Polo-Velo-Bloomington

French bike polo photo shoot for Steel Magazine

2012-01-27T18:03:00.004-05:00

Whoa beautiful photos and an amazing pickup spot! Assumedly used only for the photoshoot, but still looks like a lotta fun! Photos by Ronan Merot and spotted at Brussels Bike Polo.

The fuckin' french are so damn classy.

-W.

Tyler Brown gets a Joust!

2012-01-26T19:44:00.005-05:00

So tyler wasn't joking the other day when he said "i'm getting a real bike"! Then after his bike broke at pickup monday i thought it was all part of some joke. Apparently (and happily) not!

His is number 12038, so somewhere in the past 37 waterfords they decided to change the seatstay position.. yet again. Probably something to do with Charlie Hill's frame snapping again...

He's a happy camper. And so am i. No one in our club has ever needed more a new bike more than Tyler.

Let's build that shit up dude!

-W.

Tyler Brown's Bloomington Polo tumblr

2012-01-24T10:57:00.003-05:00

I think most locals already know about this, but Tyler Brown has been using his fancy space phone to occasionally take and upload photos to tumblr. While i'm always trying to capture podiums and bikes, he's more interested in the fun times that happen both off and on the court.
For instance, priceless shots like this...

...or this...

And since he always has his phone on him he can capture those random moments when the camera isn't around... for instance when you're playing foosball with the godfather of hardcourt at a shitty tavern in fort wayne...

Hope he keeps this up all year long!

Make sure to bookmark http://bloomingtonbikepolo.tumblr.com if you haven't already. Thanks Tyler!

-W.

"What's wrong with this photo?"

2012-01-24T10:50:00.001-05:00

Another one bites the dust. Though after more than two years of constant abuse i'm surprised Tyler's aluminum steed held up this long! Not one game before this happened he mentioned to me that he might be getting a legit polo bike soon... guess this will speed up the process a bit!

Sorry bout yr luck dude- but good riddance!

Seen over at Tyler Browns polo tumblr.

-W.

MPLS polo player Ebbin Martin saves woman on local greenway!

2012-01-23T23:28:00.005-05:00

Holy shit Ebbin saved a woman on the Midtown Greenway!!! I've ridden that bike path a handful of times, and while it's an awesome "bike highway" complete with on/off ramps at night it can be secluded from the surface streets and sidewalks. Such random attacks do happen even on the Monon in Indy (especially in indy?) but it's great to know that there are cyclists out there willing to stand up for a fellow human being. Courage in action.

Watch the video/interview here at CBS Minnesota.

News article from here; originally seen at Urban Velo and confirmed by Sven.

Everybody buy Ebbin a beer next time you see him! That could've been anyone's sister or girlfriend or friend... I'm proud to know such a good person.

"MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The biking community in Minneapolis is on alert after two recent robberies on the Greenway, one of which targeted a Minneapolis woman who works at a bike shop.

Kaitlin Knutson, 24, is back at work at the Dinkytown Varsity Bike Shop, and is now bearing a visible warning for all cyclists: marks of survival from a terrifying ride home.

Knutson was riding on the Greenway bike trail around 8:30 p.m. Monday when two men approached. One then lunged towards her, pushing her off her bike.

“The other guy came up from behind me and wrapped my scarf around my face and then they just starting hitting me a bunch,” said Knutson.

Knutson gave them her backpack with her phone and wallet, but said the men kept beating her, dragging her off into the woods.

“I thought they were going to knock me out, rape me, kill me or something,” said Knutson. “I kind of thought it was over and I was screaming bloody murder.”

At that very second, Ebbin Martin rode by on his way home, first seeing Knutson’s tail light from her tipped bike. He said he screamed and charged the men, who took off up the 12th Avenue bridge steps.

“I wish it would have been me because I was the next person in line,” said Martin. “I would have been a much harder target.”

Martin then helped calm Kaitlin, who now says he’s her hero, arriving with courage at the most critical moment.

“The Minneapolis bike scene takes care of their own and I want to make sure that continues,” said Ebbin.

Knutson said she needed seven stitches on her forehead.

“I just feel grateful I am here, it scares me those kinds of people are out there,” said Knutson, who believes her attackers were under the influence of some substance.

Police have not found the people behind her attack, and it’s not the only incident that night.

Later Monday night, around 11:30pm, the Midtown Greenway Coalition says a solo rider was mugged by two men, one of whom was kneeling over pretending to tie his shoe as the victim rode up. One of the men had a black handgun. The victim’s backpack was taken and the suspects ran off.
.
The Midtown Greenway Coalition is asking cyclists to call with authorities with anything suspicious, and ride in groups or pairs.

“In both cases, bikers saw some suspicious behavior and did not call it in, and the next person got attacked, so we ask people call 911 if you see something suspicious,” said Soren Jensen, Executive Director of the Midtown Greenway Coalition.

Jensen says his organization also has a trail monitoring program where volunteers bike the Greenway at night. After these robberies, they say the need even more volunteers."

-W.

Mallet shaft weight comparison

2012-01-20T12:04:00.004-05:00

Ever wonder which shaft is the lightest? Well since we recently received the some new poles in the mail we decided to go ahead and throw 'em on the scale.

The Fixcraft LT shaft is long, slender, and a lil' more than an ounce lighter than it's bigger brother, the "extra tuff" XT shaft. All our XT shafts were already built up so sadly they were left out of the comparison but we'll remedy that with the next order. Fixcraft makes excellent products and i've happily used them throughout 2011.

The Milwaukee shafts was the first on the market and is still the choice of many midwestern slayers. It's weight falls somewhere in the middle. Light enough but still extremely strong. And it comes in both orange and green... not my favorite shades but at least you have the option. I'm betting their next color will be something silly like purple.

...and the surprise winner- the Northern Standard "Gold".

Now to be fair the uncut Fixcraft shafts are pretty long and end up getting ~8 inches cut off for the finished mallet, but the uncut Northern Standard is still a good 5 inches longer than an uncut Milwaukee shaft and nevertheless whole ounce lighter!

Weight isn't the only consideration though, flexibility is important to how a mallet plays. The Fixcraft poles with their long and slender taper end up having the most flex, while Northern Standard poles are extremely stiff and the Milwaukee poles fall somewhere in the middle. Much like golf clubs different people like different amounts of flex depending on it's use (flexible shafts from long distance drivers and firm shafts for short irons and wedges). Polo mallets are no different, though since we tend to use the same mallet all match long it really comes down to preference. I like all three shafts and all three companies and all are better options than used ski poles. Hell, i'm just happy that going into 2012 we have this many options!

Of course Travis and I also have some high tech swiss space mallets coming in the mail, so i'll make sure to update this post and keep the comparisons comin'!

Thanks nick crow for taking the pics.

-W.

Urban Brad's awesome lock-in photos

2012-01-18T13:03:00.006-05:00

These are already some of my favorite photos of the year! Thanks a ton brad for taking these- they'll have to keep me satiated until next year.

