Handball
Watch: US handball legend tries Eton Fives
How does American Timbo Gonzalez – the world’s best one-wall handball player – get on at one of the UK's quirkiest sports?
New Yorker Timbo Gonzalez is the world’s best one-wall handball player. The 25-year-old from the Bronx first played the game – which is different to team handball – when he was eight years old.
In August 2017, he was crowned Mr. One Wall, winning the 57th USHA National One-Wall Champs in New York. It was the latest in a string of titles for Gonzalez, who has been the sport's number one-ranked player for six of the past seven years.
Timbo Gonzalez Visits the Birthplace of Eton Fives
© Olaf Pignataro / Red Bull
Handball player Timbo Gonzalez tries Eton Fives
© Olaf Pignataro / Red Bull
Timbo Gonzalez Tries His Hand at Eton Fives
© Olaf Pignataro / Red Bull
Timbo Gonzalez Visits Eton College
© Olaf Pignataro / Red Bull
See what happened when, alongside his friend and trainer, Safe Stadick, Timbo was welcomed into the Eton Fives community and taken on a crash course of the history of the sport. Timbo is shown the rules and regulations by Mike Hughes, head of Fives at Eton, before taking on two experienced players at Eton Fives courts. Used to playing on one-walled courts in the streets of the Bronx, Timbo had to adapt to the different court layout of Eton Fives, taking on a multi-faceted court with different angles, a buttress, ledges and a step. Watch as the New Yorker shows how enthusiasm for sport allows for communication with no boundaries and takes on the experts at their own game.
Historically, there have only been a few places to play Eton Fives in the UK. However, the EFA (Eton Fives Association) are making an effort to make the game more accessible – four public courts at Westway Sports Centre in west London are bookable by emailing westwayfives@gmail.com.
For more information about Eton Fives, visit etonfives.com
Gonzalez takes part in handball tournament Red Bull Slaps in New York on August 20.