Bike Polo

Have you heard of bike polo? Watching this sport is mesmerizing! The six contenders perform a unique bike-ballet with a scooped mallet, a plastic ball and hockey-style goals. Last August, the North American Competition took place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The BEST part. . . our niece, Carol, competed with her team, “The Gulls!” Join us for a rousing weekend of nail-biting tournaments.

Carol has been committed to this sport for over a decade. She and her Seattle teammates practice together weekly. When I heard that her team would be coming to Grand Rapids for the North American Championship games, I was ecstatic and marked the August weekend on my calendar.

North American Bike Polo Championship – Highland Park

Humidity clung to me as I carried my canvas, fold-up chair over my shoulder. Approaching the pair of outdoor arenas, I was hoping to find a shady spot and watch the games. Pausing at the edge of the first court I was instantly captivated by the six contestants on bikes, weaving artfully around a single ball.

*The Grand Rapids Bike Polo Club happily hosted the North American tournament!*
*Highland Park has two regulation bike polo hard courts.*

One player peddled swiftly toward the goal, while “dribbling” the ball with his mallet. Remarkable control! His teammate used his mallet for balance. He hopped, lifting the rear tire off the ground, turning himself to receive the incoming pass. The master dribbler shot the ball toward his positioned teammate. The receiver of the pass skillfully stopped the ball with the mallet, then swung hard, slicing the ball past the goalie and into the net. Score! The buzzer rang out, ending the match. They won 4-2! Intensely impressive skills! I was enthralled by the grace and grit of these polo players!

From behind me, Carol’s team stepped into the court. The scoreboard was reset to 15:00 minutes. Carol gave me a chin jut and my excitement escaped in the form of a wide grin and a flapping wave. I quickly pulled my arm back down to my side. I didn’t want to distract or embarrass her, so I tried to soften my enthusiasm and focus on where to stow my unnecessary canvas chair. Proper viewing of these games could only be done by standing!

Glancing around I found an array of large rocks nearby. I set the folded up chair out of the way, alongside the landscape boulders. In a flash I secured a standing viewpoint along the arena’s edge. Three players from each team were lined up near their defensive goal. The ball was set in the middle of the court. “3,2,1 Polo!” Two players from opposing sides raced toward the centered ball as the timer started the countdown. Each game begins with this move, called “The Joust.” I stretched my spine with anticipation, soaking in every movement of this “bike ballet.”

“Carol is so good and encouraging to everyone!” a woman commented. I nodded keeping my eyes trained on my niece. “Carol worked at my bike polo camp. Everyone loves her!” I briefly exchanged pleasantries, introducing ourselves, but I kept my focus on the match.

Another gentleman chimed in, “Carol got me started in bike polo.” He nodded, “After my injury she let me camp out on her couch. She’s one of a kind!”

Carol

Carol maneuvered with agility and elegance. She switched from defense to offense with confidence and skill. The Gulls moved like a single unit over the hard court space, passing the ball and covering the goal with very few spoken words. I was mesmerized by Carol and her team as they conquered the court!

*I was dazzled by their talent and teamwork.*

As Carol tracked the ball, I traced through our shared memories of her youth: reading “The Polar Express,” watching “Babe The Sheep Pig” and playing at the park. At Grandpa’s we’d created mud pies one day and named ourselves, “The Dirty Girls Club.”

Even as a preschooler, Carol has always carried old-soul wisdom, offering centered observations. She’s been driven by an internal force to succeed through the murkiness of life. All the while offering respect and rallying others.

At six years old Carol had been our flower girl. A job she’d taken quite seriously. (That was thirty years ago!) During this match I saw reflections of that same determination she’d had as a toddler and a six year old.

Over the recent decades our contact has been sporadic. Carol has lived in Minnesota, New Zeeland and Seattle. So, being able to support Carol and The Gulls in person filled me with joyful enthusiasm. I couldn’t stop smiling for this lady who I had connected with so long ago.

Fan Club

I wasn’t the only one who showed up to cheer on Carol and The Gulls. Her mom, Cherrie, and Grandpa Nile came from Sand Lake, along with their neighbor, Jack, who captured memories with his fancy camera. Uncle Chuck and our son, Noah, arrived, too.

