Bike polo is a time-honored tradition here in Portland and our very own Axles of Evil is a team/club full of some of the most skilled and respected players anywhere.
Their home base is the tennis courts at Alberta Park in Northeast Portland, and now they’ve taken their game onto the grass. Below is an article on this new version of bike polo from local legend Dabby McCrashalot.
you to give grass polo a try.
(Photos courtesy of Dabby)
Tired of getting hurt playing those Axles Of Evil guys? Wish there was another type of Bike Polo around town? Have a little bit of angst left over from your work day?
Well, we have news for you. Grass Polo is coming to Northeast Portland!
We will meet at or around 6:30, Thursday nights, at the corner of MLK and NE Alberta. There will be a few bikes available to ride at times if you do not have one. There are also some mallets to be shared.
We do highly encourage bringing your own Mt. Bike/grass bike of any sort. This will further your progression in the game as having your own equipment is always the best way to go. It is fairly easy to switch the brakes for polo usage if you have matching levers, and we will be happy to assist you in doing so.
Mallets are of the basic ski pole, gas pipe/wood variety. Come try ours, then run home to make your own!
Beverages and snacks are encouraged, and hoped for. Please bring a container (Nalgene, water bottle, etc.) for your drink of choice.
Bike Polo has been played since about 1896, when the British sent a load of bikes to troops in India. The local stable hands, who generally did not have ponies of their own, quickly adapted the game of Horse Polo to these “fancy peddlin’ horses”.
Here in Portland, our “bastardized” style of the original game has spread Worldwide, and is every bit as, if not more popular, than the “Gentleman’s Game” of old.
Hope to see you this Thursday on the Grass!
Thanks for reading.
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Let\’s see… it was at least 5 years ago (maybe 6 years), I was in my late 20\’s and it was summertime. I was single and had started to hand around the Zoobomber crowd, but didn\’t know about bike polo. I didn\’t own a car and biked everywhere. I was having a great time.
One day I read about the bike polo being played at the tennis courts. I decided to check it out and I ended up playing a game.
On a fixie. I had never ridden a fixie before in my life, and I had no idea that I was even on a fixie.
The game starts, I start pedalling. The ball zooms in front of me and I start to turn while grabbing some brake and try to coast.
That\’s when I was flipped off the fixie and got a puncture wound and tennis court rash. I limped for a month.
I never played again.
Well,
As they say, you should jump right back onto the horse that threw you.
And it appears that you rode a horse that was not the right fit for you, without even checking to see what kind it was.
Even an old cowboy would check his horse to make sure it was operational, and for that matter, one that he could ride, before even putting the saddle on it.
Bike Polo is one of the greatest games there is.
Perhaps, T. Williams, you owe it to yourself to go give it another try?
LOLlerskates. Sometimes we fall into a recreation without knowing anything about it, ya know? 😉
Perhaps I shall try it again. Though I have traded in my trucker hat, handlebar PBR cozy, and \”ONE LESS CAR\” stickers.
I do still have the mirrored state trooper shades however.
Just for clarity, if you do bring your own bike: make sure it is one you won\’t cry too hard over when it gets trashed.
Bones heal, spokes don\’t.
There is no Dabby. Only Cohn Jamble.
I played once in Knoxville way back in \’95. It\’s fun but the bike repairs sure get expensive quick. And too much contact for this old body. Besides, Dabby\’s probably try to kill me.
Adam,
Get over your rookie self.
it was great fun! No injuries, just a lot of healthy sport. A neighbor even came over and thanked us for doing something interesting with The Lawn (as it has been christened).
But with the waining Autumn light it was decided that the games should happen earlier.
Great grass polo action is coming again soon!
1st and 3rd Saturday at 1pm at The Lawn (NE Alberta and MLK)
don\’t listen to the reverend, he has a very high tolerance for injuries and pain
😉
A.O,.
I am probably older than you.
And my body fells twice as old as I am.
I play hard now, for one day I will not be able to play at all.
So sad…….
And \”kill\” is so harsh. And against the few rules we have for the game.
It is much easier to appear to have \”accidentally\” maimed someone during Polo. (j/k)
Please everyone come out and play grass polo you cant dog it till you try it we are all doing it for fun not to kill thanks the axles of evil