Check out the rest here at Brad's personal site. and don't forget to support his excellent print magazine, Urban Velo, which does loads of promo for the polo community and cycling in general.

-W.

Photos from the St. Louis Lock-In 2012

2012-01-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

Best lock-in yet!

Check out the rest of the photoset here --> picasaweb.google.com/107567773132599730806/StLouisLockIn2012.

Mark yr calenders for January 12-13 next year!

-W.

Does anyone with fat sausage hands want a free pair of gloves?

2012-01-17T10:03:00.002-05:00

I bought these for $35 but the fit was just all wrong. They're size 13 and that usually works for me, but apparently these are made for someone with big ol' fat sausage fingers... so if you know anyone who fits that description and needs a decent pair of gloves have them email me at polovelobloomington@gmail.com Just lookin' to spread the love!

-W.

*note: basically brand new; only used for two games of pickup*

IT'S TIME TO PARTY!

2012-01-13T10:14:00.002-05:00

Leaving for STL at 7pm tonight...so much debauchery to come. I'm already way too excited for THE BEST 24 HOURS IN THE POLOVERSE!

-W.

"Milk" mallets by Geneva Bike Polo

2012-01-11T11:38:00.000-05:00

The boys from Geneva have created what i consider the most advanced mallet head to date. Now, if you think that looks a helluva lot like the Milwaukee heads sold at Benscycle, you'd be right, but the Geneva guys even say (here) that they learned of the material and were inspired by the MKE mallets. But whereas the MKE heads are lathed UHMW tubing, the MILK heads are CNC'd UHMW rod.

This allows integrated "caps" and a reinforced center near the shaft.

They even made a custom shaft that fits like a glove into the new heads.

At $25 for the head and $25 for the shaft (plus shipping for Switzerland) these are a little pricey, but you get what you pay for, and if you want the most advanced mallet on the poloverse, this is it!

I have a bike to build, but you better believe i'm ordering one of these things the moment i have the money.

...and they made a video too!

Milking of from Uolmo on Vimeo.

Support our swiss brothers and buy MILK mallets here.

-W.

Dodici V3 polo frame

2012-01-11T11:10:00.001-05:00

Remember those Team Apologie bikes from '10? Well apparently that was the V2, and this one is the V3.. and it's aluminum! These have been around for a few months now but i just ran across 'em, in two different places actually.. at the Dead Rappers team blog and Yorgo's fancy blog.

Nice.

Also nice.

Hella thick trackends.. very nice!

Notice how the seat tube is a curved (single bend) as opposed to S-bend (double). We've been seeing a lot of those on the Marino customs out of Peru, and while i'd personally prefer an S-bend it's really nice to see framemakers adding that extra touch allowing much larger tire clearance and set back saddles. Remember Brad's Geekhouse? That was February of '11, and while that style seattube has been around since the early 1900's on grass polo bikes, i think as one of the first polo "show bikes" was a watershed moment. (note: Will from New Orleans also had a similar Geekhouse around the same time.) Ever since then i've been seeing curved and s-bend seat tubes poppin' up everywhere!

And that's a good thing.

-W.

Shit just got real!

2012-01-10T10:12:00.002-05:00

At long last- a real bike!

I'd like to take a moment to thank Nick Kruse, Tucker and Richard Schwinn for helping make this happen. I've played for years on some of the shittiest bikes around, but because of these three guys i now have a bike that matches my dedication and enthusiasm.

Looking at the shipping info i still can't believe i own a frame hand-made by this man!

More to come, obviously.

-W.

L'equipe vs Call Me Daddy - Alpine League final matches

2012-01-10T08:34:00.003-05:00

L'équipe vs Call me Daddy - Alpine League Geneva (1st Final) from Uolmo on Vimeo.

Now this is a european video i can get into! Two full matches featuring two of the best teams in the world. Wish that camera would've been at center court though...

L'équipe vs Call me Daddy - Alpine League Geneva (2st Final) from Uolmo on Vimeo.

Oh, and how about the europeans having their own leagues? I know London has had an all-city league going for a while and the lowland countries have their own "Beneligue". I'd say we should get on top of that but the reality is the midwest is way to spread out for that to happen... yet.

-W.

Warsaw's abandoned factory indoor court

2012-01-09T10:40:00.004-05:00

Lookin' good Poland!! The cavernous ceiling, the large windows, the extra space on the sides... just awesome. Too bad Bloomington is too nice to have abandoned factories- wait is that really a bad thing? Ah i just want a sweet indoor court.

Check out the rest here.

-W.

Joe Piro's custom Marino polo frame

2012-01-05T13:12:00.006-05:00

Marino out of Peru has been making a ton of frames lately. I guess that's what happens when you advertise $250 custom frames! Both joe and jasmine have both ordered theirs and it looks like Joe's is already finished. I always thought it would be a while before curved seat tubes came back into vogue (mostly because of the cost of custom frames) but Marino is helping bring em back!

Can't wait to ride it.

edit: here's the finished raw frame.

edit2: and painted!

-W.

the Battle for Middle West - team colors

2012-01-04T12:12:00.003-05:00

The captains have made their selections!

Still can't believe nobody choose green.. though maybe that leaves an opening for the "Master's jacket" idea we've always kicked around.

the Battle for Middle West - April 7-8, 2012

2011-12-31T01:10:00.003-05:00

the Battle for Middle West drawing from Travis Davies on Vimeo.

IT'S HAPPENING!!!

All the shit-talking will be laid bare! I'm so glad that we're in the same group as Michigan cause that assures that we'll play them at least once. Bring it boys!

-W.

[cross posted to bloomingtonbikepolo.com]

Northern Standard mallets for sale!

2011-12-30T23:40:00.002-05:00

The east van crew finally got the Northern Standard website up and running and shafts are for sale!!! Now i'm still really interested in their prototype mallet head (which appears to be injection molded), but apparently they're redesigning it so that's still a ways off. Oh well got my shafts ordered!

I love that we don't have to scrounge for ski poles anymore... with MKE, Fixcraft, now Northern Standard making quality gear there's no reason to use sup-par or used materials.

Product review coming soon.

-W.

14 Bike Co. meets equestrian polo-- in Nigeria!

2011-12-30T23:37:00.005-05:00

Nigeria Grass Polo Trip from Jon Marshall on Vimeo.

Holy shit how has no one mentioned this yet!?! 14 Bike Co. out of London sent a group of poloeurs down to Nigeria to deliver some polo bikes to an equestrian polo facility (which will apparently use them for grass polo). There's a short write-up here at the English team Spring Break's website.

Good lookin' uniforms too! And at 6:49 you can see the motorcade for that Nigeria prince that's always emailing people...

TripleGoKaduna from blunt films on Vimeo.

I like this video a little better than the first (cause they're actually polo in it) though the choice of music just doesn't fit. I love sufjan, but how about a little more local flavor? I'm sure they have music in Nigeria...

Fucking awesome concept by 14 Bike Co. I'd love to be paid to fly to another country and pimp polo but i think that day is quite a ways off.

