Hit the Pavement

© Daniel Spils

Yearning for some outdoor fun with friends this weekend? How about a rousing game of polo – bike polo that is. For hard-court players, an afternoon game of polo no longer conjures up images of elegantly dressed players on thoroughbred horses. What began as a grassroots efforts to bring the sport into the twenty-first century in Seattle, is making its' mark on an international level.

Bike polo is a blending of traditional polo techniques and rough and tumble street hockey. Teams of  players ride bicycles on an enclosed section of pavement, vying for the chance to knock the polo ball into the goal with makeshift polo clubs. Players peddle with all their might for the initial joust as soon as the referee places the whistle between his lips signaling the start of the game. Don't let your foot slip off your peddle and touch the ground, or face the wrath of teammates irritated by a game penalty.

You can't go to the “bike polo” section of a sporting goods store to buy your gear, so players have to get a little creative when gathering equipment for a contest.  You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to get into the game, many players simply dust off their old bicycle, make a stop at the hardware store and then head over to a local tennis court or parking lot to join in the fun.

Bike polo mallets are typically constructed out of old metal pipes or ski poles. Basically, anything sturdy enough to withstand repetitive hits against a street hockey ball will suffice. Showing your club colors with wheel covers made out of painted plastic serves a dual purpose. As you can expect, bike polo players tend to go through a lot of band-aids and end up with their fair share of bumps and bruises. Bicycle wheel covers not only share your club pride, but protect you from flipping over the handle bars should another player's pole aim for your wheel spokes.

Urban bike polo is an organic sport that has taken root in the consciousness of metropolitan dwellers seeking a competitive release mixed with a little exercise. Games rules and requirements vary by city, with individual bike polo leagues setting the standards for player participation. Most leagues allow only three or four players on the court at one time. Bike clubs offer male, female and coed teams and weekly games for players to showcase their skills. Games are broken up into “chukkars,” an old equestrian term for quarters. Each “chukkar: lasts ten minutes with breaks or a half-time between rounds of play.

Proof of popularity for the new take on a centuries old game came in 2004 with the first Hardcourt Bicycle Polo Championships. Tournaments were held simultaneously in both the United States and Europe. A total of 76 bicycle polo clubs competed in the first annual contest of skills. The first World Championship game held in Philadelphia drew teams from across the globe, with the American team – Smile of Seattle taking home first place honors.