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World's Best Hardcourt Polo Players Coming to Seattle

By Katie Hawkins

Seattleites will be witnessing a different kind of bicycle competition this fall. Last November, Seattle Bike Polo Club, known as 206 Bike Polo, was awarded hosting privileges for the 2011 World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships that will be held this September 8-11.

Photo courtesy of Leslie De Lorenzo

Exciting and fast-paced, bike polo has become extremely popular in the Northwest, which was well represented at last year's North American Championships in Madison, Wisconsin.

A variation of the equestrian game, bicycle polo may not be as glamorous as the equine variety, but it is just as intense, a little more gritty, and offers a challenge and a good time on a much cheaper steed. Inexpensive bikes are recommended, as collisions are, for the most part, unavoidable. Mallets can be made at home from throw away hardware like ski pole shafts and ABS (PVC) pipe.

R.J. Mercredy, considered to be the “Father of Irish Motoring,” came up with the idea for bicycle polo in 1891. It caught on quickly, spreading throughout England by 1895, eventually becoming so popular that by 1908 it was played as a demonstration sport in the London Olympics. The Bicycle Polo Association of Great Britain was developed in the 1930s, and by 1938 the association had 170 teams in 100 clubs, totalling more than 1,000 players. After a brief time-out during WWII, bicycle polo resumed full force in the 1940s, growing steadily in Europe. In the U.S., bike polo increased in popularity during the 1980s, leading to the creation of the Bicycle Polo Association of America in 1994. Today the game is played in close to 40 countries.

Traditionally played on grass, hardcourt polo is the urban version of the game and usually takes place on tennis courts, basketball courts, and empty parking lots. Teams consist of three players. The game begins when both teams stand idle at or behind their goal line on opposite sides of the court. The goals are usually two designated cones spread a bike length apart from each other — although polo-specific goals are now being made, complete with netting to stop the ball. Following the referee’s go ahead, both sides rush the ball that is sitting at center court. To score, the ball must be hit with a mallet and go through the goal from the front end. “Dabbing,” or foot-to-ground contact, is illegal, and the guilty player can no longer touch the ball or interfere with the game in any way until riding a full revolution around the court before resuming. Some clubs require dabbers to tap their mallet, or “tap out,” on a pre-designated object or bell placed at one side of the court; these rules may vary from court to court and from town to town. Most games continue until five points are scored. Teams can be co-ed and there is no age limit or brackets — unlike most organized cycling events in which categories are separated to designate age, sex, and skill level.

Photo courtesy of Leslie De Lorenzo

Balance and agility is required, even more so in tight corners, as players are penalized for placing a foot on the ground.

Though the sport originated in Europe, U.S. teams have become dominant since the introduction of the World Championships two years ago, including the 2009 tournament in Philadelphia, where American teams took the top three spots; first place by team “Smile” from Seattle. Last year, in Berlin, “The Beaver Boys” from Milwaukee, Wisc., took home the gold, while team “Machine Politics,” from Chicago, got the silver. Americans had the most players present at the Berlin tournament, with 15 total teams. Australia was second in numbers with 14.

Seattle is widely recognized as the first city to introduce bike polo in the U.S., where it mostly grew out of the local bike messenger scene.

“We like to think that we are the center of [the] polo-verse,” says 206 player Aaron Grant.

With about 40 members and one of the largest clubs in the country, it is no surprise that the Emerald City was chosen by the North American Hardcourt Association to host the 2011 World Championships.

Photo courtesy of Leslie De Lorenzo

A not so open shot ... note the goal tender's position in front of the net.

“Seattle is known for having great players who care a lot about bike polo and for putting on good tournaments,” says World’s commissioner, Jason Rolfe. “We are lucky because we are known to have a dedicated group.”

Because of the worldwide growth in interest and participation in the sport over the last few years, a qualifying system was implemented to control numbers. In early 2010, North America elected 21 representatives for seven different regions. Since then a uniform set of rules, refereeing protocol and a tournament format were enforced; this is no game of pick-up.

“There were 12 tournaments in North America in 2007. Three years later, there were 90 worldwide. It was a spread we had to be aware of,” says Seattle Bike Polo media representative, Mike McGuire.

Right now there are more than 125 official clubs in the U.S. alone, and new clubs are being added each week. With this much growth, the numbers of teams participating in tournaments had to be restricted.

In order to get to the World Championships, teams must first place in the top eight in a regional tournament, then place in the top 12 at Nationals. Pacific Northwestern players — members of the Cascadia Region — have to qualify at the Nationals, which will be held in Calgary, Alberta, this August. The Cascadia Region stretches from Southern Oregon, north to Alberta, and east to Montana.

Photo courtesy of Leslie De Lorenzo

For right handers, rear brake levers are often mounted on the left side.

Grant also commented on the spread of the game: “It has more of an edge that wasn’t there before. There are higher stakes now that there is prize money and sponsors. People are really serious about it. Teams are playing together more and developing new techniques. It has become much more competitive.”

Putting on an event of this caliber will be no small task, as they are expecting 200 players that will compose around 70 teams.

The 206 Club has to plan for more than just numbers. Sponsors, food, housing, entertainment, and a venue all have to be accounted for. The largest obstacle is finding a spot big enough to host the tournament. Having an abundance of hills, Seattle doesn’t provide the best terrain for a competition that requires multiple courts on flat ground and in one space. Though it hasn’t been decided, there has been talk of it being held at either Magnuson Park, where the North American National Championship was officiated two years ago, or perhaps near the Port of Seattle.

Organizers are looking to find enough space to have four to six matches going at once, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., for four straight days, regardless of weather conditions. This means the venue has to have lights for night play. The 206 Club also wants to provide an area for a beer garden and possibly live music.

Photo courtesy of Leslie De Lorenzo

“We have people coming from the rest of the world, and we don’t want them to be bored,” says McGuire. By holding the World Championships, Seattle organizers are looking to bring players to polo’s American hometown while also showcasing the sport to a new audience.

“Our number one goal is to pull bike polo into a spectator sport,” says Rolfe. “We want to get people excited about it. During the week we hang out, play pick up, and have a good time, but we also take it seriously, and we want the world to see that.”

The Club is also responsible for finding sponsors to help fund the tournament and offer prizes to players, and their efforts are coming to fruition.

Photo courtesy of Leslie De Lorenzo

“It’s pretty great to see the support coming out for polo by local businesses,” says Rolfe. “More and more are becoming interested.”

Not only are local companies supporting the sport, other bicycling organizations are as well. Bikeworks, a Seattle organization that empowers and promotes bicycling to youth, now offers the Street Burners Bike Club, a program where adolescents can play bike polo in addition to other activities such as mountain biking, BMX riding, and building specialty bikes.

“We are very excited to host [the World Championships]. It shows a lot of faith from the polo world in Seattle,” says McGuire. “We want the public to see we are not a bunch of aloof, tattooed youth ... We are an alternative sport, and we invest our lives in it.”

For more information about the sport in general and upcoming events, including the World Championships, visit