Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

European International Series

Entrants 1999: Switzerland (CH) • France (F) • Greece (GR)
Hungary (H) • Italy (I) • Slovenia (SLO)

Presenters / Commentators of International Competitions:
Matteo Pelli (TSI - CH)
Fabienne Egal and Nelson Monfort (FRANCE 2 - F)
Flavia Fortunato and Mauro Serio (RAI - I)
Kostas Sgontzos (ERT-ET1 - GR)
Maria Borbas (MTV - H)
Mojca Mavec (RTVSLO - SLO)

International Referee:
Denis Pettiaux
Carlo Pegoraro (Assistant)

National Referees:
Pierre Pellegrini (CH)
Axel Escalle (F)
Babis Ionnadis (GR)
Lehel Nemeth (H)
Riccardo Giovannella (I)
Lea Vodusek (SLO)

Production Credits:

Not currently available

Produced by TSI (CH), FRANCE 2 (F), ERT-ET1 (GR), MTV (H),
RAI UNO (I), RTVSLO (SLO)

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

Heat 1

Event Staged: Friday 11th June 1999
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 28th June 1999, 8.50pm (1st)
RAI Uno (I): Saturday 3rd July 1999, 8.50pm (1st)
MTV (H): Sunday 15th August 1999, 8.00pm (1st)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Theme: Un Avventura (An Adventure)

Teams: Tre Valli (CH) v. Gap (F) v. Katerini (GR) v. Gyöngyös (H) v.
Reggio Calabria (I) v. Tržič (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): Gli Idrovolanti (Seaplanes), I Ponti Sospesi (Suspension Bridges), La Piovra (The Octopus), La Cascata (The Waterfall), La Liberazione (The Liberty), Gli Ippopotami (The Hippos), Caccia alla Tigre (Tiger Hunt), I Serpenti (The Snakes), Il Vulcano (The Volcano), Le Liane (The Lianas), I Cannibali (The Cannibals), La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing);
Fil Rouge: Robin Hood (Robin Hood);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 CH • Tre Valli ●
 H • Gyöngyös
 F • Gap
 SLO • Tržič
 GR • Katerini
 I • Reggio Calabria

52
51
44
43
40
26

The Venue

Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

All the programmes in this year’s series were staged on a small promontory adjacent to the isthmus where the Castello Aragonese is located. All of the games were played there or on the strip of water separating them, except for the final game when the isthmus was used as a starting area for the teams to cross to the promontory.

The Games in Detail

The Theme - Un Avventura (An Adventure)

In the spirit of Indiana Jones and amidst scenery reminiscent of tropical jungles, volcanoes, rivers and the great seas, the teams had to seek a gemstone set in front of an idol. Through a series of thrilling, heart-stopping adventures, the teams had to fight to be the first to reach the idol and grab the coveted stone. To conclude the storyline, a competitor from the 1st placed team on Game 12 had to climb the idol to retrieve the jewel from its head.

Game 12 - La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing)

The twelfth and final game of every 1999 edition was La Traversata del Mare' (The Sea Crossing), in which eight contestants from each team had to row a boat (the type of vessel dependent on the theme of each programme) across a stretch of water. The vessels used were: outrigger canoes (Heat 1), rubber dingys (Heats 2 and 5), rafts (Heats 3 and 6), a construction of 8 linked lifebuoys (Heat 4), a rubber hippopotamus (Heat 7) and canoes linked to icebergs (International Final). Once at their destination, the teams had to climb an enormous slope with the aid of a rope. In Heat 1, the game was played slightly differently - only one contestant from each team had to climb the slope and when the team representatives reached the top, they had to wave flags which they were carrying under their clothes.

Looks Familiar?

Game 8 - 'I Serpenti' (The Snakes) - was almost identical to one played in Game 2 in JSF 1993 Greece (Heat 4) - which happened to be one of the longest duration games ever played in Jeux Sans Frontières. Fortunately, on this occasion the game was completed in a much quicker time than the 6 minutes and 8 seconds it took in 1993!