-W.

Epic Columbus polo edit

2011-12-30T23:30:00.000-05:00

Columbus Bike Polo from Murderously on Vimeo.

So the other day travis and i were watching through lots of polo videos. The europeans seem to make a video about everything, and while their quality is top notch they're usually lacking in actual polo. (that's why i like full games vids more than anything) Anyway, all the euro videos seemed to be lacking something... then we ran across this!

High def black and white video, epic shredding christmas music and peter brown's short shorts and long legs- what more could you ask for!

Whoever made this video, well done. Midwest really is the best!

-W.

Swiss polo video shot with Red One MX

2011-12-30T22:08:00.000-05:00

Bike polo Shoot on Red One MX from Christophe Margot on Vimeo.

Damn those are awesome videocameras! Those things are so high quality that you're usually more limited by the playback medium than the recording itself. It's cool to see such state of the art equipment being used to capture polo, but all that said i'm not really into this video... i mean it's "cool" and all, but where's the polo? It's more like a photography shoot than anything.

Cute shy girl at 1:30 though, so there's that.

-W.

Partially Loaded - Kevin Walsh's tour tumblr

2011-12-28T12:08:00.009-05:00

Check this out! partiallyloaded.tumblr.com Kevin Walsh, a very nice dude and great player who's done A LOT for bicycle polo, is trekking around Asia and keeping a tumblr of his travels. So many good photos in there.. and they all came from an iphone!

Nice setup, eh?

Godspeed and safe travels Kev!

-W.

Newspaper article on Decatur Bike Polo

2011-12-28T10:08:00.002-05:00

DECATUR — For most cyclists, spring and summer are the times to mount up and ride. For them, once the days get shorter, the winds get crisper and the sound of the tires traveling over streets and sidewalks starts to resound with the crunch of leaves, it’s time to hang up the bike.

But not for some.

“For those who are going to be out on the road, it’s base layers,” said Scott Magruder, a manager at Decatur Bicycle Shoppe, referring to the underlayers of thermal clothing that hold in a cyclist’s body heat. “From your neck down to your ankles, there’s different protection you can get.”

Gloves are also a must, said Wes Hogan, another manager who joins Magruder at year-round bike polo games.

“A big part of it is just bundling up,” Hogan said.

Those sorts of protections are probably obvious, but there are precautions a winter rider might take where equipment is concerned, as well. In particular, Magruder said, winter tires for increased traction and riding with slightly lower tire pressure help minimize accidents.

For those truly dedicated to their training regimen but unwilling to brave Midwestern fall and winter temperatures, there are other options, he said.

“A lot of people don’t even do much outdoor riding,” Magruder said. “We use trainers, (a mechanism that) elevates your rear wheel, giving you a stationary bike at your house.”

Then, there’s the local bike polo team, which has plans to continue its twice-weekly regimen of games, even in the cold. The competition kept everybody warm enough Friday evening, as riders wielded their self-made mallets and rode the field of battle under lights at Garman Park. When the weather outside becomes truly frightful, Magruder said the games move to the Nelson Park Pavilion.

“That’s cool because of the fireplace in there,” Magruder said. “The trouble we run into is our fingers get cold, so we have to constantly pad up and use warmers.”

It’s unlikely the team is going to encounter worse conditions than they already have. Magruder said last winter saw some frigid games.

“We played last year in 2-degrees-below weather, and we couldn’t even feel the leather at our fingers,” Magruder said.

Diane Agans said this isn’t her time of year for street riding, but bike polo is still an effective workout, even when the weather turns frigid.

“It’s of course great cardio, which is why I do it,” she said. “I do it for the exercise, but I can’t speak for everybody.”

Keeping your body warm isn’t the only concern. Considering the effect of cold weather on equipment is also important.

“Your hands get cold, your mallet cracks,” she said. “Your brakes might not work as well because of condensation.”

klowe@herald-review.com|421-7985

Read more: Cold weather doesn't have to end biking fun http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_91d94320-2551-11e1-a0f1-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1htit1rNn
From the Herald & Review

- - - - -

Ran across this on the interwebs and loved seeing Decatur get some good press! I have yet to visit their permanent polo court, but hopefully they'll get some friendlies going on early next year. Also, i never posted it, but there's another article by the same newspaper located here and it's a pretty good read. So glad to see those boys movin' forward!

Now if we could just get them to travel more... don't worry though- the STL LOCK-IN is coming soon! And of course there will be plenty of good events in Indiana next year. Keep yr ear to the ground and eyes open.. we got so much shit going on we might even have our own little "tour"!

-W.

Adidas x Portland polo shoes!

2011-12-20T21:29:00.007-05:00

Check these out! Portland Pete (formerly COMO Pete) posted this sneak peak of the polo specific shoes they designed with Adidas. Now i'm not very keen on anyone who tries to commericalize polo (this video and try not to vomit on your keyboard) but this looks like a quality product that player would actually use. Not to mention most of us have rocked Sambas since we were little shits playing soccer. Apparently these are still a proto-type but boy do i hope they actually make a production model! I'd buy em, especially if i decide to give clipless a go next year.

Originally posted here by Mark from Olympia.

-W.

Louis Vuitton bike polo photo shoot video

2011-12-19T12:38:00.003-05:00

Intersection magazine x Louis Vuitton by INTERSECTIONmagYa know, i wasn't even gonna mention it, but almost everyone has heard about the Louis Vuitton polo bike. I mean, that's cool that they like bike polo and that's a neat custom bike. If it was free i'd gladly accept it, but i wouldn't use it for polo.

Well then i watched this video of the photoshoot... *gag*

-W.

Final Match from Santiago, Chile tournament

2011-12-18T21:39:00.002-05:00

Final do Sudamerican Polo Rockers from Gabriel Gargamel Rodrigues on Vimeo.

Not the most competitive play, and dear god those boards move around a lot, but nice to see our southern brothers throwing some tourneys. and how about that celebration at the end??

-W.

Student documentary on Chicago Bike Polo

2011-12-18T19:46:00.001-05:00

Hehe... nice guys. Terrible soundtrack, but it's a nice lil film.

-W.

Ann Arbor Friendlies

2011-12-08T10:12:00.004-05:00

Good times with good friends. I'm a little sad that Quinn didn't show up for her own friendlies, but we all had a fun time anyway. The weather was shit but it didn't damper spirits, especially since AA has such a great parking garage to play in. Both the city and campus were beautiful; a little like if two Bloomingtons were stacked on top of each other. Can't wait to go back. How about a tourney in 2012??

Not many photos this time around, but i do like the few i took. Check out the rest of the photoset here at picasa.

There ya go Alex, keeping ya entertained at work ;)

-W.

Ghetto tourney video from Dortmund

2011-12-06T10:41:00.005-05:00

A while back i posted a few videos from different european countries that i thought exemplified (semi-serious, semi-humorous) their take on polo videos. Well, here's Germany's submission!

