Have
you heard of Bike Polo? It seems Tulsans
have. This vintage sport has seen a resurgence among young and old alike. Teams
have popped up nationwide and the age group seems to vary. It’s a tough game, not for the squeamish - be
prepared for scabs, bruises and the sight of blood.
This century old sport has found new fans
world-wide and a quick Google or Bing search can bring up a team in your state,
your city, your town, or your local community. The game consists of teams for
three riders on concrete courts on single-speed, fixed-gear bikes. There’s a rubber ball and mallets, bike shields and hard riding. Not for the faint of heart or the average cyclist.
“Invented in 1891, Cycle
polo is a team sport to traditional polo except that bicycles are
used instead of horses. The hardcourt game has seen a sharp spike in interest
as of 2007 and new teams are sprouting up across the world. Cycle polo can now
be accounted for in the USA, Ireland, Switzerland, France, India, Germany,
Pakistan Malaysia, SriLanka, Indonesia, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand,
Sweden, England, Scotland, Argentina, Italy, Spain, Canada, Poland, Croatia,
Slovenia, Nepal, brazil and Cuba.” …. Wikipedia
U.S.
hard-court bike polo has more than 175 teams. And yes! Oklahoma is well represented. There is the OKC Team in the Oklahoma City area, and Tulsa Bike Polo in the Tulsa area. Check
out the websites, YouTube, Facebook pages and more. It's new, revised and many are asking, will
Bike Polo be the next new Olympic Sport?
“What do you get when you combine the
low-impact aerobic workout of cycling, the challenge of a racket sport, and the
camaraderie of a team sport? Bicycle Polo!”
….http://www.bicyclepolo.org/
From
a great source of exercise to the thrill of racing, from a source of
transportation to a hard hitting game, from helping Parkinson’s patients to just
riding for fun,
Not to update an old post, but there hasn't been an OKC club since 2010. I wish there was but i doubt it.
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