Doff Your Top-Hat at Bike Polo

Yearning for yesteryears gone by is big these days, but not everyone is looking solely to the neon 1980s for cultural inspiration. Once again this year, the Royal Society of Adventurology and Streets are for People! have been organizing Bicycle Polo matches Tuesday evenings (6-9) in the Trinity-Bellwoods bowl since June (their flyer).

Taking fun so far back into the oldschool that the boys and girls have separate entrances from the playground, these polo matches are somewhat unorthodox and focus primarily on "velocipedic tomfoolery, cordial frippery, and heroic courtesy," rather than get mussied up in the strict, technical rules of contemporary bike polo sportspersonship.

For example, in proper bicycle polo, you're supposed to be playing on a rectangular field with opposing goals. The Trinity matches are held in a round circle with a single goal in the middle... and that's just for starters.

This is more a sort of pomo polo. The real joy here comes not so much from the intense sport of biking it like Beckham, but rather from being a sporting lady or fellow with a bunch of jolly good sports on a lovely day playing a tip-top game of bicycle polo in the park.

Games run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. each Tuesday night next to the stage in the Trinity-Bellwoods bowl, syncing up with the Trinity-Bellwoods farmers' market which runs from 3 to 7, and followed up every other week by a drum circle.

Polo matches are open to all who care to bring a bike, polite mannerisms, snappy dress-clothes and perhaps a spot of tea and a crumpet or two - mallets are provided.

Photo from Streets Are For People!.