St. Joseph is known across the country for several reasons - namely the Pony Express, Jesse James and handball.

Handball, you might ask?

Yes, according to Jon Symon, director of the Bob Symon Memorial Handball Tournament. St. Joseph is apparently a Mecca for the world's top handball players.

The city used to play host to the Bob Symon tournament, which at one time had more than 96 participants, from 1972 to 1985.

And, for the first time since then, handball players from 10 states and three countries will invade St. Joseph.

Jon Symon has resurrected the tournament, which he created in honor of his late father, a St. Joseph native.

Forty participants will face one another on the handball courts at the YMCA starting Friday and ending on Sunday.

Among the competitors are Canadian national champion Merv Deckert, Irish national champion Dessie Keegan and three of the top 25 players in the United States - No. 9 Dan Armijo, No. 17 Tommy Little III and No. 20 Matt Hiber.

"There isn't a tournament that is any better," Symon said. "Pat Kirby, who was a former world champion, once told me that it's like a 'mini-nationals.' This tournament is fiercely competitive."

Symon created the tournament in 1972 with the help of some of his dad's playing buddies, and it continued to grow.

In 1985, Symon's business in Mission, Kan., took a turn for the worse and he could no longer afford the time or money it took to keep the tournament alive.

In the interim, Symon said he was hounded by some of his handball colleagues to start the tournament back up, but years went by and nothing transpired.

That is until last year.

"It would have been my dad's 100th birthday, so I said to myself 'you know, I'm not getting any younger. If I don't get it done now, I never will. I'm going to get this tournament started again. I don't care what it takes.'"

Symon asked Jimmy Cosentino, a national doubles champion during the 1960s, Little and several other local players to help out.

"I really thought we could pick up right where we left off. I was wrong," Symon said. "The long hiatus had taken its toll. It's been a struggle to get players and raise money.

"Luckily, the guys around me have been invaluable and have recruited some of top players in the country."

The 40 athletes in this year's tournament will compete in five brackets - championship, contenders, masters 40s and 50s, masters 60s and masters 65s. The winner of the championship bracket receives $600 and all the other winners get $200.

Armijo is the tournament's top-seeded player. The Albuquerque, N.M., native has been on the pro tour for more than 15 years and is known for his tenacity and ability to run all over the court.

Mound City, Kan., native Little, the No. 2 seed, has played handball his whole life but has yet to make it on the pro tour. But Symon expects him to make some noise this weekend.

Hiber, a St. Paul, Minn., native, is the third seed. He teaches a handball class at the University of Minnesota. According to the United States Handball Association, the 30-year-old's strength is his back-wall killshot.

John Anderson, who is a member of the tournament's organizing committee, is the only player from St. Joseph participating.

Handball is basically racquetball with the players using their hands instead of a racquet.

To win a match in the Bob Symon, a player must win two of a possible three games.The first player to score 21 points wins a game. But if the match goes to a third game, it's the first one to 11.

"The tournament is always very close," Symon said. "From 1980-85, four of the six championship finals were decided by a score of 11-10 in the tiebreaker.

"It's single elimination, so there's no room for error. And we've sent many a name player packing on Friday night. There are no easy matches. That's the reputation we've gotten, and that's the reputation I love."

Symon said the tournament won't face another long hiatus again.

"I'm grooming my son (Scot Symon) to take over," he said. "I'll be upset if he doesn't."

While his son is not participating in the tournament as of now, Jon Symon is planning on playing. But he said he expects to lose quickly in the first round.

But he doesn't really care. He's just happy his dad's tournament is back.

"He would be more than pleased with the tournament," Jon Symon said, sighing and then pausing for a bit. "In fact, he is pleased."