Music Played During this Event

Game 1: 'Gli Idrovolanti' (Seaplanes) -
The Raiders March (John Williams) from Raiders of the Lost Ark

Game 3: 'La Piovra' (The Octopus) -
Parade of the Slave Children (John Williams) from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Game 4: 'La Cascata' (The Waterfall) -
Voodoo (Antonio Arena, Sabina Giavi, Silvio Piersanti)

Game 7: 'Caccia alla Tigre' (Tiger Hunt) -
The Theme from Mission: Impossible (Lalo Schifrin)

Game 9: 'Il Vulcano' (The Volcano) -
Master Alarm (James Horner) from Apollo 13

Game 10: 'Le Liane' (The Lianas) -
Congo's King (Antonio Arena, Maria Augusta Bruni)

Additional Information

For the first time in the programme’s history, participating teams missed two games each, instead of just one. The games were missed consecutively and by two teams at a time. In between their two missed games, both of these teams participated in the Fil Rouge.

After Game 5 - 'La Liberazione' (The Liberty) - there was quite an unusual situation on the scoreboard. Three of the teams were sharing first place with 18 pts, whilst the other three teams were all sharing fourth place with 14 pts.

After the points for Game 8 were awarded, the scoreboard erroneously doubled all points awarded. Slovenian team Tržič had played their Joker on this game and finished in fourth place on the game, scoring 6 pts in total. However, due to the scoreboard glitch, the team were awarded 12 pts instead, which mathematically quadrupled their score rather than doubled it. This scoring error went unnoticed and even the commentators announced the scores incorrectly. However after the points for the next game were awarded, all the correct scores were showing. No mention of this error was made by the commentators, even though when announcing the ‘corrected’ scores for the teams, they were lower than the ones they had previously announced!

In the opening four programmes, the team which won the final game performed an extra action which served to conclude the storyline of the evening.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

Heat 2

Event Staged: Date Unconfirmed
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 5th July 1999 (2nd)
RAI Uno (I): Saturday 10th July 1999 (2nd)
MTV (H): Sunday 22nd August 1999 (2nd)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Theme: Una Spy Story (A Spy Story)

Teams: Locarno (CH) v. Rouen (F) v. Orestiada (GR) v.
Budapest, XVIII Kerület (H) v. Bolzano Südtirol (I) v. Bohinj (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): Il Travestimento (The Disguise), Il Camino (The Camino), L'Autobarca (The Motorboat), Gli Squali (The Sharks), Il Corridoio Laser (The Laser Corridor), Il Salvataggio (The Rescue), Il Decoder (The Decoder), Le Cabine (The Cabins), I Letti Volante (The Flying Beds), L'Inseguimento (The Pursuit), Il Casino (The Casino), La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing);
Fil Rouge: L'Orchestrina (The Orchestra);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 SLO • Bohinj ●
 I • Bolzano Südtirol ●
 H • Budapest, XVIII Kerület
 F • Rouen
 CH • Locarno
 GR • Orestiada

56
49
43
37
35
28

The Games in Detail

The Theme - Una Spy Story (The Spy Story)

In the sophisticated world of casinos and international espionage, the teams had to strive to defuse a bomb before it exploded. Competitors had to perform twelve assignments typical of the spy world to achieve this end, but only one team could win and pull the wires to save the world. To conclude the storyline, a competitor from the 1st placed team on Game 12 had to pull the wires to defuse the bomb. 

Game 3 - L'Autobarca (The Motorboat)

In Game 3 - 'L'Autobarca' (The Motorboat)  - Hungary and Italy were permitted a rerun due to problems with the pedal mechanisms on their boats.

Game 7 - Il Decoder (The Decoder)

In Game 7 - 'Il Decoder' (The Decoder) - the Greek team of Orestiada finished in 1st place, but their elation was shortlived. They were penalised for a breach of the regulations, relegating them to last place on the game.

Returning Teams and Competitors

A team from the Italian town of Bolzano had participated in the Christmas edition of Jeux Sans Frontières in 1977.