Epic music, high quality camera shots, a court set in an abandoned industrial site, slow motion and dramatic cuts to black... i mean come on, even their bracket matrix at 0:58 is tight as hell! I especially love the simple wooden goals at 2:05. Then there's the weird rain-shower shit at 2:34... i'm not sure if i love or hate this video... then cue pretty girls at 1:51 and 2:41.. yeah, it's pretty good.

-W.

Fort Wayne's new winter spot

2011-12-06T08:47:00.003-05:00

Looks great guys! Can't wait to play there this Thursday!

-W.

The one, the only- St. Louis Lock-In!

2011-11-23T10:20:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again!

List of things to bring:
-extra blanket
-long johns
-first aid kit
-four loko
-amphetamines (to mix with the "new" four loko)
-jean jacket with the sleeves cut off
-rubber bouncey balls

What else? i know i'm forgetting a lot...

-W.

Hija de la Coneja/Daughter of the Rabbit - polo specific frame from Spain

2011-11-16T12:52:00.006-05:00

[click for large...seriously.. do it]

Spain finally has a polo specific bike on the market! Hija de la Coneja or Daughter of the Rabbit has been working on prototypes for a while and they're finally (i believe) ready for production. Pricepoint is 320€ (also known at $450) for frame and fork- quite reasonable really, though shipping across the pond would be a bitch. The geometry looks tight, it has a wishbone seatstays, and v-brake mounts on the inside (both front and rear). Other than that it appears pretty similar to the polo bruiser, but as David Bazan said- "it's good to have options".

Originally posted here and heads up by Travis.

-W.

Columbus' Sarah joins the Urban Velo staff

2011-11-16T11:49:00.005-05:00

"Oh hey, i know that girl."

Good move on Brad's part. Sarah is the muscle behind the awesome polo events and alleycats we've all been attending over in Columbus, Ohio- and obviously other people have noticed her talents too. Hopefully she won't be too busy organizing the Midwest Championships too ;)

Also in polo news is that Chandel (organizer of ESPI5) is going to head the tournament committee for NAH next year. Another great pick. She, like Sarah, knows how to market an event, stay communicative, and get lots of sponsors on board. You gotta love people like these who keep pushing the rest of us lazy asses in the right direction.

2012 is gonna be great!

-W.

Bruiser raffle from Milwaukee Bike Polo!

2011-11-16T11:48:00.004-05:00

Anyone need a new bike? This one is indestructable and at $5 a ticket, the price is right! It's a special one off model too- 14mm dropouts and 110 bmx spacing so you can use extra burly hubs and smaller drivers. Pretty neat if you ask me.

Head over to mkebikepolo.com and get the details.

-W.

(cross-posted at bloomingtonbikepolo.com)

2012 Little 500 bike sneak peak photo!

2011-11-11T15:42:00.003-05:00

Classic but lackluster design, in my opinion. I liked last year's retro design, and the black bikes of the previous years were pretty decent, but this one is just "meh". Not bad, but not too exciting... i guess it could've been much worse.

Also of note is that this years ladies race will run under the lights during the evening, a change attempting to get more people in the stands for the usually under-attended friday race.

Get in on all the gossip and shoptalk here at Geraint's Bloomington Velo News.

-W.

Bloomington Polo mentioned in Rail-to-Trails Conversancy article

2011-11-11T15:32:00.006-05:00

http://community.railstotrails.org/blogs/trailblog/archive/2011/10/18/b-line-rail-trail-helps-pull-downtown-bloomington-ind-together.aspx

Great synopsis of the B-line trail and Bloomington in general. Plus they mention our little group- "the Bike Polo Club". Capital letters and all!

Thanks for the heads up Keith.

-W.

Midwest Open re-cap by Bicycle Federation Wisconsin

2011-11-09T20:12:00.006-05:00

Ran across these while searching for something unrelated on google. Some nice photos of some of my favorite people!

Read the full article and check out more photos at this link.

-W.

Vintage beach polo ladies!

2011-11-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

Isn't that a sweet photo? Girls, bikes, and polo all at once!

Seen here at this neat little tumblr; originally posted here.

Thanks for the heads up Molly!

-W.

Bloomington's wooden goalie

2011-11-04T11:02:00.002-04:00

Simple knock-off of those plastic goalies we used as kids playing street hockey. It works ok with cones, but it really shines in front of a goal. You have the two corner pockets, the five-hole (split by an implied mallet), and enough space to shoot over the wheels for the top shelf. I haven't taken any photos of it in front of the goals but will try to this week. They could probably be more heavy duty, but for a price of $0 i think they're pretty good.

This definitely makes pickup more fun and practice more effective. I recommend you try it, especially if your pickup has low numbers or a wide range of skills.

-W.

Toronto's perfect polo goals

2011-11-04T09:51:00.003-04:00

A top shelf, curved rear corners, heavy duty but not too tight net, good width, decent height, and in true hockey style- bright fuckin' red!

I saved this picture earlier in the year and forgot to post it, but ever since then these goals have become the standard by which all others are measured. At the Open in Milwaukee there were three types of goals- large guage PVC, thin guage metal, and medium gauge metal. The PVC ones were way too deep and had to be weighed down with cases of beer (which quickly disappeared when the booze ran out and the goals started scootin). The thin metal goals were bent all to hell and wouldn't sit level or still. The third set, made by the Madison club, were the best of the bunch. They could've been a bit heavier and had a better net, but when it comes to serious goals heavy metal is the only way to go.

Which brings me back to the Toronto goals- they're basically hockey goals with polo sizing- a tried and true design. The past year or so the polo community has made the transition from cones to goals, but let's hope 2012 is the year of heavier, better, standardized goals!

-W.

Photos from the Bluegrass BOOndoggle

2011-10-31T11:51:00.007-04:00

1st

2nd

3rd

Check out the rest here.

Louisville, i fucking love you guys.

Ya know, i almost didn't make it to this due to some transportation issues, but boy am i glad i did. After a long season of serious polo and working my ass off it's nice to just kick back with some friends, dress up like a moron, and have some fun. Sure polo is taking off like a rocket and tournaments getting bigger and better, but i know the Louisville boys will always be there to keep shit real. Real fun, that is. Here's to the best season of polo yet!

-W.

Who wants to drive to Louisville?

2011-10-28T09:19:00.002-04:00

So i just found out my ride to Louisville fell through due to a death in the family. While the circumstances were unavoidable, it also sucks that now i have no way to get there... so i ask- is there anyone out there who wants to pick me up on their way to the tourney??

And looking at that flyer i just noticed a very tantalizing sponsor- Phil! Now i really gotta get down there to win what i hope is a sick freewheel!

-W.

The worst polo video of all time

2011-10-27T19:32:00.002-04:00

Are you fucking kidding me! What an ass-backwards advertisement. I really hope Ace and Adam aren't serious about this though i have an inkling they are... they better of been paid a giant pile of cash cause supporting the Office of National Drug Control Policy and their "war on drugs" is about as stupid and backwards as it gets.

