The fastest projectile speed in any moving ball game is c. 302km/h 188mph in Jai-Alai (Pelota).The most lethal ball of any sport, the pelota is 3/4 the size of a baseball and harder than a golf ball. It is made from constructed or hand wound Brazilian rubber with two handsown goatskin covers. Pelotas cost around $150 (£103) each and must be re-covered after 15 minutes of play. The word Jai-Alai actually means 'merry festival' in Basque and professional Jai-Alai in America started in Miami in 1926. The game originated in the Basque area of Spain's Pyrenees Mountains over 300 years ago. At that time it was played against church walls. It came to Cuba from Spain in 1898. Helmets were not used until 1968 when a champion player called Orbea was hit on the head ending his career. Although it started in the Basque country there are more Jai-Alai courts in Florida than in any other place in the world.
