Six cyclists divide themselves into two teams on opposing ends of an empty tennis court. Straddling their bicycles and holding mallets, which look like modified golf clubs, they wait for the match to begin.

“Marco!” yells a player from one side.

“Polo!” responds an opponent, and a bicycle polo game has now begun. Players weave in and out of each other, struggling to smack a small orange ball into the opponent’s net without falling off their bikes.

Bike polo is a game that has grown to considerable popularity in the Bay area. Cyclists from St. Petersburg, Tampa and Sarasota play matches weekly. Many local players compete on the national, and global circuit. It is especially popular in urban cities like Portland, New York City, and Boston, which hold big tournaments like the East Side Polo Invitational that brings in teams from around the world.

The game is fairly simple. There are three players on each team, every player has a mallet and there is one ball. The first team to score five goals, or the highest score at the end of 10 minutes wins. Specific rules change from city to city, but no feet not touching the ground is the universal rule. They don’t wear uniforms, and some players don’t even wear helmets. Injuries on the court are common, but intentional contact is highly frowned upon.

This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.