Fuckin' a...

-W.

Highlights from Hell's Belles in London

2011-10-26T12:42:00.003-04:00

Hell's Belles Vol. 1 from Chan on Vimeo.

Remember how a couple weeks ago i was comparing European polo videos? Well this one fits right in as proper English. Great camerawork, music, and plenty of focus on the subject matter (ladies and polo!) yet just goes on for too long. Still, an awesome video and i'm glad to see they tweaked the "Ladies Army" idea to include men (since this was a "ladies majority" tourney-- ie one man was allowed to play on each team).

Enjoy. I did.

-W.

Midwestern Open in Milwaukee

2011-10-18T11:09:00.004-04:00

Hats of to the Capt Jake and the whole Milwaukee club for putting one of the best tournaments of the year! From the 4 ft boards anchored with railroad ties to the free PBR this tourney set new precedent. Awesome action from the Guardians, Mitten Polo, Bourbonic Plague, Machine Politics, and of course anyone from Milwaukee. And how how about that Pasbt beer hall?? I didn't even drink that night and yet it immediately become my favorite bar of all time. For so many reasons I can't wait to go back to Milwaukee.

The photos above are my favorite but go here if you wanna check out the rest of my crappy pics.

-W.

European polo video comparison

2011-10-13T10:57:00.004-04:00

Italy.

Note the shitty club music, visible brakeless fixed gears, and i'm pretty sure the interviewee is also a dj. Also the level of play looks... low. But i guess that's Italy for ya?

France.

Artistic, alternative music, edgy video editing techniques, again too many brakeless fixed bikes, and even an old dude playing on said brakeless bike at their awesome court in front of an art museum. Yup, that's definitely France.

Switzerland.

Straight-forward, informative, practical, and yet a lil' boring. Swiss through and through.

- - - - -

They're all great videos that i had never seen before and i like how each one offers a lil' insight into how each culture approaches polo. Of course this is all my own generalizations, but luckily the internet allows me to say whatever i want. Now if Sideshow Bob would just start making more of his gopro videos...

-W.

V-brakes and random pickup photos

2011-10-13T09:48:00.006-04:00

Evan has been hard at work brazing v-brakes onto everyone's bikes.

Here he is not so hard at work,
prior to losing his precious green sweater in a polo wager.

Here's my mounts that were stick-welded on by a local "hillfolk".
They work, but they're not pretty.

Kevin being Kevin... but in Bloomington!

Metal plate welded on to brace the seat stays where the snapped off the first time.

Happy girl, depressing wheel cover.

Shot of the rear brake mounts... a little better than the front ones.

Bruce and a watermelon. Yup.

-W.

Bluegrass Boooooondoggle!

2011-10-10T09:34:00.002-04:00

Of course this weekend is the Midwestern Open in Milwaukee but i'm already getting excited for the last (and most ridiculous) event on the polo calender-- the Boooooondoggle. Mandatory costumes and a chance of getting shot promise to make for a fun day. Cromer and i are going for sure- anyone else in??

-W.

Indiana State Championship 2011 - photo recap

2011-10-03T09:48:00.005-04:00

Tree City hard at work. Here's Evan brazing on v-brakes for rookie Ethan (who used that new-found stopping power to take home the Darkhorse Award!).

All the bourbon, velveeta, and ground meat was nice, but winning would've been nicer.

4
One of my favorite new bikes owned by my favorite new player- Volume Cutter V5 and Tom from Lafayette, respectively.

...and yup- that's what happens when a pretty girl kisses the concrete. Really, it's barely noticeable.

Ft.Wayne just being Ft.Wayne.

Trigger taking a break from all the excitement.

Tori and Andrea teamed up with tourney MVP Caleb as "Easy, Tiger."

Bloomington rookies "Rolling Meth Labs" (Max Evan Jimmy)

And of course our lovely ladies Jordan, Betsy, and sad-Megan.

Joe's puppy. Yeah, puppy.

..and of course Marty was there. Like Megan he took a shot to the face a lost a bit of his bill... nothing a lil' hockey tape can't fix!

Future slayer Corbin. Right now he's too wrapped up in bmx, but his dad already built him a polo bike and is setting him on the right path! Can't wait til this kid's in high school!

I love that indiana tourneys are becoming family affairs.

Tom and Stas joust during the final of the winner's bracket. Between the podium teams there were some extremely hard fought games. I don't recall any of them going to five but there was plenty of strong checks and full speed wrecks. But in the end, only one team could go home with the trophy...

Lafayette's "A-polo III" Tom Tyler and Kevin!

Congrats guys, really, from the bottom of my heart. You guys have put in so much work this year taking polo seriously, traveling, building new bikes. I like to think we taught you a little too much, but really you're just dedicated players who finally got their due. Enjoy it boys, cause we're taking it back next year!

Check out the rest of the photos from tourney here at my Picasa page.

-W.

PS - oh yeah-- 1st A-polo III, 2nd Tree City, 3rd Fort Waste.

Worlds 2011 Highlights by Rawbie Boardz

2011-10-03T09:45:00.003-04:00

Alright, this is officially the best polo video of the year. There's a shorter version too, but who doesn't wanna watch more polo?!?!

And keep an eye out for Kremin's out-of-the-air-rebound-bounce-shot. Milwaukee breeds MVPs like Indiana grows corn.

-W.

Milwaukee Bike Co. - POLO BRUISER!

2011-09-29T10:55:00.006-04:00

At long last the polo-specific version of the Bruiser is out! It's available at for sale here at Ben's Cycle. Three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large (46cm/50cm/56cm).

I was able to check out the Beaver Boys' Waterford-made prototypes at Bench Minor in Chicago...

The Bruiser has pretty much set the standard for fixed freestyle riding, but many of it's attributes didn't lend itself as well to polo as it could- too heavy, u-brakes instead of v-brakes, too long a top tube- these have all been taken care of with the new version. Starting to sound a lot like a 700c version of the Joust, eh? Or that polo version of FBM Sword that has never come to fruition...

You can even buy a built up complete!

I like it. Hopefully they raffle one off at the Open.

-W.

Coming soon - Fixcraft XT mallet shaft

2011-09-29T10:40:00.003-04:00

Aw hell yeah! Fixcraft has been working on a thicker walled version of their already awesome polo shaft and now it's going into production! I know the difference is slight (1.2mm thick aluminum, up from 1.0mm) but they've been testing 'em and apparently they really are "Xtra Tuff". Fixcraft has only put out useful, polo specific products thus far, so you know i'm gonna order one the moment they're out. Word on the street is they'll be ready by October.

Seen here at the Fixcraft Tumblr.

Wizard Tactix vs. Beaver Boys - Worlds2011/Mr.Do

2011-09-27T13:11:00.005-04:00

Beaver Tactix from Mr.Do on Vimeo.

Holy shit im so glad dustin got this on film! Here we see ComoPete use his secret midwestern powers to defeat the defending world champs and thereby completing his transformation into PortlandPete.

