NW Bicycle Polo

The Joy of Polo

By Nathanimal Swenson

The 1890's are often referred to as the golden age of bicycles. Pneumatic tires, freewheeling hubs, cable pull brakes, multi-speed drivetrains, and the modern diamond frame were all combined to create bicycles that were safer and easier to ride than ever before. Internal combustion engines, and the motorcycles and automobiles they propelled, had not yet taken over the world's roads. Bicycles were the most efficient method of transportation, as well as vehicles of social change.

seattle bike polo

Susan B. Anthony, a civil and women's rights leader at the time said, "Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance." It was during this great decade of cycling that Richard J. Mecredy invented bicycle polo.

More than a century later, Mecredy's fine invention is enjoying a golden age of its own. In cities the world over, in grassy fields and empty parking lots, groups of cyclists are gathering to play polo. The beauty of bicycle polo, in contrast to its equestrian counterpart, is that anyone can play. Due to the high cost of stabling horses, custom polo mallets, and polo shirts, equestrian polo is not accessible to many people. In addition to the comparatively low cost of bicycles, when part of a polo bicycle breaks no one has to shoot the bike. Bicycles never relieve themselves on the playing field. The list goes on.

seattle bike polo

In urban areas suffering from unsustainable automobile use bicycle polo is one of the many components of a rapidly expanding bicycle subculture. As gas prices rise, greenhouse gasses increase, and polar ice caps melt, concerned motorists are hanging up the keys to their cars and riding bicycles in an effort to minimize their carbon footprint. Many of these recent converts to bicycle commuting have not yet learned how to smile while riding. We've all seen the utilitarian cyclist, grim faced and clad in riding gear that would take longer to dress oneself in than a suit of armor. These sober cyclists are poor spokespeople for the joy of cycling. They are destination oriented, their bicycles mere tools. Enter bicycle polo.

Though some novice players from Portland and Seattle sometimes argue about which city was the birthplace of urban bicycle polo, the truth is that hard court polo was first played in Seattle. Urban bicycle polo is also known as messenger polo, bicycle hockey, and hard court polo. Fortunately we can all agree that it is virtually impossible not to smile during a game of bicycle polo. Bicycle messengers with spare time between deliveries started swatting a ball around in empty parking lots more than a decade ago. Whether you've just scored a beautiful point, made the perfect pass, or swatted an unsuspecting opponent's mallet out of their hand, it is hard to have a bad time playing bicycle polo.

seattle bike polo

The rules are simple: Teams of three players attempt to score 5 goals, if a player dabs (puts a foot down) they must ride a complete circle before returning to game play, points must be scored with the small end of the mallet head, and there is no high sticking. Every bicycle polo club has its own list of court etiquette, but the core rules are the same.

The equipment required to play bicycle polo is as simple as the rules. Homemade mallets need not cost more than $5.00. Mallets can be made with many different materials, but the most common setup utilizes a ski pole handle, easily acquired at a second hand store, attached to a PVC head. Any type of bicycle can be used in game play. Fixed gear road bikes and single speed mountain bikes are the most common rides, but variations abound. Many right-handed players install the rear brake lever on the non-drive side of the bicycle, using their left hand for steering and braking, leaving their dominant hand free to swing their mallet.  Some dedicated polo players remove the right side of their handlebars to increase their mallet swinging options.

seattle bike polo

In Seattle, and in most other urban areas, attendance at bicycle polo is steadily increasing. Networking tools such as MySpace and cell phone text messages are used to coordinate playing times and locations. Seattle's original polo club - aptly named Seattle Bike Polo - does not currently have an official playing court. Depending on weather conditions, Seattle Bike Polo players can be found playing on Tuesday evenings at T.T. Minor Middle School, Cal Anderson Park, or an underground parking garage lovingly nicknamed "The Cave." As interest in bicycle polo has increased in Seattle, Beginner nights have gained popularity, and less aggressive games can be enjoyed on Monday evenings in a parking lot behind the Wild Rose bar. On Thursday evenings matches take place at the park and ride courts under Interstate 5 at the intersection of 65th and Ravenna. This park and ride lot is also the home court of Rollo, bicycle polo's younger sibling, which is played on 16" wheeled bicycles most Friday nights.  Sunday afternoon games are played most weeks at the regular Tuesday night locations with a mixture of beginner, intermediate, and veteran players.

seattle bike polo

Though bicycle polo is harmless to the environments in which it is played, it suffers from the same backlash that skateboarding and freestyle bike riding enthusiasts are all too familiar with. Hard courts in many city parks have signs posted prohibiting bicycle use on the courts. Neighbors living near popular polo spots, as well as owners of parking lots and garages, occasionally ask the police to send polo players packing. As the interest in bicycle polo continues to grow many players hope to develop non-profit status for their polo clubs in order to raise funds to build more legitimate playing grounds.

The golden age of bicycle polo is in full swing. International polo tournaments, like the "Cascadia Fall Classic" - which was held just this past weekend in Vancouver, B.C. - are held on a regular basis, and draw players from Portland, Seattle, and Victoria, B.C. For more information about bicycle polo in the Pacific Northwest visit seattlebikepolo.com or send an e-mail to seattlebikepolo@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome, and the more the merrier. Lets go ride bikes!