Boston Bike Polo
Bostons Best Bike Polo
 
 
50 Shades of Zip Ties
Posted on November 28th, 2013 at 12:26 pm by polonick

If you consider yourself a polo player, you have zip ties on you at ALL TIMES. They can literally save your life. However, most people haven’t discovered the most single important service a zip tie can offer. In this episode of 50 Shades of Ruben, Ruben demonstrates this “polo hack” guaranteed to bring joy to your game. You can thank us later.

I guarantee you won't feel better after using a zip tie

utilitarianism is a beautiful thing

Rubenzip1

I guarantee you’ll feel great after using a zip tie like this

The post 50 Shades of Zip Ties appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

50 Shades of Zip Ties
Posted on November 28th, 2013 at 12:26 pm by polonick

If you consider yourself a polo player, you have zip ties on you at ALL TIMES. They can literally save your life. However, most people haven’t discovered the most single important service a zip tie can offer. In this episode of 50 Shades of Ruben, Ruben demonstrates this “polo hack” guaranteed to bring joy to your game. You can thank us later.

I guarantee you won't feel better after using a zip tie

utilitarianism is a beautiful thing

Rubenzip1

I guarantee you won’t feel better after using a zip tie

The post 50 Shades of Zip Ties appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

Let There Be Lights! (on our court plz)
Posted on November 27th, 2013 at 5:10 am by polonick
bike-polo2

Those lights in the background are only powered from April through October :(

What the hell are we supposed to do during the winter without lights? The sun sets at 4pm and we’re stuck without usable daylight for polo. Boston Bike Polo is truly blessed to have such a fantastic court— four foot boards, chain link fence, fully pro nets, and the city lights the court until 10:45pm on weeknights from April to late October. However, when November rolls around, we bring up the same argument every year: do we play in the dark at our usual spot and increase the chances of injury and potentially get worse at playing the sport? or do we seek out a new lit playing surface, even though a basketball court wouldn’t have the things we’ve become accustomed to (i.e. boards, fences, nets, etc.)? or do we try to find a new way to light our current court within our budget of zero dollars?

In my admittedly limited travels through polo-playing cities I’ve seen how some other clubs deal with the cold and the dark. Charleston, SC has a covered space in a bus station that is lit well into the night, impervious to the rain and snow, but they don’t have the boards that allow you to check someone properly. New York City uses a basketball court in Brooklyn, far away from the famous Pit, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is the most slippery court I’ve ever eaten shit upon. In Boston, we just play in the dark under a flickering street light until someone gets hurt. It’s super dumb.

There are certain advantages to our famous Allston court; the city leaves us alone completely, so we can do all the fun semi-legal activities that make polo worth playing, and it’s just barely off-center geographically in Boston, so the kids from Somerville, Cambridge, and Jamaica Plain are approximately equidistant from the court. Even Javier, who lives eight miles away in the burbs with his wife and kids, only takes half an hour to drive to polo.

See? Our photos aren't even in focus because it isn't lit properly!

See? Our photos aren’t even in focus because they aren’t lit properly!

Playing in the dark makes us worse at polo. Everyone chases the ball, people play with their head down, and shots are almost completely invisible. Yes, we would be making a sacrifice. Maybe we wouldn’t be able to shotgun PBRs in public anymore, but we could get more kids on polo bikes, which means more nights of polo to accommodate them.

Tyler and I have been suggesting to our club that we find a different, fully lit court even closer to the center of the city to increase our street appeal and get new kids interested in the sport. Even if we have to play on a tennis court with cones and check each other into a chain link fence, that’s better than potentially taking a mallet to the face in the dark. It would help our close-quarters game as well: handling the ball, short finesse passes, and pivot turns.