This was the first match of the double elimination, and from the video it looks like as the first match of the day it wasn't well attended, but online everyone was watching the streaming (ie - lo-fi version) and that's when my phone started blowing up. Watching the live feed, listening to Machine commentate, and keeping an eye on Podium was the best polo experience i've ever had short of actually playing in a tourney. That was nine hours in front of a computer well spent. Can't wait til polo is on ESPNocho!

-W.

Photos from the Columbus Equinox Tourney

2011-09-27T10:57:00.005-04:00

So there's a few of the best, but here's the link to the rest.

-W.

Podium from the Columbus Equinox Tourney

2011-09-26T11:12:00.006-04:00

1st - Columbus - David Peter Colin

2nd - Bloomington/Pittsburgh - Travis Gregg Zachary

3rd - Lexington - Kyle Jessie Andy

Thanks again Columbus for another great weekend! I do love those courts- can't wait to come back.

More photos photos tomorrow.

-W.

Worlds 2011 final match by Mr. Do

2011-09-23T15:42:00.003-04:00

Thank you Mr.Do! And congrats to East Vancouver and the French super-team on besting the rest of the world!

...and another season of polo boils down to one final match.

I already can't wait for next year.

-W.

Star City Open - Photos Part II

2011-09-23T13:16:00.003-04:00

Evan brought his fancy camera to the tourney and took this set of photos. I'm amazed at the quality and excited to post 'em... and i'm actually in a couple shots for once! Thanks dude!

Check out the full album here.

-W.

Star City Open - Photos Part 1

2011-09-20T20:45:00.004-04:00

Still trying to figure out exactly how to use this new photo uploader and whatnot, so let this little slideshow suffice for the moment. You can always check out the full album here.

Helluva weekend. Thanks again to Kevin, Tom, Tyler, and Caleb.

-W.

Fun times in Lafayette!

2011-09-19T11:38:00.002-04:00

The star city open was one of the most laid back and enjoyable weekends i've had in a while. Big up to the guys in Lafayette for putting on another great tourney in this great state!

...oh, and that little guy. He kept Tree City from- how should i say- losing their heads this weekend? We won some, we lost some, we came home with second place... and a wooden duck.

-W.

Congrats to East Vancouver - World Champs!

2011-09-13T09:47:00.002-04:00

Final match at sunset - Crazy Canucks (East Van) vs. Call Me Daddy (France)

Check out this and more photos by Keith from Chicago.

1st - Crazy Canucks ( Rory/Chris/Alex CAN)
2nd - Call Me Daddy (Polo/William/Greg EUR)
3rd - The Guardians (Seabass/Julian/Dustin USA)
4th - Iron Ponies (Quentin/Johan/Clement EUR)
5th - L'Equipe (Manuel/Mario/Lukas EUR)
5th - The Beaver Boys ( Kremin/Brian/Joe USA)
7th - Portland United (Arlyn/Eric/Jason USA)
7th - DTGP (Kev/Ngaihon/Hugo FR/CA)
9th - Synthese ( Moritz/Anna/David EUR)
9th - L'Explosif ( Jason/Andre/Messman USA)
9th - The Oddballs (Leon/Drew/Mike USA)
9th - Alpha 1 ( Ian/Alexis/Capriotti NA)
13th - Machine Politics ( Joe/Ben/Matt Lane USA)
13th - The Boston Celtics ( Pierre/Jonny/Javier USA)
13th - Bourbonic Plague (Nick/Chris/Guthrie USA)
13th - Doin It With Our Socks On ( Ace/Nate/Birdie USA)
17th - The Wardens (Zach/Matt/Jake USA)
17th - The Knights ( Forrest/Cody/Dave USA)
17th - You Betcha ( Maja/Charlie/Cherri NA)
17th - Wizard Tactix ( Drew/Ringer/Pete USA)
17th - Los Cuatreros ( Miguel/Rob/Pelon USA)
17th - Moose Commando Squad ( Medic Mike/Marmousou/Oliver EUR)
17th - Top Centaur ( Ken/Henry/Luke CAN)
17th - The Outsiders ( Martin/Joker/Evan NA)
25th - Royal Flush ( Rik/Eddy/Justin EUR)
25th - Trevor's Last Chance (Tervor/Aaron/Paul NA)
25th - Never Nudes (Cole/Brook/Tom CAN)
25th - Monkey Punch (Flo/Adam/Max EUR)
25th - The Full Kenichis ( Tim/Tom/Zach USA)
25th - Team Priapism ( Jason/Eric/Joey USA)
25th - My Face (Eric/Chris/Erica USA)
25th - Mitten Polo ( Adam/Piet/Jon USA)

-W.

WORLDS IN SEATTLE-- RIGHT NOW!

2011-09-09T14:47:00.005-04:00

Streaming Live by Ustream
http://hardcourtpodium.com/follow/worlds

HOLY SHIT WHY AREN'T YOU WATCHING THIS!

Beavers just went down to Top Centaur 1-5 thanks to Henry Norris' full court shots!

This is pretty much gonna be all i do this weekend...

-W.

B-line Opening - Thursday @ 5:30pm!

2011-09-07T11:40:00.006-04:00

It's finally happening! The B-line greenway trail will officially open this Thursday with a small ceremony at 6pm. Be there and help us hand out polo flyers! Plus you'll be able to check out the space where the new location of the community bike project will be. I was privileged enough to get a tour from Michael Lindeau himself the other day, and after that i must say i am very, very excited about all the possibilities!

Notice the hideous paint job?? That's how you know the project is in for good!

And this behemoth of a building is gonna be the Upland Brewing's new commercial brewery. While there are no immediate plans for a taproom at that location everyone i've talked to has expressed hope for the idea.

Many good times ahead... hope to see you Thursday!

-W.

Champaign Bike Polo in the Daily Illini

2011-09-07T11:36:00.004-04:00

Online version of the newspaper here.

Via miss molly. Thanks girl!

-W.

Another broken bike...

2011-09-02T13:44:00.003-04:00

Yuuuuup-- time to get that joust!

-W.

Equinox Tourney in Columbus - Sept 24

2011-09-01T19:24:00.003-04:00

...and the flyer makes it legit!

I hear Peter is back from Europe too! Can't wait to see all the good people in Columbus and have a helluva time again... plus I gotta redeem that free tattoo i won last time around ;)

-W.

Video from Taiwan's Takao Cup

2011-08-30T11:40:00.003-04:00

I like this video from Kaohsiung. Everyone seems to be having tons of fun... except this guy from the joust 25 seconds in... that's why only one person jousts at a time, eh? plus it reminded me of the same thing from the '10 Lock-in.

But how 'bout that winning goal near the end?!? Talk about threadin' the needle! Then wtfbike! at 9:48...of course... Though I'd also love to know who the bearded gaijin with the taco'd front disc brake is. Looks like fun times in Taiwan.

