NYC Bike Polo

Ok, go to this site Gangsta Name Generator, and type in “NYC Bike Polo” (case sensitive). I think this should be our new club name.

They’re hot, and designed by local legend “John” Chombo “Siers”.

Only a few are available. Mostly in black. But ask. We might have your size in Green or Orange. Visit losmarcospolos.com/losmarcos_buyshirt.html to buy now. $15 + $3 shipping, or $15 if you live in New York and can pick it up or have it delivered conveniently. Contact Ken (information to the right) for local purchases.

Doug spotted this & put it up on hardcourtbikepolo. What’s the deal with the Ben & Nicki show? In their own words:

The Ben and Nicki Show is a weekly-variety show focusing on the
exciting lives and events in and around New York City. Its goal is to
expose mystery and entertain the masses to tune into these somewhat
unconventional New York adventures.

Most of you probably know about the best polo-obsessive interweb time waster ever, bikepolo.ca. What you might not know about is the NYC sub-forum atbikepolo.ca/league/nyc. You should probably check it out (and you should probably bookmark it because it’s not too simple to get to if you just hit the homepage). This is a private forum for us New Yorkers to discuss all the massively important things that have to deal with Bike Polo. I encourage you all to sign up & contribute.

Article on Gothamist.com

This is Carole. She’s from Ottawa. She’s our friend. And she effing rules.

Chris B. ponders his future as an NYU sophomore and NYC Bike Polo’s rising star.

Other photos by Brett Beyer, who stopped by a few Thursdays ago to snap some shots of us handsome athletes. Thanks Brett. PS, Brett says you can totally use these photos on your Facebook, etc. as long as you email him about it first.

Curiously enough, I received an email from Bryan Abrams last week, asking if NYC Bike Polo had any mallets for sale so that he & his elephant polo team could train. Elephant Polo made me skeptical. I mean I’d heard of it, but initially I expected “Bryan” to be any one of my friends playing a strange and somewhat elaborate practical joke on me. Because really, I had no idea people actually played elephant polo out here. Plus, our mallets are clearly far too short to be used on elephants. Turns out, Bryan is for real, and wasn’t messing around with me at all. He and his team, New York Blue, are the only American team to be competing in the World Elephant Polo Association’s tournament in November. This past Sunday, he came to the Pit to check out our version of polo and get some mallet head materials and a few ski poles to try & fashion something useful from. He let me ask him a few questions about playing polo on top of an elephant:

image Copyright by Tickle and the Ivories 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

1) How did you get involved in the sport?

Our captain, Bill Keith, covered the 2006 World Elephant Polo Championship
as a journalist. He had always vowed to go back w/ his own team. Sure
enough, 2 years later, he made it happen.

2) What are the basic rules of Elephant Polo?

Here’s the rules: http://www.tickle-and-the-ivories.com/rules.htm

3) It’s easy for us to keep our polo bikes in our apartments. Do you like, have your own elephants or something? How do you practice?

We’re practicing on Range Rovers. I’m hoping not to die during our practice.

4) You’re the sole American team attending the World Elephant Polo Association tournament in India. How do you feel about your chances out there?

It’s actually taking place in Nepal. And yeah, we’re the only American team, but as our name suggests, we’re more than an American team, we’re a NEW YORK team. That distinction is important. Like all New Yorkers, we just assume we’ll kick ass.

5) I have no idea how Elephants respond to being ridden. In Bike Polo, agility & control are essential in a fast moving, technical game. How does that work when you’re riding an Elephant?

There will be a Nepalese man that controls the elephant. It’s important to note these elephants are treated extremely well. They take great care of them and make sure that their treatment is humane. The elephants are thereal stars.

6) Seriously, this sounds awesome. Are you making all of this up?

I’m not making it up, but it certainly sounds like a fairy tale. I keep thinking, if for some reason I get crushed to death, what a way to go out.

Entrepeneur Paris Hilton is poised to squelch the ever-increasing interest in Bike Polo. Goddamn heiress always one-upping EVERYONE. It’s a been a fun ride. Time to find a new hobby. Thanks for the tip, Trudy.