If someone has a suggestion, please let me know, because I am not satisfied playing decent polo only one day a week. I need more. After 7 winters in Boston, I am impervious to cold, but I just need someone to shine a light on this issue. Pun intended. -ZS

The post Let There Be Lights! (on our court plz) appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

Let There Be Lights! (on our court plz)
Posted on November 27th, 2013 at 5:10 am by polonick
bike-polo2

Those lights in the background are only powered from April through October :(

What the hell are we supposed to do during the winter without lights? The sun sets at 4pm and we’re stuck without usable daylight for polo. Boston Bike Polo is truly blessed to have such a fantastic court— four foot boards, chain link fence, fully pro nets, and the city lights the court until 10:45pm on weeknights from April to late October. However, when November rolls around, we bring up the same argument every year: do we play in the dark at our usual spot and increase the chances of injury and potentially get worse at playing the sport? or do we seek out a new lit playing surface, even though a basketball court wouldn’t have the things we’ve become accustomed to (i.e. boards, fences, nets, etc.)? or do we try to find a new way to light our current court within our budget of zero dollars?

In my admittedly limited travels through polo-playing cities I’ve seen how some other clubs deal with the cold and the dark. Charleston, SC has a covered space in a bus station that is lit well into the night, impervious to the rain and snow, but they don’t have the boards that allow you to check someone properly. New York City uses a basketball court in Brooklyn, far away from the famous Pit, but I can tell you from personal experience that it is the most slippery court I’ve ever eaten shit upon. In Boston, we just play in the dark under a flickering street light until someone gets hurt. It’s super dumb.

There are certain advantages to our famous Allston court; the city leaves us alone completely, so we can do all the fun semi-legal activities that make polo worth playing, and it’s just barely off-center geographically in Boston, so the kids from Somerville, Cambridge, and Jamaica Plain are approximately equidistant from the court. Even Javier, who lives eight miles away in the burbs with his wife and kids, only takes half an hour to drive to polo.

See? Our photos aren't even in focus because it isn't lit properly!

See? Our photos aren’t even in focus because they aren’t lit properly!

Playing in the dark makes us worse at polo. Everyone chases the ball, people play with their head down, and shots are almost completely invisible. Yes, we would be making a sacrifice. Maybe we wouldn’t be able to shotgun PBRs in public anymore, but we could get more kids on polo bikes, which means more nights of polo to accommodate them.

Tyler and I have been suggesting to our club that we find a different, fully lit court even closer to the center of the city to increase our street appeal and get new kids interested in the sport. Even if we have to play on a tennis court with cones and check each other into a chain link fence, that’s better than potentially taking a mallet to the face in the dark. It would help our close-quarters game as well: handling the ball, short finesse passes, and pivot turns.

If someone has a suggestion, please let me know, because I am not satisfied playing decent polo only one day a week. I need more. After 7 winters in Boston, I am impervious to cold, but I just need someone to shine a light on this issue. Pun intended. -ZS

The post Let There Be Lights! (on our court plz) appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

Commonwealth Classic 2014: Dizzy Bat, Fireworks, and Bulged Nets
Posted on November 26th, 2013 at 5:45 am by polonick

236b6bee3f3411e3928022000a9f3c6c_8

The weekend after Worlds, October 26-27, 14 teams descended on Boston for the 3rd annual Commonwealth Classic. We witnessed the future of bike polo – dizzy bat, watched Nico reverse enter a hammock on a fence (wtf. still don’t understand), and took heckling to the next level by adding some firecrackers behind those insults.

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Credit: Gus Hoiland

Photo Credit: Gus Hoiland

We kicked off the tournament Boston style – with bloody mary’s – and played some brisk fall polo during 5 rounds of swiss play on Saturday. Despite some complaining constructive feedback about how to deal with shuffle teams in the swiss rounds, Saturday ended with some beautiful displays of purple smoke-bombs and firecrackers on the court.

Saturday night while drinking some beer and watching some hockey, some New York dudes began to tell us some mystical tales of ‘dizzy bat.’ ‘It will save bike polo,’ they said, and although they tried to explain it to us, it wasn’t until double elims on Sunday that we saw it with our own eyes.

Thanks Zac, for this instragram magic.

gus_20131026_1084

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Action stepped up another level on Sunday afternoon as Boston Pro Squad (Addison, Robby, Johan) went into golden goal OT versus Something Offensive (Kruse, Blackburn, Mumford), with Something Offensive going on to win the winners bracket. Something Offensive went into a double final versus Bulging Net (Hamersly, Norris, Toni), losing twice to a team they beat in the winner’s bracket. However, the most exciting part of the finals were the fireworks – nothing lights a game on fire, like literal fire and gun powder on the court.

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

5113c6763f5811e3b26122000a1fb538_8

Photo Cred: decog

73e6f0da3f5111e382e122000a1f9aae_8

Thus, by some bullshit of Toni bringing in out of town ringers, the Commonwealth Cup stays in Boston. Toni is currently letting his cats fondle the cup, and then doing what he does best – creating instagram masterpieces.

Next year the cup will stay in Boston with a full Boston team. COUNT IT.

Huge shout out to our sponsors – thanks for your support! And thanks for the photos Gus!

  • Vitacoco
  • SRAM
  • John Harvard Brewery
Vitacoco for the win!

Vitacoco for the win!

IMG_1617

Photo cred: Alan

Thanks for the swag Sram! Photo cred: Alan

 

I don't know what Addison is doing in this picture. But he's going it with some free Sram swag on. And camo leggings.

I don’t know what Addison is doing in this picture. But he’s going it with some free Sram swag on. And camo leggings.

(also Vitacoco, you should know, that vitacoco+flat beer+whiskey = not as gross as you’d think. Thanks for the recipe, Deco.)

See y’all for Commonwealth Classic 2014 – fireworks guaranteed!

The post Commonwealth Classic 2014: Dizzy Bat, Fireworks, and Bulged Nets appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

Commonwealth Classic 2014: Dizzy Bat, Fireworks, and Bulged Nets
Posted on November 26th, 2013 at 5:45 am by polonick

236b6bee3f3411e3928022000a9f3c6c_8

The weekend after Worlds, October 26-27, 14 teams descended on Boston for the 3rd annual Commonwealth Classic. We witnessed the future of bike polo – dizzy bat, watched Nico reverse enter a hammock on a fence (wtf. still don’t understand), and took heckling to the next level by adding some firecrackers behind those insults.

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Credit: Gus Hoiland

Photo Credit: Gus Hoiland

We kicked off the tournament Boston style – with bloody mary’s – and played some brisk fall polo during 5 rounds of swiss play on Saturday. Despite some complaining constructive feedback about how to deal with shuffle teams in the swiss rounds, Saturday ended with some beautiful displays of purple smoke-bombs and firecrackers on the court.

Saturday night while drinking some beer and watching some hockey, some New York dudes began to tell us some mystical tales of ‘dizzy bat.’ ‘It will save bike polo,’ they said, and although they tried to explain it to us, it wasn’t until double elims on Sunday that we saw it with our own eyes.

Thanks Zac, for this instragram magic.

gus_20131026_1084

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Action stepped up another level on Sunday afternoon as Boston Pro Squad (Addison, Robby, Johan) went into golden goal OT versus Something Offensive (Kruse, Blackburn, Mumford), with Something Offensive going on to win the winners bracket. Something Offensive went into a double final versus Bulging Net (Hamersly, Norris, Toni), losing twice to a team they beat in the winner’s bracket. However, the most exciting part of the finals was the sanctioned firework throwing (and I mean, legit fireworks exploding into shapes in the sky, not just some firecracker kid shit). Nothing lights a game on fire, like literal fire and gun powder on the court.

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

Photo Cred: Gus Hoiland

5113c6763f5811e3b26122000a1fb538_8

Photo Cred: decog

73e6f0da3f5111e382e122000a1f9aae_8

Thus, by some bullshit of Toni bringing in out of town ringers, the Commonwealth Cup stays in Boston. Toni is currently letting his cats fondle the cup, and then doing what he does best – creating instagram masterpieces.

Next year the cup will stay in Boston with a full Boston team. COUNT IT.

Huge shout out to our sponsors – thanks for your support! And thanks for the photos Gus!

  • Vitacoco
  • SRAM
  • John Harvard Brewery
Vitacoco for the win!

Vitacoco for the win!

IMG_1617

Photo cred: Alan

Thanks for the swag Sram! Photo cred: Alan

 

I don't know what Addison is doing in this picture. But he's going it with some free Sram swag on. And camo leggings.

