Cuba (I didn't know there was a Havana in Florida, but it figures). See club page. I put it under South America, because it's closer culturally than any of the geographical options.
Havana Bike Polo
We finally have bike polo in Havana, so come and visit! Alexis and Julia and I demoed it in January and the kids were lining up to take their turns on the loaner bikes to try it. They even came out in the rain to play again yesterday. A and J went home this morning :-( but I think it will stick.
wow, that's exciting! congrats!
Thanks - I'm REALLY excited. I started playing in 2009, but after the one season I've only played a couple of times a year, when I get back to Canada, so I'm a perennial newbie. Now I might get a chance to actually progress. Of course, these guys are so athletic and are learning so fast they'll soon leave me in their dust.
hialeah my old stomping grounds!
hey coach, I didn't know you'd ever stomped THIS Havana?
No I've never been to THAT Havana, though I do need to check it out. I was talking about Hialeah, Florida.
Congrats on getting the polo going. It seems you start polo everywhere you go.
If you moved more there would be more polo.
wow this makes me want to finally do the trip to Cuba I've been postponing for years
Quite procrastinating! If you have an iPhone, downloading the app, Havana Good Time. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/havana-good-time/id385663683?mt=8 before you come could be the best $2.99 you ever spend. You can’t use it interactively here, but all the maps and info about the restaurants and attractions is there. Let me know if you decide to come.
I tried to post some photos but my connection is too slow and the site keeps timing out. One long wall is covered with graffiti by pib, one of the best known graffittists in Cuba. The goals are homemade, apparently from lead pipe - they could well be: they're strong enough to sit on. I can e-mail some photos if you send me an address. Alexis will have photos on his FB soon, probably much better ones than mine.
This might work. Try going to https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150498516882224&set=a.72407937...
This is AWESOME!
We're suffering from a severe bike shortage here! Yesterday there were lots of folks wanting to play, but BamBi was the lonely only bike. The muchachos had fun with the mallets and ball anyway (guys are like that), but I'm craving the real thing!
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PS the photo is by the incomparable Conner Gorry, from her blog at http://hereishavana.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/my-new-cuban-love-affair/
more from our rainy day play back in February...
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...and shot of the peanut gallery on our very first day. Some of my files got corrupted but I'll ask Julia to post some of hers.
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Hurray—seven bikes out yesterday! And me without my camera. The mallets were a bit long for a couple of really little guys, but what they lacked in size they made up for in utter fearlessness. Alexis left some extra heads and friends from Oakland brought hockey tape; we just need to find something to use as poles for peewee-sized mallets.
Thanks! I tried to post a photo of our bamboo peewee mallets, but the page keeps timing out before it can "stick." Will try later. I must have jinxed polo on Sunday by bringing a camera: no one else showed up with a bike, though lots wanted to play. Will post a photo of bikeless polo later too.
Looks like bike polo is about to take off in Havana! We had enough for two full teams again last night and the new guys were really enthusiastic and full of ideas about how to promote it, other courts to play on, etc..
Look for more photos soon. A news photographer came and took a whole slew of photos (I hope not one of me falling on my butt). Will post the link to his page when I get it.
A good time was had by all. Especially me. I think I got three goals. Only one of them against my own team. :-)
This is my favorite thread on LOBP and Havana is my new favorite polo club.
Hey, where's the LIKE button?
Hope you can come and play some time. These guys are going to be amazing. One came out for the first time yesterday and I couldn't believe that he had never played before; he assured me he had never even heard of it before Saturday. The bikes are a hoot too: yesterday we had everything from a BMX (the pres. of the local extreme sports club, no less) to a vintage Niagara. Can't wait to get pics to post.
See new photos by Conner Gorry on our club page. Here's a teaser.
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Father's Day proved to be more competition even than soccer. On her way to the cancha, Conner looked back to see how her new polo recruit was doing and crossed paths with a dog. The dog and her bike both survived, but Conner has a badly sprained ankle. Lourdes and I played two on one against Henry and he trounced us soundly.
Here is the new venue.
Plusses: closed in on all sides so the ball doesn't go out of bounds; full shade in the late afternoon; bleachers for the legions of fans who will come out to our invitational tournaments. :-)
Minuses: a bit off the beaten path, so unlikely to attract new players. And I miss the great graffiti at Parque Ho Chi Minh, alias Acapulco.
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Looks like post apocalyptic polo with the rusty steel! When the bomb falls we can decide the leaders of the tribe via bike polo at your venue.
That being said it looks like a legit court. The seclusion has both good and bad sides that will balance out. Maybe do some riding in the city with wheel covers or throw up some ads to compensate for the lack of pubic court.
Dude, we might have to have a fundraiser to send bike to Cuba for polo...
hurray and thanks - if you do, I'll get Suzy or Alexis to take/send you one of our spiffy shirts to raffle off.let me know if there's anything else I can do!
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Hey Havana! Got way too excited about hearing y'all had polo going. I'll be in Cuba July 21-29, so hopefully I'll be able to play while I'm there! The first 900 miles of my trip will be on a bicycle, so I'll have to pack light, but I hope to bring you a few things. What do you need the most right now?
whoo-hoo - our first polo visitor! your timing is great, since Sunday is play day. we mostly need bikes :-), but anything can come in handy (decals are popular!). e-mail me cranmills(at)gmail.com. looking forward to welcoming you to BiciPolo La Habana!
Havana Bike Polo/Bicipolo La Habana has a new home! A centrally-located, completely enclosed space with a decent surface, lent to us by the national institute for sport, phys ed and rec. We have reserved time on it and a key, so won't have to stand around growing cobwebs while we wait for a soccer game to finish. Only flaws are absence of goals (improvised for now with the basketball post and a cinder block) and a little trench behind one end where the ball goes out of bounds after most shots on goal.
Conner baptized the new space with a goal right off the joust. Here she is celebrating.
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whoops, forgot to mention the address: 23rd and 2nd in Vedado. C'mon over!
I miss the graffitti at Parque Acapulco, but we're going to do murals (of bike polo as well as basketball and tai chi, also regular activities there).
Michel was one of the first converts to bike polo way back in February. He doesn't own a bike, but comes out whenever he can borrow one. How do you like our "goal"?
This court is literally a dream come true: I've had my eye on it for bike polo ever since I arrived in August 2010. Can hardly believe we have legal use of it!
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I like your goal. Ours is knocked over a lot but yours is solid.
Such a nice court, I am happy for Havana!
How many polo players you guys have in Cuba?
Cuba or Florida?