Music Played During this Event

Game 1: 'Il Travestimento' (The Disguise) -
The James Bond Theme (Monty Norman / John Barry and his Orchestra) from Dr. No

Game 4: 'Gli Squali' (The Sharks) -
James Bond Theme - Remastered Version (Moby)

Game 6: 'Il Salvataggio' (The Rescue) -
Pinball (Antonio Arena, Sabina Giavi, Silvio Piersanti)

Game 9: 'I Letti Volante' (The Flying Beds) -
Company Car (David Arnold / Nicholas Dodd) from Tomorrow Never Dies

Additional Information

The Italian team in this heat was representing the autonomous province of Bolzano Alto Adige / Bozen Südtirol in northern Italy. It is one of the two provinces that make up the region of Trentino-Alto Adige / Südtirol, which itself is an autonomous region. As the province is comprised of both a German and an Italian speaking population, the team took a part-Italian and part-German name.

Orestiada is the north-easternmost and northern-most city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. With a population of about 25,000, it lies just 2 km west of the natural border between Greece and Turkey.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

Heat 3

Event Staged: Date Unconfirmed
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 12th July 1999 (3rd)
RAI Uno (I): Saturday 31st July 1999 (4th)
MTV (H): Sunday 29th August 1999 (3rd)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Theme: Al Circo (At the Circus)

Teams: Chiasso (CH) v. Villard-de-Lans (F) v. Sapes (GR) v.
Debrecen (H) v. Valle d'Aosta (I) v. Kranj (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): Il Clown Camerieri (The Clown Waiters), I Piatti (The Plates), Il Cavallo (The Horse), La Pirimide Umana (The Human Pyramid), Le Foche (The Seals), Il Leone (The Lion), Le Magicien (The Magician), Le Bici Bowling (The Bowling Bikes), Il Trapezio (The Trapeze), I Cerchi (The Rings), I Funamboli (The Tightrope Walkers), La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing);
Fil Rouge: Le Passerella sull'Acqua (The Passageway Over the Water);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 CH • Chiasso ● ●
 H • Debrecen
 SLO • Kranj
 I • Valle d'Aosta
 F • Villard-de-Lans
 GR • Sapes

54
49
46
45
37
30

The Games in Detail

The Theme - Al Circo (At the Circus)

In a world populated by clowns and trained animals, here our competitors had to grapple with the magic of the circus. Teams were required to impress in games of strength, humour, magic, balance and the control of animals to reach the finish line and become the King of the Circus. To conclude the storyline, a competitor from the 1st placed team on Game 12 had to hit a huge strongman game with a hammer.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

International referee Denis Pettiaux used to perform in the circus as an acrobat. This event saw Pettiaux hark back to his former career as he entered the stage balancing on a gantry high above the arena. From there, he stepped onto a highwire and descended to the ground sliding down a 'zip-line' steel wire.

Looks Familiar?

A similar version of Game 9 - 'Il Trapezio' (The Trapeze) - had previously been played in Heat 5 of JSF 1996.

Music Played During this Event

Game 1: 'Il Clown Camerieri' (The Clown Waiters) -
Charlie (Silvio Piersanti, Fabio Borgazzi)

Game 3: 'Il Cavallo' (The Horse) -
Circus Fanfare (Claudio De Palma)

Game 4: 'La Pirimide Umana' (The Human Pyramid) -
La Foggeracia (Georg Pommer)

Game 6: 'Il Leone' (The Lion) -
Ruggito (Giovanni Bruno)

Game 7: 'Le Magicien' (The Magician) -
Ballerinetta (Antonio Arena / Fabio Borgazzi)

Game 8: 'Le Bici Bowling' (The Bowling Bikes) -
Gol (Alessandro Gabriele)

Game 9: 'Il Trapezio' (The Trapeze) -
Giostra (Giovanni Bruno)

Game 10: 'I Cerchi' (The Rings) -
Three Little Pierrots (Georg Pommer)

Game 11: 'I Funamboli' (The Tightrope Walkers) -
Viva Viva (Oscar Rocchi)

Game 12: 'La Traversata del Mare' (The Sea Crossing) -
Showhorses (Claudio De Palma)

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

Heat 5

Event Staged: Date Unconfirmed
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 26th July 1999 (5th)
RAI Uno (I): Saturday 7th August 1999 (5th)
MTV (H): Sunday 12th September 1999 (5th)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Theme: Nello Spazio (In Space)

