Basque pelota close to currently rare specialty of "rebot". The mid-19th century saw the explosion of the "pelota craze". The player "Gantxiki" is considered the original "father" of the chistera, the basket-shaped racquet which can propel the ball at incredible speeds, introduced around 1850. The top champions of the end of the 19th century, such as "Chiquito de Cambo", were immensely popular and the best-paid sportsmen of their time. The first official competitions were organized in the 1920s, and led to the world championship in the 1950s. In 1924 the United States built their first fronton, in Miami. Jai- Alai is used
International Federation of Basque Pelota Civil War, their activities were restricted until 1945. In 1946 the official modalities regulated by the federation were defined, and its specific rules set for equality of the participant country federations and the international championships. The headquarters of the federation are currently located in Pamplona, Spain. Currently the International Federation is constituted by 27 national federations. The current medal table from 1952 to 2014 is as follows: International Federation of Basque Pelota The International Federation of Basque Pelota ( (FIPV), ) is the worldwide governing body for Basque pelota, recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It sets the regulations for