They wrote a bit of information about the tournament at their site- kbpapolo.wordpress.com/, but it's a little hard to understand if you don't speak chinese. Actually, it's pretty hard to understand even once you see the google translation.

o_O

At least they're on the spot with their group shots at the end ;)

-W.

Champaign-Urbana returns to Bike Polo!

2011-08-30T10:19:00.005-04:00

A while back my friend Molly moved to Champaign-Urbana. While visiting her we ran across a sweet roller hockey court that would be perfect for polo. A group of people were even playing polo there a few years back but it died out (probably from lack of traveling to tourneys and other cities).

Well, apparently this summer they tore it down (why?!?!) but the spirit of polo lives on. Last week Molly and a group of about twelve hit a local parking garage and got the ball rolling (literally and figuratively). Bike polo has officially returned to Champaign-Urbana!

Now if we can just get them to come out to the Star City Open they'll see how much fun competitive polo can be!

-W.

Midwestern Open - Oct 15 & 16 in Milwaukee

2011-08-23T12:18:00.004-04:00

The dates have been set and the flyer makes it legit.

I think i'm looking forward to Milwaukee more than all the other tourneys this season combined! Top 12 or bust.

Cool flyer from Montreal

2011-08-23T12:01:00.004-04:00

Wow those quebecoise are fuckin' classy! There's no way i could ever go to this tourney but boy does this flyer make me want to. Apparently they even got a watch company to sponsor it!?!

That's be neat to win. I like.

Stay classy, Montreal.

-W.

Rawbie Boardz - Episode #7

2011-08-23T10:32:00.002-04:00

Rawbie Boardz - EP7 - Pender Bender from Ken Regehr on Vimeo.

How'd i miss this?!? More rawbie? Yes please!

Watching how many people they have at their polo retreat and the close proximity of a hockey rink to their campground almost makes me wanna become a Canadian. Almost.

-W.

EHBPC 2011 - Final Match

2011-08-23T10:21:00.005-04:00

EHBPC BARCELONA 2011 Final Game from jordi guiu on Vimeo.

L'equipe fuckin owns!

Lovin' that the crowd chants during the match and how 'bout that kiss at the end??

Oh europe, why are you so awesome.

-W.

Star City Open - Sept. 17th in Lafayette

2011-08-22T10:48:00.005-04:00

Viva la CO-OP!

Back to that awesome skating rink slash polo court on the Wabash river... so who wants to play??

-W.

Gone but not forgottten

2011-08-22T10:27:00.005-04:00

My good friend Matt Kissel is leaving Bloomington for Philadelphia. Well, actually he already has. What was the straw that broke the camel's back? Getting his personally customized polo bike stolen. Well, really it was getting engaged to a lovely girl and university and all that crap, but i like to think he was just so sad he had to leave for good.

He may be gone but he (and that bike) were definitely not forgotten.

Recovered!

Thanks to Jas's constant cooking, Travis' handy tools, and the stupidity of local bums it's back in friendly hands. And to celebrate, Matt has returned from Philly for one final round of pickup!!!

Tonight. 6pm. The big court across from the hospital on 2nd.

Matt's final tapout. Be there.

-W.

Just poloin' in the rain

2011-08-22T10:23:00.002-04:00

It got pretty wet this past Thursday. So much that the ball would float in the corners and we had to gorge ourselves on five kinds of high quality cheeses afterwards... Ok, we didn't have to but we did.

-W.

NAHBPC 2011 Calgary - photos by Dadanation

2011-08-11T11:38:00.003-04:00

Congrats to "the Guardians"- Julian, Seabass, and Dustin.

Fuck yeah Seattle!

Second place went to... you guessed it, Chicago.
Sorry boys. You're first in our hearts!

Love love love that group photo!
Zoom in and see all the priceless faces. Some laughing, some scowling.
Looks like it was a great time!

Check out all the amazing photos by Dadanation here.

Really wish i could've gone...

-W.

First Friday in Indy - TONIGHT!

2011-08-05T13:18:00.005-04:00

Time again for local art, free wine, and the world's smallest polo court!

See ya there!

-W.

[cross-posted from bloomingtonbikpolo just cause i really like the flyer!]

Indiana Invitational II - here's what i got...

2011-08-03T11:49:00.015-04:00

1st - Urine Trouble (St. Louis)
2nd - Battletoads (Lexington)
3rd - Tree City (Bloomington)

DFL - Crank that BB (Bloomington)
Best Dressed - Apolo 3 (Lafayette)
Most Improved - AJ (Louisville)
Parties Hardest - Jimmy and Louisville
Darkhorse - Tom (Lafayette)
MVP - Jake (St. Louis)

Thanks again to everyone who came out!

It was way to hot but lots of fun.

Next year let's do this in autumn when it's nice and cool!

-W

See y'all tonight!

2011-07-29T13:08:00.004-04:00

Remember last year when the Invite was a renegade tourney on university property? Fun times. This year I'll try to stay out of the sun more and puke less.

Well, i said I'll try.

Check-in is at the Atlas, 9pm to midnight. Can't wait!

-W.

All-City Retro Wool Jersey

2011-07-28T20:20:00.004-04:00

My birthday is coming up, who wants to get me a gift??

Lovin' the retro Peugeot styling. A little pricey at $120 but that's probably just retail.

Check out more photos of it here at the All-City blog.

-W.

Decatur's Permanent Polo Court!

2011-07-28T17:33:00.005-04:00

Hooray! Another permanent midwestern court!

They look fuggin' great, congrats guys!

Nate from Decatur sent me these a few weeks ago and i totally spaced on posting them.
Just remembered because those boys are on their way to Bloomington for the Invite!

Can't wait to see you guys!

-W.

14 Bike Co. V3 polo frame

2011-07-26T08:53:00.005-04:00

Heyo!!! What a beauty.

Crazy awesome adjustable dropouts. Beautiful and unique paint job. Couplers, straight fork, integrated headset- hell i bet it's even got a mid BB. Lovin' the curved seatpost, of course, but not sure why they didn't go a lil' more extreme with it. That tire clearance is way to close for comfort and doesn't allow for a larger tire. Still, amazing bike all around...

I've said it a hundred times but-- new favorite polo bike!

Photos from here at the 14 Bike Co. website. Thanks for the heads up Travis! Made my night after a shit day.

-W.

2011 Bloomington Criterium

2011-07-18T10:34:00.010-04:00

This!

I finally found the perfect clock for polo... and it's a swim timer!

Compact size yet large digits. Simple controls. High visibility.
And the gent who owns it said it was only about $400 new.
Not to shabby.

Kirkwood Avenue closed off for bikes? Check.
90 degrees with 90% humidity? Check.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars of road racing technology? Check.
Kids race after the Cat1? Check.
Fun times? Double check!

I love our little town.

-W.

Fun times at Summer Break?

2011-07-18T09:49:00.005-04:00

Looks like two of my favorite people got a little too rough on the court!

Aah i wish i could've gone to this one... but time and money.. it's always time and money.

Check out the rest of the photos by Clayton Harvey. There's even a few shots of the Bloomington youngsters in there. Way to represent guys!

