Machine Politics vs Beaver Boys, May 2011. Photo by Bruce Carver
Last year Ionia won the Michigan Cup, so we feel like it’s our duty to put on the tournament this year. (Also, Ann Arbor hasn’t been returning emails so we don’t think we can count on them to do much of anything.) I talked to my contact with the Michigan Mountain Biking Association, and they are interested in helping us put on a larger tournament. Obviously, this would no longer be the Michigan Cup since we would open it up to the whole hard court bicycle polo community.
The Western Chapter of the MMBA is responsible for the largest mountain bike time trial in the state. They have the resources, connections, and knowhow to put on a really quality event, and they are interested in alternative bicycle uses. However, they don’t have a lot of experience with bike polo. That’s where you come in. I’ve personally put on several smaller local races, but never a larger event like this would be. I need the help of tournament organizers who have put on larger event. I need to know what works, and what sucks. I really don’t want this to be a circle jerk of internet forum banter, so if you have good information for me, please use the email utility of this website to get in contact with me.
I need to know about rules, tournament format, insurance, sponsors, housing, food, and all the other little details that separate bad events from good ones. I know there are people on this website who have done this before, and those are the people I want to hear from.
Thanks in advance.
-Seth
Yeah it does, but there are people on this website who have already done what I'm planning to do. I really want to get some communication going between some of those people and myself. I know that I'm going to have questions and I need start talking to the people who have answers.
Seth Higbee
Hastings/Ionia
seth, a lot of your answers are in that thread, or you should personally message those who have responded or given information in that thread, especially the seattle boys who are putting together a hand book for tournaments. i have some great "do not" advice garnered from my experience at the cmwc last year, feel free to message me as well.
Yeah, I read that thread and took some notes. One of the questions I came up with is how to get money and materials around to build some good boards. I'm hoping we can find an indoor space large enough for two courts, but I don't know what does or doesn't work for boards. We don't use them in Ionia. Obviously mini-boards are better from a cost standpoint, but not as great to play with. What is the minimum height that people wont bitch about?
Also, having food available on site sounds like a great way to keep things organized and moving, but do people really want to have to pay a little extra for entry fees to get food when there are really great places to eat all around the area? Would it be better to keep entry fees low, but have food available at a reasonable cost?
I really really like the idea of providing a map of the local area that has places to eat, things to do, lodging, ect. I wish every event did this.
Seth Higbee
Hastings/Ionia
"I really don’t want this to be a circle jerk of internet forum banter, so if you have good information for me, please use the email utility of this website to get in contact with me."
If we don't have email wisdom for Special Goodness, are we free to circle jerk in this thread?
I say you should write an exhaustive set of rules, and those rules should count own-goals as goals, along with front wheel deflections. Passes through the goal are not allowed and offenders must 360 twice. After a point the scoring team must tap out and then can not cross the half line until after the most rear offender has crossed the middle of the back unless a forward pass is intercepted.
how about you just round up all those Michigan polo players and come down to Columbia, Mo for YOUR Midwest regional Championships. That way you can see first hand how a good tournament should be run and you can also talk to about a dozen or so folks face-to-face who have organized several tournaments... we hear so much about MI polo on the web but never see you at tournaments. don;t you like us?
-hero squad * milwaukee, wi-
I really hope to be able to do that, but I'm not going to wait for November to start work on a Michigan tournament. The money and logistical support that has been offered may not be available if I wait that long. That's why it's important that I start communicating with the people who know about this stuff now.
Seth Higbee
Hastings/Ionia
^ And pickup some of us indiana boys on the way! Our cars are shite.
Yo special goodness what's your timeframe?
The guy who has the connections for indoor spaces is talking about mid-February. So I'll have plenty of time after the Midwest's to iron out details, but I'll need to have some of the bigger issues figured out as far as renting space and getting insurance before that.
Seth Higbee
Hastings/Ionia
Glad you're going to the Midwests, cause if you want to throw a big tournamnent, you had better go check some out. Also, people won't travel to your tourney if they don't know you, and you might end up with another Michigan-only thing.
Also, that "how to organize a tourney" doc is coming closer to being published, keep your eye out.
X2. Y'all have been playing long enough now to travel to tournaments. Your quality of play will hit a relative ceiling unless you do so. We could use some MI presence, especially at the Midwests.
Special Goodness is going to the Midwests? I might have to make my way out there just to play the Michigan state champ.
Champs. It is a team thing. And I really hope you do. It should be fun to find out if my game can back up my mouth (or fingers, since this is the internet).
Seth Higbee
Hastings/Ionia
Mark -Please do!
www.mkebikepolo.com
who have you been e mailing in ann arbor? this is the first i've heard of a potential tourney.
when's the next michigan tourney? i wanna come.
I want to know when the next MI tourney is too! I can guarantee at least two teams from Disco Polo will come to a tourney in or near Michigan.
i am moving back to michigan in a month. after playing polo and living in chicago and london. so let me know what you need help with. i orginizded the london BFF tourney and helped with the european championships, the paris BFF and others. braleyboles@gmail.com is where i can be found.
not to mention all the work you did with the nacccs in chicago last year. you rock braley!
EAST VAN: WE'VE BUILT IT AND THEY'RE COMING.
Use the rules from the East Van Crown.
haha yeah alright lets add that to the list as well...
what ever happened with this? it's been over a year since ann arbor hosted this tourney. ann arbor organized and created the cup last year. definitely on the cup holders to put something together. or maybe in another year they'll be talking about how they won and can't count on ann arbor for much of anything. it's not really that difficult. it took one guy to organize everything last year with the help of a few to promote. make it happen or pass on the responsibility.
I've been talking shit to some guy from Michigan on Twitter to come to MWBPC8 in Minneapolis. He says he's coming. Can't wait.
I've heard your shit and Ionia's shit and I'm putting together a team for MWBPC8. A2 will represent.
-piet
at least one team from ann arbor will be at the midwests. bagabot's the twitterhead organizing the trip.
yeah MI get with it! come out to meet your neighbors!
I've not heard anything from Ionia about a tourney. I'd vote for the Michigan tourney not to be held in a winter month. I guess promoting with MMBA could get some new players, but I think all the clubs that would play are here on the forum already. As for larger tournaments they already exist, like the Midwests and Nationals. I thought it was a Michigan cup.
I still haven't heard anything about a cup round, i think the cup should go up for grabs at the Velocity Symposium in August, unless Ionia has a better idea.
I know I'm kinda new here, but the tournament do's and don't's thread seems to have a lot of the info you seek.