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!
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...
...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.
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.
a mite crooked, but ok for the little guys...
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.
Cuba or Florida?