Teams: Bosco Gurin (CH) v. Tarbes (F) v. Xanthi (GR) v.
Budapest, V Kerület (H) v. Pagani (I) v. Šentjernej (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): La Rampa di Lancio (The Launch Ramp), L'Ufo (The UFO), L'Ammaraggio (The Splashdown), L'Allenamento (The Training), I Monoliti (The Monoliths), I Costumi d'Acqua (The Water Costumes), La Riparazione della Navicella (The Repair of the Spacecraft), Gli Alieni (The Alien), La Pesca Spaziale (Fishing in Space), Dalla Terra Alla Luna (From the Earth to the Moon), I Mostri (The Monsters), La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing);
Fil Rouge: La Spirale (The Spiral);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 SLO • Šentjernej ●
 CH • Bosco Gurin
 H • Budapest, V Kerület
 GR • Xanthi
 I • Pagani
 F • Tarbes

56
49
44
38
34
31

The Games in Detail

The Theme - Nello Spazio (In Space)

Our teams were pitched into a world somewhere between reality and fantasy, between scientific discovery and the science fiction film. Competitors had to prepare for interstellar travel, blast off into space, land on another planet, encounter strange creatures and climb monoliths reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The space explorers finally made their return home, but only one team could win through in the end.

Game 1 - La Rampa di Lancio (The Launch Ramp)

In the first game - 'La Rampa di Lancio' (The Launch Ramp) - players had to place wheels under the tower, step on to it and then drive them to the rocket to fill it with fuel. However, the Greek team of Xanthi received a penalty as they had neither affixed their wheels correctly or had their players properly on the tower. Referee Denis Pettiaux relegated the team to 6th place, meaning they received only 1pt.

Game 8 - Gli Alieni (The Alien)

Game 8 - 'Gli Alieni' (The Alien) - featured a gigantic inflatable monster which had to be moved forward. However, right at the beginning of the game, a leg broke off from the Swiss monster, causing it to collapse. The team were allowed to replay their run and eventually finished with 4 points for 3rd place.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

This edition began with the international presenters dressed in spacesuits, arriving on the stage from the landing ramp of a spaceship. They have arrived on a strange planet and are surprised to find that others have reached the planet before them - the adjudicators, lead by international referee Denis Pettiaux. His team all wore authentic Starfleet costumes from the successful science fiction TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. Pettiaux's own costume was rounded off with a pair of oversized, comedy Vulcan ears made famous by Leonard Nimoy as Mr Spock. The presenters suddenly realised that they had landed on the planet Jeux Sans Frontieres!

Looks Familiar?

The Fil Rouge - ‘La Spirale' (The Spiral) - was similar to 'The Mathematics Students', the fifth game played in Zandvoort in Netherlands (Heat 2) way back in JSF 1974!

Game 9 - 'La Pesca Spaziale' (Fishing in Space) - was a variation of Game 5 from JSF 1996 Heat 1, entitled 'The Astronauts'.

Music Played During this Event

Game 1: 'La Rampa di Lancio' (The Launch Ramp) -
Star Wars Main Title (John Williams) from Star Wars

Game 3: 'L'Ammaraggio' (The Splashdown) -
Battlestar Galactica - Main Theme (Stu Phillips) from Battlestar Galactica

Game 5: 'I Monoliti' (The Monoliths) -
Blush Response (Vangelis) from Blade Runner

Game 6: 'I Costumi d'Acqua' (The Water Costumes) -
Star Trek Main Theme (Alexander Courage) from Star Trek

Game 8: 'Gli Alieni' (The Alien) -
Orbit (Giovanni Bruno)

Game 9: 'La Pesca Spaziale' (Fishing in Space) -
Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Theme (Erich Kunzel, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra)
from Star Trek: The Next Generation

Game 10: 'Dalla Terra Alla Luna' (From the Earth to the Moon) -
Return of the Jedi (John Williams / Charles Gerhard)
from Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Game 12: 'La Traversata del Mare' (The Sea Crossing) -
Blade Runner End Titles (Vangelis) from Blade Runner

Additional Information

After Greek teams finished in last place in the final games of all four previous International Heats, the team of Xanthi broke this poor run by finishing in 3rd place on the game and 4th place overall in this this edition.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

Heat 6

Event Staged: Date Unconfirmed
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 2nd August 1999 (6th)
RAI Uno (I): Saturday 14th August 1999 (6th)
MTV (H): Sunday 19th September 1999 (6th)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Theme: I Pirati (The Pirates)

