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
Spanish Federation of Basque Pelota Spanish Federation of Basque Pelota The Spanish Federation of Basque pelota or Federación Española de Pelota Vasca is the main governing body of Basque pelota in Spain and one of the most important in the world along with the International Federation of Basque Pelota. Basque pelota first gained popularity during the 1920s. Several tournaments were organized and the "Hand-pelota", "remonte" and "pala" championships were introduced for the first professional "pelotaris". In 1924 Basque pelota was introduced as a demonstration sport in the 1924 Summer Olympics, and the popularity of the event was the main reason for the creation of the