Camí: In Miami, they controlled up your weight you to be on fire
The former puntista from Biarritz works for the prestigious BAC
08/04/2011: Serge Camí had it clear when he traveled to United States to debut as a professional: He wanted to do something big in cesta punta. And he was, because he has became one of the great puntistas from Iparralde, although it is true that he could have highlighted in other sports practiced child, such as football, rugby and athletics. Fortunately for Jai Alai fans, Serge opted for this modality and now summarizes us how was his relationship with this sport.
How did you start in this sport?
I started when I was ten with the basket of joko-garbi, which is very flat. Then I entered the club, and half a year later I won the France Championship. The truth is that I always was good at sports.
So you practiced other activities.
O played football, rugby and athletics. In 1968, I was football goalkeeper and I waw selected for the Sud Ouest team.
It was not difficult for you to adapt to the modality.
Every year I used to won Plaza Libre Championship and were I was fifteen, I already beat Pierre Etcheberry. Then, the Federation said that, as I was good in Plaza Libre, I had to prove Jai Alai. By that time I went to study at the Lyceum of Biarritz and trained on Sunday. It was in 1965 and in 1968 I went to the Olympic Games of Mexico with Lilou, Bordes and Fourneau. I was 17 years old and in 1970 I won the World Championship in Donostia.
Your progress was very fast.
Yes, but after the World Championship, I had to do the military service and in 1971 I had to go to the United States, but I broke the collarbone, so I wento to Miami in 1972 and stayed ten years.
When you were child, did you imagined that you would become professional in America?
No, here it was not as in Hegoalde, where people had this dream since they began to compete. I played because I liked it, and I like other sports, ping-pong too.
How do you remember the first days in Miami?
Everything was big, but there was no free time, because you played 50 functions per month, afternoon and evening. In addition, I was very young and the only thing I was in my mind was to do something big on the ball.
Did you missed your home?
Yes, and I often cried.
How about the language?
I had studied in the school and in Miami I improved it. Some pelotaris just spoke with the rest of pelotaris and after thirty years in America, they can´t say good morning.
Were you a good cooker?
Yes, because my parents had a restaurant and a hotel in the town and I had done three years of cooking.
Did you have a nickname?
They called me bike, because the cyclists raced with glasses and I played with glasses. I was the only one.
Did you see American sports?
On TV, and sometimes I went to boxing.Benito, who was a Cuban boxing journalist, and Mano de Piedra Duran used to come to the frontón.
At this time, you were famous.
In the Bank we were not, heh, heh. Fans knew us waited out to greet us. Every day there were 8,500 people and ever came to having 15,000 people in the stands. It was a great success and viewers were well dressed, it is a shame the situation nowadays.
Play with 15,000 people in the stands has to be amazing
Each pelotazo that you gave, you heard the cries of the public, it was something incredible. The intendente was Pablo Mir, he was hard, but good, when someone got a tanto, you were forced to lift the basket and the last day of the season, we went to the stands and the fans touched us. Among the puntistas there was also a great atmosphere, we are friends and want to greet everyone.
What happened with the cesta punta?
In these years there were only Pelota, then they entered the greyhounds and horses, later they put the Jai Alai out of the city and there were less pelotaris, bringing the level down. The first years they controlled you the weight you to be on fire.
After this experience in United States, you returned home.
I came because there was a project for Madrid, but at least, they did not open the frontón. However, I continued playing as a professional in Biarritz and in some festivals organized in Bordeaux, where I completed the course of monitor.
In Biarritz, you took part in the Gant D´or.
I played it in 1983, this year I got married, and then my son and my daughter, my best two trophies, were born. Since 1996, I work in the BAC and here we are, looking for sponsors and everything.
There are many children playing in the BAC.
Yes, but not as many as before. Nowadays there is not the idea of going to America and now there are many sports that are successful, so the supply is very varied, for example, here is football and we have also had medals in swimming, so to the kids do not take the cesta, because it has no future.
Do you think the cesta can raise again?
It is difficult, but I would like it and we are working for it.
Text: Juan Luis Ibarretxe Marcos
Photograph description: Serge Camí
