Jokari
Jokari is a paddle ball game principally for two players, but it can also be played solo. The game consists of a rubber ball attached to an anchor by means of a long elastic band, which makes the ball come back when you hit it. Jokari is played with wooden paddles, and is similar to swingball.
The jokari was invented in France in 1938, by Louis Joseph Miremont, then residing in Bayonne.
The Jokari Company[]
The company does still exist, but has relocated to Carrollton, TX, and does not sell the game anymore. The Jokari company now manufactures and markets solution gadgets and storage and organization products, including the Fizz-Keeper, Purse Rack, and Can Caps.
Cultural references[]
The game has reached some cult status in France, it is featured in several comics, and also in the James Bond spoof movie OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006), in the English translation of which the game is called "paddleball." Ian Fleming's character, James Bond, (in the first chapter of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service") also refers to the game Jokari as he is watching a bathing beach on the northern coast of France.
Jokari and alcohol[]
Jokari is known as "the best sport to cure hangover". Studies from Scottish scientists have shown that practicing jokari can reduce up to 0.1g/l of alcohol in blood per 10 minutes of intense playing
External links[]
- Ball games
- Games of physical skill
- Companies based in Carrollton, Texas