Fort Pierce Jai-Alai
Fort Pierce Jai-Alai was a fronton located at 1750 South Kings Highway in Fort Pierce. First opened in 1974, it was one of Florida's top frontons and was regarded as a training ground for some of the sport's promising talents. Young pelotaris usually tried to establish themselves first at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai before moving on to the more competitive roster of Miami Jai-Alai.
Fort Pierce was initially conceived as a spring/summer retreat for the seasonal schedule in Miami Jai-Alai but soon became a top venue for competitive play as well. Fort Pierce Jai-Alai, like Miami, was owned by Florida Gaming Corporation.
Fort Pierce Jai-Alai had the following court dimensions:
- Overhead: 40 feet
- Length: 176 feet
- Width: 50 feet
The fronton had a capacity of 3,000.
Since the early 1990s, Fort Pierce Jai-Alai played a four-month season. Its roster typically consisted of 28 to 32 players.
Major tournaments were played at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai. Among the more popular was the Tournament of Champions.
Aside from Jai Alai, Fort Pierce also operated one of the most extensive off-track betting simulcast networks in Florida.
Top players of Fort Pierce Jai-Alai included:
- Elordieta
- Solaun II
- Borja
- Conrado
- Padin
- Pedro
- Ignacio
- Daguerre
- Manuel
In 2005, after 30 consecutive years of live jai-alai, Fort Pierce decided to cancel the season due to damage caused by Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne. Live games returned in 2006, but operations eventually declined in the following years, and the fronton ultimately closed as live jai-alai activities ceased at the venue.