Toile print depicting pastoral revelry, including an outdoor bowling game. Printed at the Oberkampf factory in Jouy-en-Josas, France. It likely adorned a home furnishing.

Late 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Huet: "L'Abreuvoir" (The Watering Place or The Horse Pond)

Origins in Flanders

What makes Trabol unique is the "tra", or "trough", shape of the lane, adding another dimension of complexity and strategy to the game. The history of the "tra" shape is murky, but likely, the game was first played on eroded dirt roads and alleys before Belgians started building dedicated lanes. In parts of Belgium, some streets still bear a history likely connected to the game (eg, Bosbolletra near Kortrijk).

At some point, the game migrated from alleys to dedicated lanes. These were typically outdoor, and the setting ranged from a dug-out lane at a farm to well-maintained lanes at inns or pubs. The lanes were made of various materials, but it is common lore that they were made from agricultural materials such as firmly packed earth mixed with cow's blood, rye flour, and salt.

In my research, references to the game peaked in the late 1800s. This coincided with a proliferation of pubs and inns of that era, and the lanes were likely a way for an inn to help attract patrons. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, pubs and games were important social anchors for European communities. In a census of Roeselare in 1888, there were 436 inns in a town of 21,000, or one pub for every 48 people, including the elderly and children.

These watering holes offered escapes from cramped housing, tough working conditions, and a struggling economy. In Belgium, feather bowling would have been one of many folk games that provided entertainment and community, and was a way to help your inn stand out.

The Game Itself

Feather bowling is played on a distinctive court called a "tra" or “trough” measuring 2.5 meters wide (8ft) and 18 meters long (60ft). The balls are approximately 20 centimeters in diameter (7.8in), 12 centimeters thick (5in), and weigh about 2 kilograms (5 lbs). While the target is a circle painted on the court in Belgium, the iteration featured in the US includes a feather as the target for players, giving the game its distinctive name. Although inconsistent across locations, American lanes tend to have a slightly narrower ratio.

The objective is straightforward yet challenging: teams compete to roll their balls down a trough-shaped lane to get as close as possible to the feather. A coin flip determines which team goes first, with teams typically comprised of three players each. The first team rolls all six of their balls, strategically placing some near the feather while using others as "blockers" to create obstacles for their opponents.

The second team must then navigate their balls around these blockers, either by skillfully weaving through the obstacles or by forcefully knocking the opponent's balls away from the feather. This combination of finesse and tactical aggression creates a dynamic and engaging game experience.

Transcontinental Journey: From Belgium to Detroit

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of feather bowling's history is its unlikely preservation trajectory. While the game gradually faded in popularity in its Belgian homeland, it found an improbable stronghold in Detroit, Michigan at the Cadieux Cafe.

The preservation of feather bowling at Cadieux Cafe represents a poignant example of how immigrant communities maintain cultural connections to their homelands. Belgian immigrants brought this tradition to Detroit, where it became an emblem of their cultural heritage. Today, the Cadieux Cafe hosts regular feather bowling leagues and even an annual championship, keeping this Belgian tradition alive across the Atlantic.

Ironically, visitors from Belgium are often surprised to discover this game preserved so meticulously in America, as it has become increasingly rare in its country of origin. This cultural preservation phenomenon provides a fascinating case study in how traditional games evolve and migrate alongside the communities that cherish them.

Trabol vs Feather Bowling

When I visited the Flemish Trabol Federation in Belgium, I talked with one of the board members about my in-progress lanes. He was a bit aghast when I told him that the lanes would be outdoors and that they would be covered in turf. As someone who played on packed dirt, I did not appreciate how a century or more of evolution in the game had carried Feather Bowling and Trabol in different directions. Where Cadieux cafe preserved the game as it was in the 1920s, the Belgians spent another 50 years perfecting their balls and courts. After much experimentation, the Belgians' courts are a mix of asphalt and sand, and the game is delicate compared to its North American cousin.

In many ways, Feather Bowling's loose standards in the US are more true to the original back-alley game than the Belgians' refined version. But I suspect we Americans think of ourselves as more closely related to Trabol than they consider Feather Bowling to Trabol. After all, across France and Belgium, they've documented a half dozen game variations with varying ball shapes and trough widths. 

A Cultural Treasure Worth Preserving

Feather bowling stands as a testament to the intricate ways that traditional games evolve and migrate alongside human communities. 

As our world becomes increasingly digital, feather bowling offers a tangible connection to simpler times, when entertainment was inseparable from community interaction. In rolling those wooden balls toward a distant feather, players participate in a centuries-old tradition that connects them to generations of Belgians who found joy, competition, and community in this distinctive folk game.