Saint-Louis Festival in Sète: “A pride to be here”, immersed with the supporters of the Amicale des jouteurs de la Pointe Courte

The team of supporters of the Amicale des jouteurs de la Pointe Courte on their boats. Midi Libre – Thomas Ancona-Léger

Two boats, red, blue, on the Cadre royal. A lot of fervor and friendship: the supporters of the Amicale des jouteurs de la Pointe Courte masterfully represented their neighborhood, on this Monday of the Grand Prix de la Saint-Louis.

“I'm all fired up.” Sitting in a corner of the boat, his gaze lost somewhere between a glass of Get 27 and an empty pack of cigarettes, Anthony Principato prepares to climb onto the floor. “I've been jousting since I was three, but this is only my third Monday,”, he says in a whisper. We won't find out much more, leaving the man to his concentration. His society: the Amicale des pêcheurs Sète môle. But for the moment, it is on the boat of the Amicale des jouteurs de la Pointe Courte that he is getting ready. “They are my friends, no matter the company. When we are on the tintaine, there is only one winner”.

Friendship

“Friendly”, the association of Pointus jousters has never been so well named, as goodwill and sharing seem to reign in this small, motley group. Founded in 2007, the AJPC is the youngest jousting society in Sète. In fact, this is the first time that their two boats have met on the Cadre Royal for Saint-Louis. “A source of pride” for Pierre Zambrano, co-founder of the society and former jouster. At 61, this professional trader looks on fondly as the young, sophisticated people frolic on the boats he picked up in Toulouse for a symbolic euro. “We restored them, and now we are here, on the Cadre”, he enthuses.

Fervour

There is Enzo, Jérémy, Julie, Valentin, Julia and Jean-Pascal… All united by the love of jousting, they sing, drink shots, play the drum and swim when the sun beats down a little too hard on their caps. Tied to the boat, a few buoys serve as seats for the bathers. At the bottom of the boat, a trash can full of crushed ice keeps the various beverages that fuel this incredible fervour cool. To the naive question of a journalist asking "What do we think about when we are on the tintaine ?", they answer in unison a sentence that we are unfortunately unable to transcribe here. Let's just say that they think “to throw the opponent, to snatch him”.

Pride

“The neighborhood, the traditions, the fair play”, that's what defines this team when you ask them the question. With Pointe Courte as a standard, this youth shows something of Sète. Something indefinable, but which is of the order of the magical, of the transcendental. “It is the celebration of all the people of Sète, that is what Saint-Louis is”, Enzo tries, cracking a smoke bomb. Valentin, for his part, shows his various scars caused by a few unfortunate passes.

At his side, his partner Julie looks at him with admiration: “I'm always scared when he jousts, but seeing him on the floor is a huge source of pride.” The young woman, who worked in catering for a long time, now wants to retrain in another sector. “I was disgusted by this world, she confides softly, I would like to do something else with my life.” For a moment, the Royal Frame opens up to a distant elsewhere. There are of course the jousters, but also perhaps the promise of a better future.