Genuinely Brazilian  Frescobol was invented in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, between 1945 and 1946 by Lian Pontes de Carvalho, who was a manufacturer of surf boards, wooden doors and windows. He made the first Frescobol racket after an exhibition of what was called “rackets game” by French, Spanish and English officers. It is interesting to highlight that there are records of games with rackets since the 15th century in Europe. In the north of France, there was a game played without rackets called Jeu de Paume, which literally means: game of palm (of the hand). The players hit the ball against a wall or from one side to another with their hands. In time, leather gloves and bands replaced bare hands and later the players started to use bats and rackets.  At the museum of Prado, in Madrid, there is a painting made by the famous painter Francisco de Goya entitled “El Juego de Pelota”, dated 1776. This painting shows two trios of players competing against each other in a non-marked field and without a net. The players held a long and thin wood racket which had a small basket placed in one of the sides, in a similar position as in Frescobol.  It seems to be a variation of the game “Pelota Basca”. Similar games were practiced in England, during the reign of Henry VIII. Lian started to sell his rackets on the beaches of Rio with the help of lifeguards. He did not intend to get a patent for his invention, however sold many rackets to sport shops in the commercial centre of Rio and made a healthy profit. People who did not have money to buy the new rackets from the shops started to make the rackets themselves from pieces of wood found in building sites.  Each racket had to be shaped and finished patiently with glass shards and sandpaper. These rackets were made of wood and very heavy, mainly made out of pine, cedar, angelin and araucaria. Eventually, the rackets were painted or varnished to make them waterproof, and the handles became shorter. Until 1976 the game was played with a peeled tennis ball - later racquetballs started to be imported to Brazil. The name Frescobol comes from the expression “afternoon freshness” used by ladies who went to the beach in the afternoon. The “gringos” (foreigners) who could not stand the hot weather of Rio de Janeiro, combined the words “fresco” (fresh) and ball and the cariocas (people born in Rio) started to call the sport Frescobol. Over time, the popularity of Frescobol increased so much that official organized meetings for the sport were created. Frescobol competitions have been taking place in many parts of Brazil since the 80s, even with the difficulties in communication and logistics between event organizers and players from distant parts of the country.  In 1994, the Frescobol was established as a competitive sport with the creation of the First Brazilian Circuit of Frescobol. This competition was divided in 10 stages that were played in different parts of the country, travelling from the south to the northeast region. This event helped to develop a sport network between the players, improve techniques and unify gaming rules. For a long time, Frescobol was seen simply as a way of having fun on the beach. Many championships occurring in different areas followed local rules that were subject to different interpretations. This often resulted in discontented players. Frescobol had all the ingredients to be a success. It was necessary, however, to create objective, specific and unified rules. This requirement encouraged the organization of local Frescobol associations and state federations. In April 2003, the Brazilian Frescobol Association (Associação Brasileira de Frescobol – ABF) organized the First Brazilian Congress of Frescobol. It was a productive 3 day event that improved the new Frescobol regulations. During the congress a methodology was developed that made it possible “to read” the game, transforming it into numbers, eliminating subjectivity as much as possible and creating mathematical rules with the help of the best players and referees from Brazil. Today Frescobol is one of the most widespread sports in the Brazilian beaches,
and is practiced in most states. Outside Brazil,
it is becoming very popular due to the large number of Brazilians living abroad
in the USA, Australia and Europe.  |  Proudly Sponsored By:     |
