Bike couriers put
novel twist on polo matches
By Roger Collier,
The Ottawa Citizen, September 02, 2007
 |
A bike polo
player circles the net at the North Side Bike Polo Invite
at Ev Tremblay Park on Beech Street. The tournament, part of the 4th
annual Capital Punishment bicycle-courier festival, brought players
from across Canada and the U.S. David Dalrymple, who came to play from
New York, likened the sport to 'hockey on a bike.' |
| Photo:Chris
Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen |
|
It's not difficult to spot a bike polo player. Just look for the red
knees.
The North Side Bike Polo Invite, part of the 4th annual Capital
Punishment bicycle-courier festival, wraps up today at Ev Tremblay Park
on Beech Street. It's being hosted by The Mallets of Mahem, the
30-member Ottawa bike polo club.
The best way to describe the sport?
"It's like hockey on bikes," said Doug Dalrymple, who came up from New
York with 16 other players to compete in the tournament.
Teams of three compete on a basketball court, navigating their bikes
with one hand, swinging home-made mallets at a small orange ball with
the other. Two pairs of pylons, one at each end of the court, serve as
goals. The first team to score five wins.
There are no official rules, though etiquette is appreciated. If your
foot touches the ground, referred to as dabbing, you should tap your
mallet on the pylon attached to the chain-link fence before returning
to play. Body checking is allowed, but deliberately crashing into an
opponent is frowned upon. Throwing your mallet at a player is also a
no-no.
|
Kansas Waugh,
left, of team Turtlehead squares off with Andrew Hayter of team
Wheelzebub, from Ottawa.
|
| Photo:Chris
Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen |
|
Brian Whitmore, an organizer of the event, has been playing bike polo
for about three years. To be good at it, he says, you must be agile on
a bike and quick with a stick. And if you're afraid of injury, you
might want to try water polo instead.
"I've broken my right hand three times," said Mr. Whitmore.
The competitors don't wear helmets or knee pads, or any other type of
safety equipment. A female member of The Mallets of Mahem dislocated
her shoulder earlier this year. Someone else pulled an arm muscle. But
for the most part, the players say, you just get a few scrapes and
bruises.
Teams from the U.S. and Canada are competing in Ottawa this weekend.
The prizes aren't large, mainly bicycle equipment, but many of the best
North American players are here. Hot spots for the sport include New
York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Vancouver.
Most competitors in the tournament are bicycle messengers, such as
Martha Esme, from Ottawa. She started playing last year.
"It looked novel," she said.
A.K. Walls, who plays with Ms. Esme on the Wheelzebub team, says having
superior bike-handling skills is the key to being good at the game.
That's why couriers make up the bulk of the players.
"It's second nature for us to be on a bike," he said. |
