Susana Zabaleta’s suspense series High Tide isn’t the only original production making a splash on ViX+, ViX’s premium streaming service.
“Las Pelotaris 1926” has already arrived on the platform (you can see it here), a series inspired by real women who competed in Basque pelota in the 1920s.
It is a story full of rivalry, growth, ambition, death and love, but what does this difficult sport that the protagonists of the series do mean?
What is Basque pelota, the sport played by the protagonists of ‘Las Pelotaris 1926’?
The protagonists of ‘Las Pelotaris 1926’ (here you can find out who is who in the ViX+ series) are 3 powerful Basque pelota players.
If you are wondering what this sport is, you should know that, according to Olatz González in her article “Fundación Culture en el deporte: el caso de la pelota Vasca”, it is a set of ball games in which the Participants (better known as pelotaris) are placed in front of a wall (or frontis).
They throw a ball to him, while taking turns to hit it either with their hand or with some specialized tool (such as rackets).
The funny thing about the game is that the ball always bounces within the designated boundaries (scats or foul lines). That is, one must throw the ball in such a way that it is difficult for the opponent to reach it to answer the hit.
The game began to become popular in the Basque Country, an autonomous community of Spain, in the early 16th century. It was in the late XIX (and early XX) when several of the forms of this sport were formalized and later it was exported to other countries, mainly America.
Among the different modes of Basque pelota are fronton (short or long), ratchet and free square. They differ from each other due to the different instruments they use (balls, rackets, etc.), the dimensions of the court, the number of walls or the number of players.
In “Las Pelotaris 1926” you will be able to enjoy a Mexican-Spanish story in which experienced pelotaris from both countries will become friends (and enemies at the same time) to face the challenges of being high-class competitors in the 1920s.
‘Las Pelotaris 1926’: This is how the protagonists learned the art of the Basque pelota
In an interview with Who, Viviana Serna, actress of “Las Pelotaris 1926,” revealed some secrets about what it was like for her and her co-stars to learn the art of the Basque palette.
It involved a grueling physical preparation, as well as several weeks of training, so that when they shot their scenes, their performances felt more real:
Both she and Zuria Vega were mentored by Rosa María Flores Buendía, a multi-medal Mexican pelota player (she won 3 golds and one bronze) at the Basque Pelota World Championships in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2006. She was also champion of All-American Games in 1995 and 2003:
You may also like:
Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