Teams: San Bernardino (CH) v. Mulhouse (F) v. Patra (GR) v.
Tiszaújváros (H) v. Parco Fluviale del Nera (I) v. Maribor (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): Il Granpavese (The Ship's Flags), Gambadilegno (Wooden Leg), La Vela (The Sail), Le Barche in Secca (The Dry Boats), La Tempesta (The Storm), La Catapulta (The Catapult), La Rete (The Rigging), La Preparazione al Viaggio (Preparations for the Voyage), La Pesca delle Perle (Pearl Fishing), Il Travaso d'Acqua (The Water Transfer), La Mappa (The Map), La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing);
Fil Rouge: I Barili (The Barrels);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 SLO • Maribor ● ●
 GR • Patra ●
 H • Tiszaújváros
 F • Mulhouse
 I • Parco Fluviale del Nera
 CH • San Bernardino

57
50
46
41
30
28

The Games in Detail

The Theme - I Pirati (The Pirates)

The teams were cast as pirates, who had to set sail for the legendary Treasure Island. They faced many challenges in their quest to locate the legendary haul of riches - before crossing the sea that leads to the mythical climb towards the treasure that only one team amongst many can acquire.

Looks Familiar?

Game 3 - 'La Vela' (The Sail) - was a copy of the 'Raising the Sails' game utilised in JSF 1975 Heat 7 at Southport, Great Britain.

The Fil Rouge - ‘I Barili' (The Barrels) - was an exact copy of the Fil Rouge ('Plugging the Barrel') used in Bellinzona in Switzerland (Heat 2) way back in JSF 1973!

Music Played During this Event

Game 3: 'La Vela' (The Sail) -
Greg (Alessandro Gabriele)

Game 5: 'La Tempesta' (The Storm) -
The Banquet Scene (John Williams) from Hook

Game 7: 'La Rete' (The Rigging) -
Brasilianina (Oscar Rocchi)

Game 8: 'La Preparazione al Viaggio' (Preparations for the Voyage) -
The Lost Boys Ballet (John Williams) from Hook

Game 9: 'La Pesca delle Perle' (Pearl Fishing) -
Giochetti (Antonio Arena, Maria Augusta Bruni)

Game 10: 'Il Travaso d'Acqua' (The Water Transfer) -
Flug (Alessandro Gabriele)

Game 12: 'La Traversata del Mare' (The Sea Crossing) -
Flight to Neverland (John Williams) from Hook

Additional Information

There were three prop failures in this heat. The first was in the opening game - 'Il Granpavese' (The Ship's Flags) - which involved a team member hanging small flags on a rope while standing on a bollard. Two opponents were pulling ropes to move the bollard. However, the ropes attached to the French bollard loosened and it was decided to give them a second run, in which they finished in a lowly 5th place. The other two failures were both in Game 6 - 'La Catapulta' (The Catapult). In this game, competitors had to collect water from the pool by means of ropes attached to the 'spoon' of a catapult, which would drop into and out of the water. The water then had to be channelled into a barrel. However, the French team fell victim to bad luck once more, as the rope detached from the catapult during their run. They were granted a second run, during which the exact same thing happened again! The Mulhouse team were allowed a third run and their persistence paid off this time, the French team finishing 2nd on the game.

The Greek team Patra performed particularly well both in this International Heat and later in the International Final, but were truly unlucky with their Jokers in both events. They only managed a poor 5th place in the 'The Island's Treasure' - their Joker game in the heat - and this was their worst six-team result by far. History would repeat itself in the finals, where they finished dead last in their Joker game, 'Uno Strano Incontro' (A Strange Encounter). Both these results were well below their average performance in the events. While their poor choice did not cost the win in the heat, it certainly had a negative consequence in the Final, where they finished only 1pt behind the winners Bolzano Südtirol in the final standings. Had the Patra team have employed the Joker on any other game, they would have won the Golden Trophy!

