(L to R) Bjorn, Ringer, Mason
Photo: Bjorn Warloe
Portland’s Axles of Evil bike polo team made a trip up to Vancouver BC over the weekend to compete in The Last Riders of the APOLOclypse, an event put on by East Van Bike Polo.
The team of northeast Portland residents, Bjorn, Ringer, and Mason beat out a team from Seattle in the finals 5-4 to bring home the coveted Golden Plate, and further cemented Portland’s great reputation for bike polo.
11 teams competed for the trophy in the two-day, double-elimination tourney. According to Bjorn, the final against the Polo-neers of Seattle was “really brutal.” The game went back and forth but Bjorn said Ringer, “just took over the game,” scoring three goals in the final, the game-winner.
The event was organized by a polo club from East Vancouver and drew teams from Oregon, Washington, and Canada.
In true bike polo fashion (these guys are tough), after the finals and the awards ceremony, the pick-up games continued until dark. The guys then hopped in a car and drove all night back to Portland. They got home at 3:30 this morning.
Bjorn said his co-workers (at Hewlett Packard in Tigard) think he’s a bit crazy.
Congratulations guys! Look forward to seeing you in action at Alberta Park in the coming weeks.
More info:
- Check out my first experience with bike polo (Ringer hit the winning shot in that game too!).
- Check out my bike polo photo gallery
- NYC-based Mess Magazine recently featured a great photo essay on Portland’s bike polo scene.
w00t! USA represent! A big portland crew is headed to canada again this weekend — over to victoria’s first ever Biker’s Ball. We’ll be sure to rub it in 🙂
brutal was right. thankfully our hosts were gracious as always.
video? someday.
i hope to be one of the first to congradulate these fine men of bike polo taking portland to the international level and spreading the work of bike polo to everyone thank you ringer mason and bjorn for the outstanding efforts you three put in thank you