Goiko: “The adrenalin you get when you throw the ball at more than 300 km/h is incredible”
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The cesta punta or Jai Alai is, without doubt, one of the most spectacular and eye-catching Basque sports. And Iñaki Osa Goikoetxea, Goiko, is its great master. The 11 times individual world champion, he has recently set a new speed record of 313 km/h, the same speed as Dani Pedrosa on his KTM MotoGP bike.
Born in Zumaia (Gipuzkoa), in the fronton he stands out for his large wingspan (he is 1.93 cm tall and weighs almost 100 kg), his strength, speed and, above all, his enormous talent. He recently set a new Jai Alai speed record of 313 km/h, a speed similar to that of Dani Pedrosa on his KTM MotoGP bike.
Goiko was already showing his talent at a very young age playing one of the traditional Basque sports: the cesta punta. After making his debut in Milan in 1996, the following year he moved to the United States where he stayed until he was 35, playing first in Newport, then in Florida and then thirteen seasons in Miami. His time on the American continent helped him to improve his technique to finish forging his legend as one of the most successful players in the history of the sport.
Do you remember when you first played Jai Alai?
I started playing when I was eight or nine years old, because my two older brothers played. At home there was a basket that I started playing with in the kitchen with a tennis ball. Later my brothers encouraged me to go and play fronton and that's how I started.
When did it stop being a child's game?
When I discovered fronton, I gradually started to play more and more, until I made my debut in Italy when I was 16. And soon after that I got an offer to go to the United States, when I was 17. I stayed there for 19 years, until recently, when I returned to Spain.
Where did you play?
In the United States I played in a fronton in Newport (Rhode Island), in another in Orlando and the last 13 years in Miami (Florida).
Did you notice much difference to how Jai Alai is experienced here?
A few years ago in the United States there was a lot of expectation and the frontons were packed. Also, the game is played differently there, with a format called pools, which consists of five short games of seven points each, while here in the Basque Country we play long games of 30 points or two games of 15 points. The rules are the same, but the game mechanics are different. In Mexico there are also very good fans, lately even more than in the United States.
What aspects of the sport would you highlight?
The game is very fast, it has a lot of speed and the adrenaline you get when you play is incredible. The ball goes at more than 300 km/h.
The basket you use is special and was created especially for you to beat this record. What is it like?
I have always used a basket made of wood and chestnut wicker. But the one designed by Iñigo Calzacorta is made of carbon fibre and aluminium.
With this basket, could you play a full game?
I think you could play a game with it, with some adjustments, of course. In fact, in the near future, I would like to play with one of them. I want to complete some training sessions with this basket, because there are a lot of differences. As soon as I adapt, I would like to play with it.
You are leading a revolution in a very traditional sport. How has the process been?
At the beginning there was a lot of resistance. The organisers didn't allow us to play with sponsors. And the truth is that in the last four years there has been a big change, because you can now play with the colours of the sponsors. This is important, because it allows big brands to get involved and make the sport grow.
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