet to stop as close to the cochonnet as possible. Shooters, on the other hand, aim to knock out the opponent’s boules with speed and accuracy. It is played in two teams, with one, two or three people per team. Each player has three boules on teams of singles and doubles.

In groups of three, which the Zevergem group plays, they have only two boules each. The ideal team would have two pointers and one shooter. Points are scored once all the boules have been thrown. Here more rules come into the game but, simply put, the team that has the balls closest to the little piglet gets one point per boule. The game is played to 13.

The boules themselves also have some restrictions; they must be made of metal, be of a certain weight and diameter (around 700 grams and fitting into one’s palm) and in the case of the Zevergem team, be a source of pride.

Two players had their boules custom made, based on the length of their forefinger to thumb, and engraved with their names; A third uses his father’s set, while the fourth has store-bought boules (although he was quick to point out the strong reputation of the manufacturer).

The appeal

The teams are together to prepare for a six-month long tournament, with 14 teams competing, each one made of people living on a particular street. Wouter, who lives across the road from the pétanque court and pops by nearly every day, says, “It’s a great way to get to know the people of the village, both older and younger generations.” When asked why he likes to play so much, however, the sport is barely mentioned. This is also the case with Hans, from Ghent: “You get to meet up with friends on a regular basis and spend time outside in the park. There are two lanes, benches and a huge tree. With some food and a bottle of wine, what more do you need?”

Perhaps younger people are learning to appreciate a slower pace of life, taking the time to relax and enjoy more simple things. With this in mind, Jelle Pauwels from Antwerp started a pétanque group in 2003 that is specifically geared towards younger players. With 95% under 40, and 15% in their twenties, pétanque has clearly shaken its previously boring reputation. The group is called Provencaalse Zon (Sun in Provence), after Jelle’s inspiration for the idea upon several visits to the South of France. The attraction certainly has a lot to do with the game’s contradictory nature: “Playing pétanque gets you out of your lazy chair to interact with people, have a drink and a laugh, and be competitive at the same time.”