No time to stop in bicycle polo
Hard court bike polo is a growing phenomenon in Auckland.
The game is played on a small concrete court with a plastic ball. Teams of three mount their bikes as they attempt to scoop and pass the ball with a purpose-built mallet.
Competitors are allowed to bump into each other and joust stick-tostick.
Like most ball sports, the aim of the game is to put the ball in a net, though that’s a lot easier said than done.
A bunch of Aucklanders on second-hand bikes set up games three times a week at the tennis courts next to Western Park in Freeman’s Bay.
Auckland Bike Polo member Pat Ryan said anyone who played would fall in love.
‘‘It’s just so awesome man, I love it,’’ Ryan said.
‘‘Out here we’re just having fun, but when you see the top teams play, it’s so fast.’’
Auckland polo enthusiast Adam Jacobson said there was originally just one rule in the game - ‘‘don’t be a dick’’.
That’s since expanded to a universal rule-book that has more than 50 pages.
The game has a huge following in North America, Europe and Japan.
Jacobson said it’s a sport that people got into very quickly after watching.
‘‘It’s an endurance game,’’ he said.
‘‘There’s never a time to stop, each player has to be playing all positions at all times. Plus having to keep your eye on a ball, while riding a bike one handed and not crashing into a fence just makes the game really fun.’’
However, it’s not just the physical aspect of the sport that Jacobson and so many others are keen on. The bike polo community worldwide is one that prides itself on inclusiveness and camaraderie.
‘‘The sport is fun and all but I don’t think I would have been playing as long as I have without all of the amazing people I’ve met and become friends with from not only Auckland but across the globe,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s essentially one big family. I could show up in any city that has a polo club, ask for a bike and a place to say, and they’d hook me up.’’
More information can be found on the Auckland Hardcourt Bike Polo Facebook page.