Description
RAQUETISTAS
Book Summary
This book rescues from oblivion the history of the *raquetistas*, women who played professional Basque pelota from 1917 to 1980. For decades, their success in the frontons surpassed that of male *pelotaris* in both salaries and audience, yet they were erased from collective memory. Through an exhaustive documentary review, the work reveals how national projects silenced over a thousand athletes, mostly Basque, who made a living from the sport and triumphed in Spain, Cuba, Brazil, and Mexico. An essential account for understanding how sports were not always a male preserve.
What is it about?
The book reconstructs the trajectory of the *raquetistas*, a style of Basque pelota practiced professionally by women for six decades. The author demonstrates that, far from being a marginal phenomenon, these athletes filled frontons and earned higher incomes than their male colleagues. Despite their success, official sports historiography deliberately omitted them. The work analyzes the political and social causes of this erasure, linking it to the construction of national identities. It includes an epilogue on the presence of the *raquetistas* in Valencia, prepared by researchers from the University of Valencia. The result is an alternative sporting panorama that challenges traditional narratives regarding gender and sports.
Main themes
- History of women's Basque pelota and its early professionalization (1917-1980)
- The historical oblivion of the *raquetistas* in sports and cultural memory
- Relationships between sports, gender, and the construction of national identities
- The Basque diaspora and the expansion of pelota in Latin America (Cuba, Brazil, Mexico)
- Historical research methodology using documentary sources and oral testimonies
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in the history of sports from a gender perspective, researchers in sociology and anthropology, fans of Basque pelota, and anyone who wants to discover a silenced facet of Basque and Spanish culture. It will also be of great interest to those studying processes of historical invisibilization of women in professional spheres.
What this book contributes
- Recovers the memory of over a thousand professional athletes erased from official history
- Offers a critical review of traditional sports historiography
- Demonstrates that female sporting success is not a recent phenomenon
- Provides exhaustive documentation on an unknown chapter of Basque pelota
- Includes a specific study on the *raquetistas* in the Valencian Community
Technical specifications
- Author: Gonzalez Abrisketa, Olatz
- Publisher: Sans Soleil Ediciones
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Biography: sport, social groups, gender studies, gender groups, sociology and anthropology, sports history, ball games, racket sports
- Collection: Alava Medieval
- Publication date: December 2022
- Number of pages: 288
- Weight: 642 g
Editorial review
Raquetistas is a work of rigorous research that fills a significant historiographical gap. The author combines documentary analysis with a critical perspective on the mechanisms of women's exclusion from professional sports. Its primary value lies in demonstrating that female success in Basque pelota was not an exception, but a systematic reality for six decades. The book is especially relevant for those seeking to understand how historical narratives are constructed and silenced, and it offers an enjoyable and revealing read for both specialists and the general public interested in social and sports history.