I don’t know what Addison is doing in this picture. But he’s going it with some free Sram swag on. And camo leggings.

(also Vitacoco, you should know, that vitacoco+flat beer+whiskey = not as gross as you’d think. Thanks for the recipe, Deco.)

See y’all for Commonwealth Classic 2014 – fireworks guaranteed!

The post Commonwealth Classic 2014: Dizzy Bat, Fireworks, and Bulged Nets appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

Bike Check: Tyler Paul Farris
Posted on November 24th, 2013 at 6:34 pm by polonick

It was a cold, blustery day in Lower Allston on Sunday, but we managed to get in a few games of polo before our toes and fingers started to go numb. During a particularly physical game, the unthinkable happened: Tyler Paul Farris’s (Instagram: @420cat) Peruvian-made Marino fork snapped at the steerer tube, precisely over the crown.

sorry about your bike, bro

sorry about your bike, bro

Obviously Tyler wasn’t happy. “I guess this is what that creaking sound was. I heard it a lot while we were playing.”

We had been talking just yesterday about how reliable the fork appeared to be, and I was seriously considering buying one of these Marino forks myself.   I think now I might go with a different company.

He looks so beefy in that jacket, like he broke the damn thing himself with his bare hands.

I think Tyler got his money’s worth, as the fork only cost $80. Shout out to Shelley Smith of NYC for the pro tip; for anyone considering buying a new fork for their polo bike, stay away from Marino.

marino sucks

what a piece of shit!

 

The post Bike Check: Tyler Paul Farris appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

Bike Check: Tyler Paul Farris
Posted on November 24th, 2013 at 6:34 pm by polonick

It was a cold, blustery day in Lower Allston on Sunday, but we managed to get in a few games of polo before our toes and fingers started to go numb. During a particularly physical game, the unthinkable happened: Tyler Paul Farris’s (Instagram: @420cat) Peruvian-made Marino fork snapped at the steerer tube, precisely over the crown.

sorry about your bike, bro

sorry about your bike, bro

Obviously Tyler wasn’t happy. “I guess this is what that creaking sound was. I heard it a lot while we were playing.”

We had been talking just yesterday about how reliable the fork appeared to be, and I was seriously considering buying one of these Marino forks myself.   I think now I might go with a different company.

He looks so beefy in that jacket, like he broke the damn thing himself with his bare hands.

I think Tyler got his money’s worth, as the fork only cost $80. Shout out to Shelley Smith of NYC for the pro tip; for anyone considering buying a new fork for their polo bike, stay away from Marino.

marino sucks

what a piece of shit!

 

The post Bike Check: Tyler Paul Farris appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

The Polo Injury and the Happy Life
Posted on November 24th, 2013 at 12:03 pm by polonick

When my left scaphoid, the bone supporting the thumb, broke, I did not know it. Felt like a sprain. I would have just hopped on my bike and kept playing but my stem was twisted 90*  so I took a sub, and went to go fix my bike and finish my beer. I played a few more games that afternoon in early August. It was six weeks before I would go see the doc. Displaced fracture. Bone graft and a titanium screw. 12+ weeks in a cast. FML.

The game must go on

The game must go on

In my 6 years of playing polo I’ve had my share of nasty bruises and cuts. Especially in the first few years I excelled at crashing my bike for no reason. But I somehow always was able to limp off the court with only surface wounds.

I remember a dude who showed up for the first time to play pickup a few years ago. He’d heard about us online and was stoked to play. Even had slightly modified his commuter rig to play. Couple games in he has a bad crash. Fucks up his shoulder super bad. Like can’t move his arm. Someone gave him a ride to the hospital. That was it. Never saw him again. Polo career lasted one afternoon.

I wonder if I had broken my scaphoid 6 years ago, that first time I played,  what I would have missed out on. Or was I already hooked? We all know players who have bowed out of the game after injury.

Damnnn kid, is that titanium!

Threads – in your hand!