-W.

Road wreck at the 2011 Bloomington Criterium

2011-07-17T22:43:00.003-04:00

[click for large and watch fullscreen]

Holy shit this was cool to see in person! Glad someone caught it on camera. I mean...not cool... ya know, injuries and whatnot... Too bad travis was too busy hitting on a pretty lady to see it!

I took a couple of crappy photos during the pro race that i'll put up tomorrow.

Video by Beta rider Eric Anderson. Seen at (of course) at Bloomington Velo News.

-W.

PS - apparently there's a big rivalry between the new Scholars Inn team and Upland team... this wreck during the 3/4 race sure didn't help things ;)

Columbus Invite - Team Photos

2011-07-12T11:21:00.007-04:00

"Perenium Falcon"
Chris/Will/Nick
Lexington
1st

"Dickfist at Tiffany's"
Russo, Nico, Lomax
Pittsburgh
2nd

"Eagle Spurs"
Travis, Zachary, Bruce
Bloomington
3rd

"Disease Ridden Pigeons"
Brunner/Quinn/Alex
Pittsburgh/AnnArbor/GrandRapids
4th

...and LEX just knows how to have fun!

Damn, so my shitty camera and a bunch of one-takes turned out better than expected. I'm glad that everyone was such a good sport about it and that i actually had time to take team photos for once. Pretty sure i missed a team or two and hopefully i'll do better next time.

...and i just noticed- did Jon Blake play on two teams??

-W.

Part I | Part II | Team Photos

Columbus Invite - Part II

2011-07-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

Lomax's current Rustbelt polo bike made by Lou from Cleveland.
It has a crazy tight turning radius and is indestructible,
but part of that means a crazy heavy front fork.

Note his awesome housing-thru-headtube.

Look at length of that mallet!

MVP! MVP!

Pre-game huddle.

Sure those softball teams do the line-up-and-slap-hands thing,
but after a good match of polo it's only right to hug it out.

Undefeated all weekend.
'Nuff said.

To the people who made it happen...

...many, many thanks!

Suppertime.

Thank you, Ohio.

...and home sweet home.

It never gets old.

-W.

Part I | Part II | Team Photos

Columbus Invite - Part I

2011-07-12T10:57:00.000-04:00

What a great weekend! I've never been a fan of the state of Ohio but i must say Columbus sure turned that opinion around. A surprisingly forward city with fun and humble people. Well, except for that mumbling bum that Cardinal threw out on his ass. I love these minor tournaments; what they lack in high competition they more than make up for with good people, productive competition, and plenty of time to discover a new city. Cheers!

Part II to come asap.

-W.

Part I | Part II | Team Photos

Northside Regionals in Toronto

2011-07-08T10:25:00.006-04:00

Congrats Ann Arbor on 2nd place!
They had to beat some really amazing teams and
Adam said they fought really hard for it.
Props guys, i got some bourbon waiting for ya next time we hang.

!!!!!

4 ft boards all the way around!

Very nice!

Look at the bracing for the back of those boards!
I bet the rebound was great.

Big congrats to the norteamericano version of DTGP- Naighon, Hugo, and Kevin!

Check out the rest of these great photos from Hoopdriver, one of the Northside sponsors who provided those amazing Brooks saddles.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoopdriver/sets/72157627003378851/with/5907764458/

Hopefully i'll have my passport soon and be able to make it to great gigs like this!

-W.

Indiana Invitational II - July 30th

2011-07-04T14:29:00.009-04:00

[artwork by DrewEtienne@gmail.com]

Small | Medium | Large

Start spreading the good word!

Capped at 24 teams. Can't wait to see y'all!

This tournament brought to you by the...

-W.

Lucky x Capriotti x Scott

2011-07-04T13:53:00.004-04:00

While at Bench Minor i wanted to pickup some new Lucky... err- St.Cago mallets but the newest batch is still a few weeks out. Luckily he was able to hook me up with some of his Tournament thin-walled pipe and Mark Capriotti had some of his long anticipated TPL caps for sale! (Total Polo Laboratories... i'm just gonna call 'em Capriotti's Caps)

The caps are not too heavy but still require some drillium/swiss-cheesing to make the head balance out. Two tiny wood screws on each side easily hold the cap in place. Now, it's made of HDPE so it's pretty durable, but it's definitely wearing faster than the UHMW caps you'd get on a Cardinal or MKE setup. Still those two caps are made for the oversized 2 5/8" OD pipe while Capriotti's are made for the more traditional 2 3/8" OD size. Keep in mind it's for the thin walled (2 1/16" ID) stuff as opposed to the thick walled (1 7/8" ID).

Matched with a strong and light Scott ski pole and i'm a happy camper! It's working out really well so far- shots are straighter and it's very balanced. That all said i'll report back later on long term durability...

-W.

How we have fun in Indiana...

2011-07-04T13:45:00.003-04:00

There will be...polo.

Just another reason why the Midwest is Best!

-W.

Bloomington club mascots!

2011-07-04T13:29:00.006-04:00

Meet Mickey and Stella- acting all cute at a tournament near you!

Mickey is more chill and likes hang out and sleep...

...while Stella is more the trail-blazing, trouble-making type.

Bloomington has enough fat squirrels, crazy deer, and ornery birds that any of them would make good mascots. But let's be honest, the neighborhood cats are the only ones that actually come to polo.

Now if i could just catch and tame one of those wild turkeys i see every morning on the way to work...

-W.

European Championship results

2011-07-04T13:21:00.002-04:00

Congrats (yet again) to L'equipe from Geneva!

Lovin' how they released the results too. The euros keep it classy!

-W.

Bench Minor 2011 - Chicago - Part II

2011-06-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

Chicago, i love you.

-W.

Bench Minor 2011 - Chicago Part I

2011-06-28T11:54:00.017-04:00

-W.

Julian and his Puffin' crew win Bench Minor

2011-06-27T05:19:00.003-04:00

The green team wins the final match 13-4 over Birdie's Tigers. Capriotti and Crandal dominated in one of the most lopsided victories of the weekend. Much respect to Chicago for putting on an amazing tourney in an amazing location!

More to come after i finally get some sleep...

-W.

Six-pack Shuffle

2011-06-24T16:55:00.009-04:00

That's a 15 year old grass polo bike! New dude Tymme used to play in Chicago back in the 90's and now he's giving hardcourt a try. Scored his first goal, broke his first mallet, and got his first injury all in a couple hours.

-W.

ESPI6 by FunZachFilms

2011-06-21T21:51:00.003-04:00

ESPI VI 2011 Philadelphia from Fun Zach Films on Vimeo.

Love love love this video! The music and vibe is awesome plus they catch Chandel tearin' up at the end! And as MVPnick said- "needs more dillman"! At this point i'm happy that he's our posterboy.

Midwest represent!

-W.

"Indy polo mallet"

2011-06-21T21:49:00.002-04:00

Yup- 'nuff said.

Thanks megan!

-W.