CROQUET NEWS:  Brussels Croquet Club at Maui Croquet Club Won by Maui Croquet Club

30 October - 1 November 2005
Waipuilani Park, Kihei, Hawaii, USA
The Lodge at Koele, Kihei, Hawaii, USA
story by Leo Nikora

The Iron Manneken trophy. Manneken Pis, (little guy Pee) is a Brussels landmark. It is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a little boy urinating into the fountain's basin. Similar statues can be found in the towns of Geraardsbergen and Hasselt. There are several legends behind this statue, but the most famous is the one about Duke Godfried II of Brabant. In 1142, the troops of this two-year-old lord were battling against the troops of the Berthouts, the lords of Grimbergen, in Ransbeke (currently Neder-over-Heembeek). The troops put the infant lord in a basket and hung it in a tree, to encourage them. From there, he urinated on the troops of the Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle. Another legend goes like this: in the 14th century, Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city had held their ground for quite some time. The attackers had thought of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske from Brussels happened to be spying on them as they were preparing. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. There was already a similar statue made of stone in the middle of the 15th century, perhaps as early as 1388. The statue was stolen several times. In 1619 it was replaced by a bronze statue, created by Franco-Flemish Baroque sculptor Jerôme Duquesnoy. On many occasions the statue is dressed in a costume. His wardrobe now consists of several hundred different costumes. According to an article, the statue was at one time used to dispense liquor. The costumes are changed according to a schedule managed by the non-profit association Les Amis de Manneken-Pis, in ceremonies that are often accompanied by brass band music. When the boy's stream is turned on after dressing, the build-up of pressure after such a long abstinence can lead to bystanders being sprinkled, to general delight. Since the mid-1990s, the Manneken has had a female equivalent, Jeanneke Pis. Photos of the statue in close-up often give a false impression of its size; some tourists are disappointed to find it much smaller than expected. .In the United States, replicas in brass or fiberglass are commonplace swimming- or garden-pool decorations. Mannekenpis adapted as a corkscrew, is a common souvenir, considered most risqué. However, in September 2002 a Belgian waffle-maker in Florida experienced first-hand the cultural gap between Europe and the United States when he set up a replica in front of his waffle stand in the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, Florida. The Belgian owner recalled the legend as 'the boy who saved Brussels from fire by extinguishing it with his urine' (confusing the legend with an incident in 'Gulliver's Travels' perhaps). Florida's shocked shoppers made a formal complaint. Mall officials said that the waffle-shop owner Assayag did not follow procedures when he put up the statue and was in violation of his lease. From Wikipedia.

The Maui Croquet Club bested the Brussels Croquet Club in two days of play on two courts at The Lodge at Koele, and the court at Waipuilani Park.

Two members of the Brussels Croquet Club traveled from Belgium to compete against five members of the Maui Croquet Club on their home courts. A two-by-five round robin was played, with each member of each club playing each member of the other club. The Maui Croquet Club won 6 games, and the Brussels Croquet Club won 4 games.

The Brussels Croquet Club presented the Iron Manneken trophy to the Maui Croquet Club, to be held until the next tournament between the two clubs.

John Swabey and Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII represented the Brussels Croquet Club. Leo Nikora, Paul Billings, Bruno Amby, Larry Icalla, and Tim Wheeler represented the Maui Croquet Club.

Larry Icalla was the surprise of the tournament, upsetting the Belgians in both his games! John Swabey gave a strong performance, upsetting the Mauians in two of his five games.

Advanced International Rules were followed. Games were limited to two hours, and were double banked. Sunshiny primary- and secondary-colored balls were used. Leo Nikora directed of the tournament, which was scanctioned by the United States Croquet Association.

Parties for the Belgians were held at the homes of Paul Billings, Leo Nikora, and Tim Wheeler. In addition to the players and their wives, Maui Croquet Club members Dave Kron, and Dick Karr and his wife, also attended. The food was good, the beer was excellent, and the friendship was outstanding.

Everyone enjoyed the competition, especially on the island of Lanai, and is looking forward to a rematch. Perhaps in Belgium?

For more information, see Playing Croquet on Maui - the Jet-Setters Visit Hawaii.

For pictures of the tournament, see the Maui Croquet Club Gallery of Events.

Member [Rank] (MCC score first)	John Swabey [#533]	Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII [#538]
Leo Nikora [#299]	26-7	26-8
Paul Billings [#425]	11-17	26-6
Bruno Amby [#472]	11-20	24-14
Larry Icalla [#709]	15-14	20-10
Tim Wheeler [#778]	8-26	13-26

Maui Croquet Club members and wins shown in blue, and the Brussels Croquet Club in red. Upsets (based on rank) are highlighted.

Playing Croquet on Maui - the Jet-Setters Visit Hawaii

20 November 2005
Genval, Belgium
by John Swabey in Brussels Croquet Club Newsletter

...

A Brussels delegation of 2 players (plus 2 supporters) visited the Maui club over the half-term holiday straddling Hallowe’en and Guy Fawkes night. Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII had played there once before and John Swabey was a willing victim of the long flights there & back.

Apart from indulging in snorkelling, volcano walking at 3000m, surf board lessons, dolphin watching, hot tub, barbecue and “pu pu” parties, the Belgian duo were finally able to present the magnificent “Iron Manneken” trophy to their hosts, having contrived to lose overall by 4 games to 6.

The first day’s croquet took place after a boat ride to the nearby island of Lanaii, where the Koele Lodge hotel has several magnificent lawns at some 600m above sea level, where native American turkeys stroll about the grounds. Paul Billings, Bruce Amby and Larry Icalla put up some stiff opposition for the first day’s play (when jet lag affected judgement calls quite badly): 4:2 to Maui so far. A rest day, and then surfing lessons all morning, ensured that the Belgians were prepared for the afternoon’s play at the West Maui court, in baking conditions at sea level (despite the trade winds) and closely surrounded by palm trees; honours for the day were even against Leo Nikora and Tim Wheeler.

The friendly hosts managed to accommodate the visitors with their members, and even managed to sing with some enthusiasm the beta version of the new Maui croquet song. We look forward to a repeat engagement, here or there. Tim and his partner Martha will probably visit Brussels anyway next Spring during a visit to Europe, and we’ve told them to fix the dates for after the lawn starts getting mown at Genval.