SETE, FRANCE — Behold the king of the boat jousters.
The man-mountain stands silhouetted against the Mediterranean sun, gliding past spectators lining a canal: Aurelien Evangelisti, a.k.a. The Centurion, a Gallic Goliath of Italian and Maltese descent, a baby-faced, hook-nosed Hercules clad head to toe in nautical white, the heavyweight champion of a curious sporting spectacle that has defined this hard-working port town since the 17th century.
Evangelisti plants a trunk-like leg behind him on the tintaine, a platform atop the stern of a boat propelled by 10 oarsmen. Gaze fixed on his oncoming opponent, wooden lance at the ready, head low, he goes into a statue-like crouch behind his shield, all 365 pounds of him. It's as if Moby-Dick has sprouted arms and legs and gotten hold of a harpoon.
Oboes and drums play a fanfare aboard the boats as they converge, bringing the jousters face to face. The crowd murmurs. Battle!
Lances slam shields with the force of slow trucks colliding. Evangelisti's opponent finds himself lifted off his turret, limbs akimbo, lance flying, face filling with the fear of being suspended like this in time and space forever. Then Evangelisti finishes him with a blow from the shield, which is like getting hit by another truck, and the vanquished jouster drops a dozen feet into the water below.
Minutes later, the conqueror sips a lemon soda aboard a docked dinghy. As he awaits the finals of the Sunday tournament, Evangelisti explains the secret of his success: self-discipline. He avoids pastis, the anis-based alcoholic drink that most water warriors consider essential fuel along with la macaronade, a hearty dish of macaroni with dark sauce, sausage and other meat.
"I just drink limonada or soft drinks, and I don't eat to bulk up for competition, though there are some who do," says the 29-year-old, who works as a county transport planner. "Weight is not the most important thing. I'd like to lose some. I don't joust based on my strengths, but on the weaknesses of the others. I analyze the other jousters, analyze their style, and find their weaknesses."
The ritual of les joutes, or "the jousts," of the Languedoc region of southern France is a bit like bullfighting, or sumo wrestling. It is an art of controlled, codified violence, testing strength, skill and courage. The origins date to medieval times. Crusaders waiting to ship off to the Holy Land engaged in mock combat aboard vessels moored here. When the port of Sete was founded in 1666, the ceremonies featured a boat jousting tourney.
