The Martlet

You know biking; most of you know polo — but have you ever thought of combining the two? I know what you’re thinking: spokes through shins and collisions resulting in the sound of the slap of a body onto concrete. Not so. The inventive sport of bike polo made its way to Victoria five years ago.

“It started when some guys came over from Vancouver for our Recyclistas party [a local event] and said, ‘You guys have got to try this game called bike polo, it’s so fun, we’re all addicted to it — you have to try it,’ ” says Victoria Bike Polo member Ryan Harris.

The rules of the game are straightforward.

“The games are first to five — whoever scores five goals first wins. There are three players on a team and we usually play pick-up to mix up the teams every time,” says Harris. “To start, the players put their back wheel against the boards, the ball is at the centre of the court and the referee counts ‘3-2-1-Polo’ and the players joust for the ball.”

It’s the technique that’s tricky.

“You have to keep one hand on your mallet and one hand on your bars — it’s very technical with the turning and keeping yourself balanced,” says Harris.

A “shot” is when a player shoots with the narrow end of the mallet — the mallet is made from a piece of PVC pipe attached to a ski pole.

“In order for the goal to count it has to have been hit with the narrow end of the mallet. If it’s hit with the broad side then it’s called a shuffle — and you can pass like that but you’re not allowed to score,” says Harris.

A “dab” is when a player’s foot touches the ground. If someone dabs they must exit the play and tap out on the side of the boards, and then back to centre court before they can go after the ball or interfere with other players.

Harris admits that the game is physical and injuries do occur.

“You get your finger hit with the mallet, or you scrape your knee falling off the bike — it’s really not as bad as most people think,” says Harris. “When people think of bike polo they think it sounds rough — but we’re riding quite slow. It’s more technical.”

“To be honest, you do see injuries almost every night, minor ones,” says Harris. “I wear knee pads, and we make sure that everyone has a helmet and gloves.”

As with all contact sports, bike polo has its limits.

“Body-on-body contact is permitted as long as it’s shoulder to shoulder — and you play others as they play you, you know. You’re not just going to go around and [rub up against] everybody,” says Harris. “Mallet contact is permitted, but excessive force is called striking and it’s a foul. Bike-on-bike is the most frowned-upon form of contact. T-boning is not permitted.”

While participation has been steady for the last five years, Harris notes that people are turning over and it’s difficult to track down newbies. He encourages new players to come out — even if they don’t have equipment. “We bring extra mallets. We don’t bring extra bikes, but usually someone is more than happy to lend out their bike to a new person for the first few times they come out,” says Harris. “I usually don’t recommend using your commuter bike because often something happens to the bike.”

Harris says the sport is growing worldwide.

“Five years ago there were about 10 cities in the world that played, and now there are hundreds of cities that play,” says Harris. “The World Championships just happened in Seattle in the summer, and East [Vancouver] are actually the world champions right now. We had players come in from France, Germany, all over Europe, Japan and Australia.”

A little nervous to give it a try? No worries.

“Most people are kind of scared of bike polo, it seems. They think they’re going to get hurt, but it’s actually pretty mellow. Especially with new people. We try to give them a lot of space and encouragement to keep them coming out.”

Harris says that bike polo can be for everyone.

“I like getting together with friends, and it’s competitive but not excessively competitive — and all kinds of people come and play,” he says. “The ages range from 15 — to, well, we actually have the oldest player in the world. He’s 66 and he has played twice a week for the last five years. He never misses it.”

Victoria Bike Polo runs all year long. Catch them Wednesday from 9 p.m. until midnight behind the Fernwood Community Centre on Pembroke Street. Why not?