With two other Slovenian teams already having won their International Heats with 56 pts each, Maribor had to pull out all the stops to win this heat with a better score. Leading the competition after playing their Joker on Game 5, the team stayed in 1st place throughout. However, the team really left it to the last minute because after Game 10 they still only had 39 pts - but they finished with a flourish, winning the two remaining games. This meant that the team had scored 18 pts from the final two games, giving them a total of 57 pts - and a vital one point lead over fellow Slovenian teams Bohinj and Šentjernej. This ultimately proved sufficient for International Final qualification.

The Italian team of Parco Fluviale del Nera were representing an area of Italy similar to a National Park. The name (in English, 'Black River Park') is given to the area surrounding the towns of Arrochar, Ferentillo, Montefranco and Polino and lies just east of the town of Terni. The territory of the Black River Park has a predominantly longitudinal course and runs for about 20 kms. It is characterised by a narrow valley dominated by high woodland hills with some stunning waterfalls along its course.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

Heat 7

Event Staged: Date Unconfirmed
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 9th August 1999 (7th)
RAI Uno (I): Tuesday 17th August 1999 (7th)
MTV (H): Sunday 26th September 1999 (7th)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Theme: Gli Animali (The Animals)

Teams: Lugano (CH) v. Brive-la-Gaillarde (F) v. Edessa (GR) v.
Szentendre (H) v. Grecia Salentina (I) v. Kranjska Gora (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): I Pellicani (The Pelicans), Le Scimmie (The Monkeys), I Canguri (The Kangaroos), Le Farfalle (The Butterflies), Il Serpente di Mare (The Sea Serpent), La Rana (The Frogs), Le Formiche (The Ants), Il Tirannosauro (The Tyrannosaurus), Il Bruco (The Caterpillars), Gli Uccelli (The Birds), I Penguini (The Penguins), La Traversata del Mare (The Sea Crossing);
Fil Rouge: Il Torero (The Bullfighter);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 CH • Lugano ●
 SLO • Kranjska Gora
 GR • Edessa
 F • Brive-la-Gaillarde
 H • Szentendre
 I • Grecìa Salentina

48
47
43
39
38
34

The Games in Detail

The Theme - Gli Animali (The Animals)

Starting from Noah's Ark, our competitors were turned into animals to play the games of this episode in a zigzag voyage through the evolution and the continents, dipping even into prehistoric times and the stuff of legend. After they crossed the sea and climbed the slope, just one team would end up at the summit of the animal kingdom.

Game 6 - La Rana (The Frogs)

Game 6 - 'La Rana' (The Frogs) - involved male competitors dressed in frog costumes, and the idea of the game was that they hopped down an obstacle course using pogo sticks. If a competitor fell from the pogo stick at any point on the course, he had to return to the start. Both the Hungarian and Italian teams had problems with the sticks and both were permitted a re-run together after the two heats were completed. However after the re-run, they finished in third and fourth respectively, on a game of just four teams!

Fil Rouge - Il Torero (The Bullfighter)

In the Fil Rouge - 'Il Torero' (The Bullfighter) - two countries played simultaneously. Two players from each country were inside a 'pantomime bull' and a female opponent had to put as many arrows as possible in the bull's back. The third and final Fil Rouge heat was between the teams of Switzerland and Slovenia, but it went terribly wrong. The Slovenian bull pushed the Swiss girl so hard that she was hurt. Referee Denis Pettiaux immediately stopped the Slovenians and issued a warning. However, they continued in their painful assaults on the Swiss girl and were eventually penalised. The judges decided to give the 11 arrows to the Swiss and vice versa: the 8 arrows of the Swiss went to the Slovenians. This resulted in the Swiss winning the whole Fil Rouge, while Slovenia were awarded 2nd place (out of all six countries) instead of the straight disqualification that they deserved for their transgression. Some of the presenters on site were heard to comment that they didn't feel that the situation was fair and that the Slovenian team should have been disqualified, but it's the referees that make the decisions, not the presenters. However, this is one instance where perhaps the presenters' were right and the referees made a wrong decision...

