Do you love the sport of kings but can’t afford it?
Then bike polo might be for you. Robert Burrough, organizer of Thunder Bay’s second annual bike polo tournament, explains that it’s very similar to the ancient sport of polo but with some differences.
“It’s just like that,” Burrough said Sunday afternoon during a break in the action. “But we can’t afford horses.”
The sport is played with teams of three on bicycles facing off on an asphalt area the size of an outdoor rink. Armed with mallets, made out of old ski poles and tubing, teams smack around a road hockey ball and try to put it in the other team’s net. Games last around 10 to 15 minutes or until a team scores five points. If a player puts their feet on the ground, called a touch out, they have to touch the boards before being able to play again.
While Burrough was a little skeptical of the game at first, he quickly fell in love.
“You never know who’s going to enjoy bike polo. You’ve got the bike guys, the hockey guys, anyone who likes a weird sport because it kind of mixes elements from a little bit of everything,” he said.
Players modify their bikes by shortening handle bars for better maneuverability. It’s also best to have a single speed bike for the right balance of top speed and acceleration.
Bike polo developed in the early 1900s from regular polo. It was originally played with seven-member teams on grass. After a dip in popularity, bicycle couriers in Seattle reinvented it with smaller teams and asphalt. Since then, every major city has a club. It even has a world championship, being held in Switzerland this year.