*(top left) Uncle Chuck, Grandpa Nile, Carol and Cherrie (Mom, Chuck’s sister)*

The Gulls

These four remarkable teammates have built this eloquent bike polo squad, “The Gulls.” With weekly practice, they know each other so well and move about the court with only occasional verbal cues. “The Gulls” are the embodiment of this art form, Bike Polo at its finest!

*(left) Brandon “Bronco” Lashua, Chris “Hamms” Hamersly, Carol Camilleri and, Julian Aristeo*

Matches

Over the weekend, The Gulls played several matches each day spaced over the mornings and afternoons. As the hierarchy of winning teams was established, groups were eliminated.

As games were played, The Gulls continued to move upward in their ranking. The matches progressed and fewer teams remained on the board. Finally, it was the deciding game, Nemesis, dressed in the maroon jerseys, against The Gulls! I was in a trance, biting my nails and, sadly, didn’t capture a single photo of this championship game.

North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Champions

As The Gulls and Nemesis entered the arena, it was pure magic hearing the spectators, who were wearing their own team jerseys, call out encouragement to the finalists by name: Jenny, Daniel, Yair, Jake, Hamms (Chris), Bronco (Brandon), Julian and Carol. They all knew each other. Their support gave evidence of camaraderie, something greater than just a competition.

As The Gull’s score grew, 4 against 0, all around the court cheers rang out for The Gulls! When the final buzzer rang, the crowd rushed to congratulate the winning team. Nemesis shared a condolence hug, but turned to The Gulls with smiles.

Every bike polo club was genuinely thrilled for Julian, Bronco, Hamms and Carol. Somehow our son, Noah, had the scoreboard. He stood between Carol and her Mom, Cherrie, for a photo. (top right)

*All the teams gathered for a picture. Cherrie stepped up to capture this moment for her daughter.*
*The crowd of polo players began to chant, “Carol’s Mom! Carol’s Mom!”*

Success feels richer when it’s shared!

The History Of Bike Polo

I was shocked to learn that bicycle polo had started back in 1891. Irishman, Richard J. McCready, a retired cycling racer, sought out some form of ‘strenuous amusement.’ R. J. McCready created “Polo On Wheels,” modeled after the ancient horse polo sport, dating back to 600 BCE. ‘Polo on Wheels’ grew in popularity across Ireland.

The first international match took place a decade later in 1901 between England and Ireland. The Emerald Isle won ten to five.

The one and only time Bike Polo joined the Olympic roster was in the 1908. During the London games, Germany and Ireland held a single match. Ireland came out on top. Since then, Bike Polo competitions have been centered around small clubs on grassy courts across the world, but have not appeared on the Olympic agenda since then.

In the early 2000’s a group of Seattle bike messengers were looking for an engaging hobby while waiting for their next assignment. This was the beginning of hard court bike polo. Today, this version of bike polo has clubs nestled in cities around the globe.

With bike polo clubs all over the world, Carol explained that whenever she travels for business, she’s able to connect with other bike polo enthusiasts and enjoys pick-up matches. “It’s like a big family.” she’d stated when we’d gone on a coffee run.

World Bike Polo Tournament

Now The Gulls are heading to the World Bike Polo Tournament! This amazing team will be competing November 13-16 in New Taipei City, Taiwan at the Hehua Basketball Court in New Taipei Metropolitan Park.

The competition will center around the winners from six regions: Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America (The Gulls) and Oceania. You can follow on Instagram @whbpc. (World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship)

*Brandon “Bronco” Lashua, Chris “Hamms” Hamersly, Julian Aristeo and Carol Camilleri*
*Cherrie sent crotched gull mascots to accompany the team to the Bike Polo World Competition.*
*Photo Credit: (left) 206 Bike Polo Newsletter (right) Carol Camilleri*

I will be there in spirit and plan to follow along on social media. Carol, your Michigan family is so proud of you, your determination and your zest for life! Good Luck, Gulls!

Resources:

World’s Bike Polo Competition website
206 Bike Polo newsletter
The History of Bike Polo pfd by CNK Bike Polo
Seattle Bike Polo Facebook Page
Bike Polo explanation video
Donatabikepolo Instagram
Bike Polo Memes Instagram