Pedal Strike

A few months ago, feeling that I really had nothing left to lose, I randomly biked to the William E. Smith playing field in Allston to watch my first game of bike polo.

My appearance was, being totally random, awkward. But a firm believer in the power of enthusiasm, I showed up again the next week…and the next…and the next.

And while I could barely take a hand off the bars back in October, I can now hold a mallet and [sort of] “play.”

But improving bike skills aren’t the only reason I kept showing up, week after week, in the increasing cold. It’s one break in the almost endless cycle of 12-14 hour days, where I can forget about grown-up things like “being responsible.” I can pop open a beer on 2pm on a Sunday and laugh at things I actually find funny, rather than doing the polite, courtesy laugh and pretending to be interested in things that are…not that interesting. And though there’s something definitely terrifying about seeing three to four aggressive, skilled polo players pedaling towards you at full speed, mallets drawn, bike polo – and the people that play – has legitimately kept me sane.

So when the possibility of playing polo indoors came up, I chose to forget my schoolwork, my ever-persistent jet-lag, and the reality that it’s kind of cold out to hitch a ride to Hockeytown in Saugus with Boston’s finest [polo players].

Bikes stacked into the back of Tyler’s truck, we impatiently made our way through rush hour traffic and made it just in time for our free trial hour of polo.

The court, made for roller hockey, is made up of plastic panels; and let me tell you, it’s huge.

Games immediately followed our arrival, and though it was a little chilly, the hour was over all too quickly.

Lucky for us, Hockeytown has some openings during the week and weekends. Seems like we’ll be making a few more drives to Saugus until the weather gets nicer.

Tags:   bike polo · boston bike polo · hockeytown · indoor3 Comments