Ever since balls were invented people liked to play with them. They would throw them, kick them, hit them with clubs, sticks, and rackets, and make up all kinds of rules about putting them through a particular place, be it a hoop or a net. Sometimes this challenge was a one-on-one face-off, other times a whole group of people would form to out-compete the other team. Many games, such as football, didn’t require much else other than a ball and field to play it on, so they became very appealing to the masses. Others involved such high-cost infrastructure, as the upkeep and maintenance of a whole stable of horses. Games like this became known as polo, and were hence reserved for the aristocracy. And then, there was bike-polo…
Older than Suspected
The Origins of its Modern Version
The most important change was switching from a grass field to hardcourt, meaning concrete ground, which any urban area has plenty of. Using a ski-pole with a piece of PVC-pipe on the end as mallet, two upside-down hockey nets, and a street-hockey ball, the game could start. It is supposedly the city of Seattle where the modern version of bike-polo was invented, and from there it spread to cities around the world, along with the modern, revolutionary bicycle culture as a stance against motorism.
Hard-Core Reputation
I first heard about bike-polo from my buddy in Budapest, who went to London to break into the highly competitive bike messenger scene there. With that he was also introduced to extreme bike races, urban scavenger-hunts like Alley Cat, and bike-polo. From the way he described it, I was certain I wanted to see it, but I was also equally sure that I would be a lot safer as a spectator. So when the guys at the bike shop invited me to their weekly bike-polo meet, I told them firmly I was just going to watch. I was just fine with all my body parts intact.
Fun and Relaxed in Practice
As it turned out, the bike-polo scene of Victoria is quite mellow and fun oriented. They supposedly have the club with the widest age-range, from teens who sometimes come to play to Bill, who with his 72 years considers himself the oldest bike-polo player in the world. (Anyone prove him wrong, please!) We gathered at the community center of Fernwood, cracked a few beers and greeted each other with some friendly chit-chat before setting up the court. We placed a series of wooden banks around the basketball-court (which also served as a skate park at times), plugged in a couple of small floodlights, and explained the game to the newbies, being myself and Jordan, another mechanic from Recyclistas.
Playing the Game
The rules are fairly simple: each team has three players, starting behind their nets. Using their mallets, they hit the ball, passing it to each other, trying to hit it into the opposing team’s net. The players can’t put their foot on the ground. If they do, they have to touch the wall before being allowed to hit the ball. To facilitate this, they can lean on their mallet, and of course use the brakes, both controlled by a single lever. The game is over if a team scores five goals, or after ten minutes. Contact is allowed, but it has to be bike-on-bike, mallet-on-mallet or body-on-body.
First Time Playing
After watching the first game, and seeing that it was hardly as break-neck as I’d heard it being described, both Jordan and I decided to give it a try. It was fun, though it was clear it was my first time. There were so many things to pay attention to: where you’re going, where your team mates are, which way the ball is rolling… not to mention riding a bike one-handedly while swinging a mallet! Hitting the ball was a major achievement, forget about passing it anywhere useful. Oh yeah, did I mention not falling off your bike? I never had to deal with any collisions (all other players made sure to watch out, even when I didn't), but once I got my own mallet in front of my front wheel, causing me to trip. Rookie mistake!
Lots of Skills
In the end, it turned out to be an enjoyable evening, though I only played one game. Afterwards, it was even more fun to see the well-practiced players performing amazing feats, passing the ball in between their wheels to one another, blocking advancing opponents with their bikes, and using their wheels to stop the ball from entering their goal. Since there were never more than half a dozen players on the court at one time, there was always someone to hang out and drink beer with on the sidelines.
Potentially Rough
Of course, I can see how the game could turn very competitive, or even combatitive, given highly skilled and ambitious players. Supposedly in bicycle hot-beds, such as Seattle or Portland, this may be the case. In a way I’m looking forward to seeing those types of games for myself. But participating… that’s another matter. I’m perfectly comfortable keeping all my teeth. Here in Victoria, however, I may give bike-polo another shot. If not for any other reason, just to have a reason to hang out and enjoy the event.
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