Bike Polo Returns to Northfield for the Summer

By day, John Sharpe is an entomologist, but by night the Northfield community member trades his insects for a mean set of wheels as the coordinator and founder of .

Bike polo, which is essentially traditional polo, with the exception that the horses are replaced by bicycles, is popular both internationally and locally. The Midwest alone is home to 25 teams and organizations involved in the League of Bike Polo, and the region is hosting four tournaments this season.

Sharpe brought bike polo to Northfield when he began to organize pick-up games after moving to town in 2008, but his love of the game goes back even further. 

In 2003, Sharpe was introduced to polo while working as a bike messenger in Milwaukee. His teammates in Wisconsin played hardcourt polo, a style known for its anarchic sensibility.

“When I played in Milwaukee it was basically no rules,” said Sharpe. “We were pushing each other off of our bikes or intentionally putting mallets into the spokes and wheels. I never left the field unbloodied.”

Fortunately, Northfield Bike Polo plays by a different, and notably less violent, set of rules. Sharpe’s local pick-up games comply with the guidelines of international polo, a version of bike polo in which the match is held on a grass court and there are significantly more rules, two factors that greatly increase the safety of the players.

“International rules help a lot with reducing injuries,” said Sharpe.

After a successful first season in 2008, Northfield Bike Polo took a two-year hiatus.  However, it has returned, and, only a few games into the season—mostly because of challenging weather—it has already drawn a wide variety of participants. Several community members, ranging in age from 9 to 60, are coming out to enjoy the summer weather and rousing competition.

Stewart Moyer, manager of Northfield-area business and frequent participant in Northfield Bike Polo, explains why.

“There’s nothing else really like it,” said Moyer. “It’s just really appealing to bike people who feel comfortable on a bike and are just looking for another fun thing to do on two wheels.”

Moyer cites the accessibility of bike polo, in particular, as an essential part of its draw. 

“It’s open to anyone and everyone who has a bike,” said Moyer. “If you can ride a bike and keep it upright, you can play polo.”

Northfield Bike Polo takes place from 6:30-8 p.m. every Friday at throughout the summer. Participation is free and mallets, goal posts, corner marker cones and the ball are provided. For more information, email questions to bikepoloplayer@gmail.com.