Which kind of leads to the whole question of why we play a pretty dangerous game just for fun. Or better yet how does the danger make it fun?  Ask any polo player about injuries and watch them relish describing taking a handlebar to the nuts at high speed while dishing off a pass for a one timer. “Bike polo is my abusive boyfriend”. The fight club warrior mentality which is hilarious in the context of bike nerd stoners. I dunno. I’m just worried about everyone’s scaphoids.

Watch the crashing montage in this vid starting at 1:20 and tell me you aren’t worried about their scaphoids.

My problem is that even having gone through this shitty injury, I still can’t really entertain the idea of quitting polo, even though I’m if anything more likely to get hurt again. I’m older. Fuck, I have kids and responsibilities now. Hockey on bikes + Broken bones= WTF.

2013-11-21 15.05.34

Damnnn kid, is that titanium!

Thank god my wife at least gets it. Bulging nets on Sunday with buddies. A beverage or two with company in the great outdoors. A new thing that feels ancient even as we codify it. That in my polo dreams there are no bikes and we are just hovering midair. Gym class. Stretching my legs. So simple.

For her sake I’ll try to be smart and take it easy for a while. And I will.

But I know and you know that in a few months my hand will feel better, and I’ll be back into it. Going fast, feeling pressure from defenders, and I’ll have to take myself to the edge of my control, more worried about scoring than falling. To put a rubber ball in a net. Hah.

IMG_0123

The post The Polo Injury and the Happy Life appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

The Polo Injury and the Happy Life
Posted on November 24th, 2013 at 12:03 pm by polonick

When my left scaphoid, the bone supporting the thumb, broke, I did not know it. Felt like a sprain. I would have just hopped on my bike and kept playing but my stem was twisted 90*  so I took a sub, and went to go fix my bike and finish my beer. I played a few more games that afternoon in early August. It was six weeks before I would go see the doc. Displaced fracture. Bone graft and a titanium screw. 12+ weeks in a cast. FML.

The game must go on

The game must go on

In my 6 years of playing polo I’ve had my share of nasty bruises and cuts. Especially in the first few years I excelled at crashing my bike for no reason. But I somehow always was able to limp off the court with only surface wounds.

I remember a dude who showed up for the first time to play pickup a few years ago. He’d heard about us online and was stoked to play. Even had slightly modified his commuter rig to play. Couple games in he has a bad crash. Fucks up his shoulder super bad. Like can’t move his arm. Someone gave him a ride to the hospital. That was it. Never saw him again. Polo career lasted one afternoon.

I wonder if I had broken my scaphoid 6 years ago, that first time I played,  what I would have missed out on. Or was I already hooked? We all know players who have bowed out of the game after injury.

Damnnn kid, is that titanium!

Threads – in your hand!

Which kind of leads to the whole question of why we play a pretty dangerous game just for fun. Or better yet how does the danger make it fun?  Ask any polo player about injuries and watch them relish describing taking a handlebar to the nuts at high speed while dishing off a pass for a one timer. “Bike polo is my abusive boyfriend”. The fight club warrior mentality which is hilarious in the context of bike nerd stoners. I dunno. I’m just worried about everyone’s scaphoids.

Watch the crashing montage in this vid starting at 1:20 and tell me you aren’t worried about their scaphoids.

My problem is that even having gone through this shitty injury, I still can’t really entertain the idea of quitting polo, even though I’m if anything more likely to get hurt again. I’m older. Fuck, I have kids and responsibilities now. Hockey on bikes + Broken bones= WTF.

2013-11-21 15.05.34

Damnnn kid, is that titanium!

Thank god my wife at least gets it. Bulging nets on Sunday with buddies. A beverage or two with company in the great outdoors. A new thing that feels ancient even as we codify it. That in my polo dreams there are no bikes and we are just hovering midair. Gym class. Stretching my legs. So simple.

For her sake I’ll try to be smart and take it easy for a while. And I will.

But I know and you know that in a few months my hand will feel better, and I’ll be back into it. Going fast, feeling pressure from defenders, and I’ll have to take myself to the edge of my control, more worried about scoring than falling. To put a rubber ball in a net. Hah.

IMG_0123

The post The Polo Injury and the Happy Life appeared first on Boston Bike Polo.

« Previous Entries