The Pétanque Explorer took place this Saturday, June 22, in Nice. Organized by the YouTuber duo McFly and Carlito, the eight invited duos competed in a pétanque challenge. Here’s a look back at this extraordinary event.
The Pétanque Explorer welcomed 2,300 people on June 22 at Albert 1er Park. YouTubers McFly and Carlito, whose real names are David Coscas and Raphaël Carlier, organized a pétanque tournament. In total, eight duos of YouTubers and streamers were present. McFly and Carlito, Amixem and Thomas Deseur, Natoo and Gaëlle Garcia Diaz, Baghera Jones and Maghla, Maxime and Elian, Djilsi and Joyca, Freddy Gladieux and Aurélien, and finally Terracid and Grim faced off for nearly seven hours to determine the winning team of the competition.
A Major Event
The Pétanque Explorer initially started as a joke referencing the Grand Prix Explorer (a Formula 4 race, editor’s note) organized by Squeezie. The YouTube duo decided to actually realize this idea. “It was Thomas Deseur who came up with the idea, and some silly ideas just stick in your mind, so we decided to do it,” Carlito stated at the beginning of the event. Nice was chosen primarily for its beautiful weather, but also because pétanque is the third most popular sport in terms of membership in the city. Two game courts were used simultaneously for the group stages, and then one from the semifinals onward.
With no previous experience in this sport, all the competitors were coached by professional pétanque players. They also had training sessions. A live broadcast on McFly and Carlito’s YouTube channel was available for those who didn’t have a ticket. A big production effort to mimic television was part of the event. The commentators were top-notch, with Maxime Gras, a sports journalist specializing in pétanque, and another YouTuber, Mister MV. Doigby, renowned for his e-sports commentary, provided the entertainment.
A village was even set up for attendees, offering numerous activities. Stands with the event’s partners were present, such as a cosmetics stand providing free sunscreen or an appliance stand giving out free pizzas. Online viewers were not forgotten either, as they had the opportunity to win cinema tickets.
The Sporting Results
The draws were conducted a few days beforehand, and a Swiss system determined the matches. Each pair played two matches, and a team with two wins advanced, while teams with two losses were eliminated. In the group stages, matches lasted thirty minutes or ended at 13 winning points. Each player had three throws per round.
The first to be eliminated were Natoo and Gaëlle, losing their first match 11-2 and the second 11-8. Maghla and Baghera joined them, losing 6-3 and 10-4. Elian and Maxime had a crushing victory in their first match against Terracid and Grim, winning 13-0 with the day’s first hit-and-stick shot (where the ball bounces off an opponent’s ball and takes its place, editor’s note). Terracid and Grim had a chance for revenge in a second match but lost again, 13-4.
McFly and Carlito won their match with a great spot-on shot (a ball glued to the jack) by McFly but lost in the semifinals against Djilsi and Joyca, 7-5. Another highlight of the day was the match between Djilsi and Joyca and Thomas and Amixem, which turned into a psychological duel against the clock. Ultimately, Djilsi and Joyca prevailed 10-7, with suspense until the last throws. In the other semifinal, Maxime and Elian dominated their opponents Freddy and Aurélien, winning 13-0.
The Final Hour
In a final lasting one hour, the duo Maxime and Elian faced off against Djilsi and Joyca. It was a dream final for spectators, given the close relationship between Maxime and Djilsi. In the end, Maxime and Elian swept the competition once more, winning 13 to 2. Jean-Marc Foyot, a legendary pétanque player, said at the end of the Pétanque Explorer: “What I saw today is something I rarely see in pétanque. You are honoring this sport.” The highest praise for all the YouTubers present.
For the spectators on site, like Léna, the event was also a spectacle: “The semifinals and finals were amazing! The tension was really palpable. The level of the three duos on the podium was unreal.” With over 100,000 people watching the livestream, many internet users were able to discover the sport thanks to their favorite YouTubers.
