Tomorrow is the anniversary of the 1973 match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs. It was called the Battle Of The Sexes, and if that sounds familiar, its should, they made a film out of the story last year.
In case you didn’t catch it at the cinemas, the story is as old as time itself. Man baits women into a male vs female televised exhibition grudge match – 90 million viewers tuned in to watch the result – woman beats man.
Now, put that story on a tennis court with a circus-like backdrop … and you’re pretty much now caught up.
PIN ITBillie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in New York in June 1973, three months before their match in Houston
What we’d like you to do now is speed forward 45 years, gather all your friends on a local tennis court, add some tasty tennis themed cocktails, music and nibbles and you’ll have yourself a cracker of an afternoon cocktail party.
And if you manage to hit a few balls in a men vs women round-robin set up, then you’ll have managed to make it a relatively healthy afternoon.
But be aware it’s not all fun and games … it’s worth putting some thought towards what a significant symbol the original match was to the women’s movement at the time.
King’s victory was not only a win for women’s tennis but she was fighting a widespread cultural attitude that women were inferior to men. Remember, in 1973, feminism wasn’t mainstream and women couldn’t even apply for their own credit cards.
At no other time since then has there been a men vs women’s game that was so solely based on the sexist premise that a woman’s athletic worth depends on whether or not she can beat a man.
Cocktails
Although there are some serious issues behind this week’s cocktail party, we see it as the perfect platform for a little sport, some topical debate and a healthy amount of day drinking. With this in mind, this week’s main cocktail is the Honey Deuce Cocktail which is the official cocktail for the US Open.
Our second cocktail is a Courtside, which is exactly where you should be drinking it.
And always remember the first and most important rule of day drinking – make it low ABV and provide plenty of water because if you are going to sip all afternoon, you’re going to need to pace yourself.
Design
If you can manage to score yourself a tennis court, the setting for this cocktail party pretty much takes care of itself
The only thing you’ll need to do is ensure that all your friends get into the spirit of the event and don their best tennis whites (or nearest equivalent).
Set up quick single set matches where the girls and vs the boys and any odd people out will can take the place of umpires and ball people.
If finding a tennis court is a little hard to manage, then you can always set up a table tennis table in your backyard. At the end of the day, this is all about the company and the drink, so (contrary to what you might have been told) the size of the balls don’t matter.
Food
Especially if you are day drinking, food is going to be particularly important but none the less you should try and make it fun also.
With that in mind, you really go go past these Tennis Ball Cake Pops
Music
Ice Breakers
How Billie Jean King Won the Battle of the Sexes, as Told in 1973
Adidas Unveils Billie Jean King Footwear as Tennis Legend Rails Against French Open’s New Outfit Policy
Battle of the Sexes review – Emma Stone serves up rousing, timely tennis drama
Making of ‘Battle of the Sexes’: How Emma Stone Mastered the Signature Move of a Tennis Legend
