Elizegi

There was some mentioning of Elizegi and his absence from the World Championship at Club Fronton. It was told from Fronton member “Dpo” that he was excluded do to his temperament, which was his eventual downfall at Miami Jai Alai. What a shame, he was one of the most exciting players to watch of the late 90s – mid 00s. He had that ferocious style and he attacked the pelota at every opportunity. He always favored the picada, and he had monstrous power from either side. When he stepped on the cancha you could feel that “business was about to pick up”. He was not the best catcher in the world but made that up with effort and desire. He never favored long volleys and the closer he crept to that front wall, the quicker the point was going to be over with one of his powerful forehands.

He was extremely emotional, which is rare for a jai alai player. I have many, many memories of Elizegi (including the “high cesta in vain” to Michelena and Arra after winning the Citrus for Orlando) but one stands out in my mind. It was a game 12 championship singles game on a Friday night in December, and there was a halfway decent crowd on hand. The game before, game 11, Goiko and Elizegi were running the game out from post one, just dominating the game when they ran into post eight which I remember being Orbea and Wayne.

Well it was a great point, Goiko was throwing everything at Wayne and Wayne was doing it all – climbing the wall, fall down rebotes, desperation right side rebotes, scrapping the sidewall – it was amazing. Finally with Goiko cheating inside, a rebote comes out to Orbea and he fires a soft, long rebote that isn’t thrown wide enough and Elizegi is just waiting on the wood. Like a lion ready to pounce he snatches the soft rebote and fires one of the hardest right side rebotes I have ever seen, but it landed well out of bounce. The crowd went nuts whistling and booing, and Elizegi exchanges words with several of the patrons. He was seething, his body tense and pulsating with anger. The eight runs it out.

Next game, the championship singles and the lineup was as follows:

1 Goiko

2 Tevin

3 Luis

4 Elizegi

5 Laucarica (sub)

6 Benny

7 Irastorza

8 Wayne

So the game starts with a long volley between Goiko and Tevin and eventually Tevin seats Goiko with a well placed left side rebote carom. Tevin handles Luis with ease and then faces Elizegi. I should note that during warm ups for game 12 Elizegi was still hot - pacing around, and when he got a chance for a practice shot he was just drilling the ball.

Anyway Tevin serves it to Elizegi and he fires a merciless right side carom from the back wall that scores and hits the side screen with great authority. The next point he overserves to Laucarica and while in the cage takes off his cesta and slams it into the ground, he is clearly ready to explode. Next point Benny hits the overhead screen, and then the 7 Irastorza sits down Laucarica. Wayne then defeats Irastorza and he beats Goiko when Goiko threw a rebote carom off the court. Luis defeats Wayne, then Tevin defeats Luis and up again comes Elizegi.

Great point with Tevin doing everything possible to beat Elizegi but Elizegi was possessed he was saving everything and Tevin could not locate the chic chac. Finally Elizegi catches a left side at the nine line and is now on the offense. Roles reverse and it’s now Tevin saving everything trying to stay alive. Elizegi was repeatly placing the big forehand on the inside and I told my wife that he is setting him up for the carom. Finally after getting another desperation rebote out of Tevin, Elizegi receives at the three line. He winds up the big overhead forehand and Tevin once again retreats to the sidewall where the previous forehands have gone, instead this time Elizegi throws the carom and it scores. Immediately Elizegi starts to glare at the fans that were pestering him and gives the entire front row a vicious glare and struts past them with great swagger. I was loving watching this unfold.

Next up the six Benny and Elizegi beats him with ease and then up comes Laucarica, Elizegi on game point. Laucarica returns the serve from the right and Elizegi is just stalking the pelota from the six line. He catches from the right and throws a huge right side forehand that screams toward the back wall with visions of “Chula” written all over it. It takes a sharp bounce and Laucarica dives back and just gets enough of the cesta under it to save it. Elizegi takes it from the three line from the left side and hammers it of the middle of the back wall. Laucarica returns a weak left side rebote, very high off the wall though and Elizegi catches from about the nine line and hammers it. This reoccurs about 5 times and finally Laucarica switches the tempo up and throws a left side rebote dejada but it is up on the front wall enough for a charging Elizegi to catch it from the left. Elizegi attempts the home run but Laucarica has just enough room at the 1 ½ line to tap a left side rebote. Elizegi who was standing in the middle of the cancha at the four line sprints to the wood and SLIDES ON HIS KNEES, sticks the cesta out against the side screen, catches it and throws a very weak right side from his knees. He barely had enough room to get the shot off against the screen, it was an amazing save and the fact the he got of a return was equally amazing. Laucarica is waiting in the middle of the cancha from the three line, catches the soft return and winds up like he is going inside. Elizegi sensing this charges like a bull back to the inside and Laucarica chips a carom to the EXACT SPOT that Elizegi would have been if he stayed on the wood. Elizegi sees this and without hesitation slams his cesta on the side wall and the tip goes flying up in the air, he then looks at the cesta closely and then hits it four or five times against the wall until just the bottom part of his cesta remains on his hand. He then walks down the wood pulsating in anger and has words with the patrons in the front row again, then walks past Laucarica and stops for a second like he is going to kill him, and then turns for the cage. Classic Elizegi in many ways, the power, the effort, the madness, the style, and the temper – it was all on display on that chilly night in Miami.