Fixed Gear Tournament
I woke up to a gloomy Saturday morning not knowing what to expect from the 'Fixed Gear Bike Tournament' I had been invited to. Heck, I had never even heard of fixed gear bikes. I owned a little BMX bike back home but this is a whole other set of wheels in comparison.
For those bike illiterates like myself, fixed gear bikes are the Godfather of all bikes. They were the first bikes that were invented back in the 1800's.
Al Pacino will set your straight if you got that fact wrong.
http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/godfather21.jpg
These intricate vehicles are low maintenance and light weight. The pedals are always moving when the bike is, giving you the flexibility of riding forwards and backwards. I'm not sure if that would be a good thing or a bad thing if I was the one doing the pedalling. That's something to consider before I ride one and break my face.
People from all corners of Europe flew into London city to compete and participate in the first ever Bike Polo Championship on Saturday August 1st, 2009.
For me, the ignorant outsider looking in, at first glance I had no idea what the big deal was. Seriously, in the beginning I thought it was just a bunch of cyclist having fun and killing time. Rounding up a bunch of people to play what looked like bike hockey.
Banker by day and killer biker by night. Some of these players live a duo lifestyle. I managed to squeeze in some time to interview the fans, the tricksters, the enthusiasts, the competitors, the losers and the winners. I realized these were communities of people from all around Europe that shared something, even if everything else in their ever progressing lives were different. They united here to play.
I have a gut feeling this is going to grow into something incredible within the next few years. Some major growths will be made. And with every new participant - it's growing.
As most championships go, there is usually an expected amount of anticipation and anxiety that comes with them. On day one, the vibe I felt was more like a gathering of friends coming out to smack a ball around and ride. Plus, we had the added bonus of London weather spitting down all day, which made it all the merrier. What's a championship in the lovely outdoors of London town without rain? Having slushy wet socks are part of the experience. Not to mention men and women on bikes with scrapes and bruises?
Yesterday was just the players hustling each other, today is a new day.
On day two, all that was expected came in folds. The players busted out their tricks and the game was on. On the court the players became more technical, their manoeuvres resembling calculated crime. I was sold. I wanted a fixed gear bike. I wanted to be one of them.
Final game.
The people packed themselves by the side of the court to watch our local Londoners, the 'Malice International' face off the Frenchies, 'L'equipe' for the final bike polo cup. I managed to squeeze my way to the front just because I'm petite and Asian. I watched them play and fall. Pass. And score! The game ended with 3-5 for the Frenchies.
C'est la vie!
At the end of the day it doesn't matter who won. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves just being at the event. Congratulations to both teams!
But seriously...
I woke up Saturday morning not knowing what to expect and I left knowing that I will be expecting more of.
If you don't own one of these babes already, or simply want to know more about this growing culture wrap your head about it have a look at the links below. Sleep on it. This community is growing with every new participant, so get invited.
Inspire.
http://www.ehbpc.org/the-tournament/results/
http://www.ehbpc.org/play-polo/
http://www.14bikeco.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle