History
The earliest historical records which mention bola jokoak are almost all records of writers complaining about the game as a sign of moral decay or administrative records of forbidding the play of such games on the streets. A law from Santander dating back to 1627 for example penalised the playing of bowls on the streets of the city, as did the council of Ulibarri-Jauregi 1632.
Probably the first document to give us a limited insight into the actual gameplay comes from the 1726 dictionary of the Real Academia de la Lengua Española which gives a very brief outline of a game very similar to bolo palma.
Up until the end of the 19th century most neighbourhoods would have a playing area where the locals would play and bet the payment of their drinks (often txakoli or cider) on their bowling skills. Due to the suspicion of the Catholic church and the nobility such activities, many bowling courts were historically located near churches.
The first over-regional competition was organised by the council of Gasteiz in 1949 with players from all over Álava competing for 3 prizes of 500 pesetas and a trophy. Competitions at all levels have been held in various places since.
Read more about this topic: Basque Bowls
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