Music Played During this Event

Game 2: 'Le Scimmie' (The Monkeys) -
Lion's Trap (Antonio Arena / Sabina Giavi / Silvio Piersanti)

Game 6: 'La Rana' (The Frogs) -
Hammond Jungle (Antonio Arena / Fabio Borgazzi / Silvio Piersanti)

Game 7: 'Le Formiche' (The Ants) -
Tico-tico no Fubá (version unknown)

Game 8: 'Il Tirannosauro' (The Tyrannosaurus) -
Voodoo (Antonio Arena / Sabina Giavi / Silvio Piersanti)

Game 9: 'Il Bruco' (The Caterpillars) -
Velocipedi (Antonio Arena / Fabio Borgazzi)

Game 12: 'La Traversata del Mare' (The Sea Crossing) -
Leopard (Antonio Arena / Maria Augusta Bruni)

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

I

Jeux Sans Frontières 1999

International Final

Event Staged: Date Unconfirmed
Venue: Promontorio Scogliera e Castello Aragonese (Scogliera Promontory
and Aragonese Castle), Le Castella, Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Italy

European Transmissions (Local Timings):
France 2 (F): Monday 16th August 1999 (8th)
RAI Uno (I): Tuesday 31st August 1999 (8th)
MTV (H): Sunday 3rd October 1999 (8th)

Winners' Trophy presented by: Denis Pettiaux

Venue: Castello Aragonese, Le Castella, Italy

The Theme: Il Giro del Mondo (The World Tour)

Teams: Chiasso (CH) v. Martigues (F) v. Patra (GR) v.
Budapest XII Kerület (H) v. Bolzano Südtirol (I) v. Maribor (SLO)

Games (Official Titles): La Partenza (The Departure), Passaggio al Polo (Passage to the Pole), El Monte Rushmore (Mount Rushmore), Viaggio in India (Trip to India), I Palloni Liberati (The Liberated Balls), I Monumenti (The Monuments), Sulle Rive del Mississippi (On the Banks of the Mississippi), Uno Strano Incontro (A Strange Encounter), Africa Addio (Goodbye Africa), La Trasvolata (The Flight Across), Il Labirinto (The Maze), La Traversata della Manica (The Crossing of the English Channel);
Fil Rouge: I Trampoli (The Stilt Walkers);
Jokers: Jester's Hats on Sticks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th

 I • Bolzano Südtirol ●
 GR • Patra ●
 H • Budapest XII Kerület ●
 SLO • Maribor
 F • Martigues
 CH • Chiasso

48
47
45
41
40
36

The Games in Detail

The Theme - Il Giro del Mondo (The World Tour)

The six finalists had to journey around the world in a balloon and wander upon five continents. During the voyage, teams also had to find other means of transportation and have strange encounters. After the last test, where teams crossed the sea and climbed the chute, the winner of the final Jeux Sans Frontières was proclaimed, celebrated by supporters and opponents, in an explosion of light and colour.

Game 6 - I Monumenti (The Monuments)

The sixth game - 'I Monumenti' (The Monuments) - gave players from four countries the task of balancing on a spinning mountain prop. From their precarious positions they had to throw rings 'hoop-la'-style, aiming at sticks at ground level. However, a French competitor fell and was injured. This caused a delay and eventually the player decided to withdraw from the game, which continued with just three teams playing. France were placed 4th with a score of no rings in 2 minutes but were still awarded 1pt for their part in this game.

Memories of Jeux Sans Frontières

In this broadcast there was also a short celebration to mark thirty series of Jeux Sans Frontières.

After the teams were introduced, they all lined up in two lines to form an aisle. The judges were then introduced individually and entered the arena. Three of them came along the aisle on roller-blades, two of them entered on bicycles and one on a Harley Davidson motorbike. Finally, assistant referee Carlo Pegoraro entered the arena on foot and main referee Dennis Pettiaux appeared from high above the arena by means of a rope slide.

A cake was then wheeled in on a trolley by two children, a boy and a girl, and an edited sequence of excerpts from previous editions was shown. This montage started with the opening title sequence from the 1970s and was followed by just over one minute of clips from years gone by. However, only two games from the original series (1965-1982) of Jeux Sans Frontières were shown, the rest were from 1988-1999! After this flashback sequence, the boy was given a whistle by referee Denis Pettiaux, and together they blew them to open the evening's competition. The flashback sequence was not screened in all competing countries, and was quite possibly only included in the Swiss, French, Hungarian and Italian versions.

