Shannon Frey takes off with the ball.
(Photo: Wayne Leidenfrost / The Vancouver Sun)
Adapted from The Vancouver Sun by Patty Bossort
Level 2
What is bike polo?
Bike polo is played by six people on bicycles.
They chase a hard orange ball. They hit the ball with mallets.
Players cover the wheels. This keeps the ball out of the spokes.
The sport is getting more popular.
Everyone is welcome to play.
Teams can be all male, all female or mixed.
Visit the link:
- Learn more about bike polo and how to customize your bike.
Watch the videos
- Learn how to play bike polo. Watch this video from the Vancouver Sun.
Darren Bolton takes off with the ball.
(Photo: Wayne Leidenfrost / The Vancouver Sun)
Where can you play?
Any flat, concrete surface can work as a court.
The game is played in tennis courts and hockey boxes.
The East Van Bike Polo Club meets at Grandview near Commercial Drive.
The Grandview court was the first court built for bike polo.
Vancouver competes globally.
A Vancouver team called Crazy Canucks won the World Bike Polo Championship
in Seattle in 2011.
An all female team, Ladies Army, will compete in the all-women’s tournament in Toronto.
They will also play in the North American championships in Minneapolis.
George Wall and Shannon Frey battle for the ball.
(Photo: Wayne Leidenfrost / The Vancouver Sun)
Rules of the game
- Three players are on each team.
- A hockey net is at each end of the court.
- Players hit the orange ball into the net.
- The first team to score five points wins.
- The game lasts a maximum of 15 minutes.
- Players cannot put their foot on the ground.
That’s it. Get out there and have fun!