European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 scene stars and stripes sunday March 182007 photos by Kim Cross age players take Over a Side Street when the Sun illuminated the scene just for minutes much of the play was conducted under Gray skies r 0 4q 0 u i i Cross age players claim streets in 500yearold belgian tradition the tools of Cross age a Metal Keg As target the Rabot and the Chylette which serves As a Ball note the mandatory insurance stickers on the Rabot Young men working on a Beer Buzz honed on a Metal Keg strategically placed near the front stoop of a retirement Home others of a similar ilk including More than a few women swung for other kegs including one at the firehouse and one at the Corner tavern with a fancy name Ledd fice every last soul seemed pumped and primed inside the retirement Home the residents were smiling too amid the steady cacophony of Clatter and chatter out on the town Square older residents held Beers greeted their guests and watched the youth of today carry on a tradition that has gripped chevres Belgium for More than 500 years every Ash wednesday the first Day of Lent area residents gather in the streets of chevres or nearby Vau Dinnies to play the Golf like medieval sport of Cross age or Chole As its also known the team game which can also be played in a Field is popular in Northern France and French speaking areas of Southern Belgium this year 22 americans Many of them stationed just up the Road at Dau Merie Cavern or chevres air base participated in the annual event Cross age is a mix Between Golf and Cro Quet said army sgt 1 St class Tom Jessen its a unique tradition that youll find nowhere else basically Cross age involves hitting a wooden Ball called a Chylette pronounced with a wooden club or Rabot pronounced in the direction of a target a team can have Only one Cholette in play at a time when Ever a player is ready to swing he or she must yell Cholette the size of a team can vary but it generally has an even number of players such As four or six pitted against each other two teams work their Way around a course which in chevres last month consisted of 18 kegs or targets the players Dodge errant balls from other matches As they move around the ciry Square up and Down narrow streets and out by the pasture the streets running through town Are mostly Cobblestone especially around the Square so there is no telling which Way the Ball will Bounce after it hits the ground there Are no rules said David Conlan a civilian with the 39th signal battalion youll see no scorecards Well there Are rules but Many of them get lost in the shuffle from Keg to Keg in theory players on one of the two teams