Music Played During this Event

Game 5: 'I Palloni Liberati' (The Liberated Balls) -
Giostra (Giovanni Bruno)

Game 6: 'I Monumenti' (The Monuments) -
Hop (Alessandro Gabriele)

Game 7: 'Sulle Rive del Mississippi' (On the Banks of the Mississippi) -
Golden Men (Giovanni Bruno)

Game 11: 'Il Labirinto' (The Maze) -
Jinetera (Hublot / Easy Group)

Additional Information

Following on from seven International Heats blessed with warm weather, the International Final was not so blessed and it started with torrential rain. The freshly cleaned and ironed suits, worn for this special occasion by the referees and judges, were literally soaked through. At one point, the programme had to be halted because the rain was so heavy that it became impossible to play the games. This allowed some national presenters to record unrehearsed links to the other games. However, by Game 4 the rain had relented to offer some respite, but nature was not about to give in so easily and treated the arena to some strong winds. These again hindered some of the games, but did at least assist in drying out the arena and all in it. The rain did make a brief return later in the programme, but this time with less intensity.

Viewers in Hungary may have thought that the rain had continued throughout the programme because the links by presenter Maria Borbas had been recorded earlier during the rain storm. These were slotted into the edited programme and it seemed like it was raining throughout.

Each of the games in the International Final represented a different country or land visited in this week’s tale, as follows:

• 'La Partenza' (The Departure) - France (Game 1);

• 'Passaggio al Polo' (Passage to the Pole) - Greenland (Game 2);

• 'El Monte Rushmore' (Mount Rushmore) - United States of America (Northern States (Game 3);

• 'Viaggio in India' (Trip to India) - India (Game 4);

• 'I Palloni Liberati' (The Liberated Balls) - Netherlands (Game 5);

• 'I Monumenti' (The Monuments) - Switzerland (Game 6);

• 'Sulle Rive del Mississippi' (On the Banks of the Mississippi) - United States of America (Southern States) (Game 7);

• 'Uno Strano Incontro' (A Strange Encounter) - Unexplored Territories (Game 8);

• 'Africa Addio' (Goodbye Africa) - Africa (Game 9);

• 'I Trampoli' (The Stilt Walkers) - Belgium (Fil Rouge);

• 'La Trasvolata' (The Flight Across) - Brazil (Game 10);

• 'Il Labirinto' (The Maze) - Greece (Game 11);

• La Traversata della Manica (The Crossing of the English Channel) - England (Game 12).

The Greek team Patra performed particularly well both in this International Final and previously in International Heat 6, but were truly unlucky with their Jokers in both events. Having gambled their Joker in Heat 6 on a game in which they placed a lowly fifth, the team erred once more in the Final, finishing dead last on their Joker game, 'The Alien Creatures'. Both these results were well below their average performance in the events. While their poor choice did not cost the win in the heat, it certainly had a negative consequence in the Final, in which they finished only 1pt behind the winners Bolzano Südtirol in the final standings. Had the Patra team have employed the Joker on any other game, they would have won the Golden Trophy!

Despite the fact that they did not even win a single game in this International Final, the Swiss team of Chiasso led the competition for the majority of the time. However, a poor score on the Fil Rouge and stronger performances by the other five teams later in the competition, resulted in them finishing in 6th place overall. The eventual winners - Bolzano Südtirol - did not even take the lead until Game 12 when they played a successful Joker and scored 12pts. This elevated them to 1st place, just one point ahead of the Hungarian side of Budapest XII Kerület. The French and the Greeks were not far behind having 38pts and 37pts respectively, with the Swiss on 32pts. Therefore, any of these five teams could have won this competition. Ironically, Slovenian team Maribor, the only team that could not mathematically have won the Final at this stage, had 29pts before the last game (Italy were guaranteed 2pts if they had finished last giving them at least 42pts) went on to win the game, scoring 12 pts to push them ahead of the Swiss and French teams!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in European Archives

JSFnetGB Series Guide pages researched by
Neil Storer and Alan Hayes
with Ischa Bijl, Julien Dessy, Sébastien Dias, David Hamilton, Péter Horváth, Denis Kirsanov, Paul Leaver, Philippe Minet, Christos Moustakas, David Laich Ruiz, Marko Voštan and JSFnet Websites