OlyBikes

Like fine wines, bike polo comes in various vintages.

As the name implies, Hardcourt Bike Polo is played on a paved surface is used.  Bike speeds are lower since the field is relatively small (think tennis court size). There is frequent contact between bikes and bikes as well as players and players. That may sound scary, but it's a pretty controlled chaos from my very limited experience (I played last weekend). Reportedly, folks are playing that style locally Wednesday and Sunday Evenings at Gloria Dei church parking lot on Olympia's Westside. The folks seemed pretty nice, but they'll probably wont be mistaken for the church's youth group.

At the risk of seeming opportunistically (or otherwise) patriotic, I'd like to invite any and all folks to play a different style of polo known as "U.S. Bike Polo". This is a faster-paced game, with anywhere from three to five people per team, a larger grass field, mallets with wooden heads and bamboo shafts. There are a few simple rules to prevent people from running into each other (there is rarely ever any bike-bike or person-person contact). We've played this on and off for about six years. It's super-fun, with lots of communication and cooperation among team members. We play Sundays at 4PM at Garfield Elementary School ball fields off Madison Ave. NW in Olympia:

 

We have the polo set, and are happy to teach anyone who shows up how to play. Bring a bike, bring water, and bring a friend. You can even sample Hardcourt Polo afterwards (they play a few blocks away) and judge which polo variety you prefer. Either way, your polo cup will runneth over.

BW, if you'd like to be added to our bike polo email list to get reminders of when we are playing, as well as announcements in the event of a cancellation, please send your address to larryleveen (at) comcast.net.

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- Larry Leveen

OlyBikes Locally-Owned Bike Shop

"Bikes, Parts, Repairs and GREAT Customer Service"