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| Philadelphia: Bike Polo Capital? |
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 by: Rebel - Havertown, PA
started: 07/25/11 7:09 pm | updated: 07/25/11 7:09 pm |
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Bet you didn't know Philadelphia is a bike polo capital. The city has 25 skilled players, the second-highest count in North America, after Seattle.
Just last month, Philadelphia hosted a big East Coast tournament, and the official sign said, "East Side Polo Invitational Sponsored by Fuze."
A corporate sponsor! Bike polo is that big. There's a Twitter account that announces pickup game times and locations as well as a Google group for people to chat about things when in between pickup days.
Rizzo Rink, at Front Street and Washington Avenue in South Philly is one of the locations where you can witness bike polo in action.
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Tucker Waugh, 30, moved here from Savannah, Ga., a few weeks ago just for bike polo. "I'm not going to lie," he said.
Waugh also takes his broom on Wednesdays, when bike polo athletes meet at Rizzo Rink, at Front Street and Washington Avenue in South Philly, playing beneath the constant thunder of I-95.
There is never glass to sweep, but brake dust rains down from America motoring overhead.
Bike polo springs from the bike messenger culture, and many of its premier players are bike enthusiasts. You need to know bikes to repair the constant bent forks, broken spokes, dented chain rings, and flat tires.
"My bike is cobbled together with garbage," said Brendan McHugh, who works in a bike shop but also does freelance film accounting. "I'll grab an old wheel off a junked bike because you know it's going to get destroyed."
"I equate hipsters as fickle fashion mongers," said Peter Dalkner, 34, an artist and four-year bike polo veteran.
"Sure, there are some people who have dabbled in it looking for the next urban fringe thing, something new to do with their bicycle-shaped fashion accessory. Those people maybe only stick around for an evening, and then we never see them show up at pickup again."
Mark Capriotti, 28, a helicopter engineer and coffee roaster, is the best player in Philadelphia, and aspires to be the best in the world.
"My style of play is fast and aggressive," he said. "I have a reputation for having a good shot. Therefore, I can draw defenders, which allows me to be a setup guy if I have to, but I have no problem scoring."
The essential skills are eye-hand coordination and balance. Try riding fast, one-handed, in an enclosed oval with five other riders, all whirling mallets and trying to whip a little red ball into a goal the size used in squirt soccer.
Most players wear knee pads, lacrosse gloves, and helmets. Feet are not allowed to touch the ground.
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