Bike polo is like horse polo, but with a bike !

If you don't even know what it looks like, this video is for you :

3rd PPPC tournament, Salies-du-Salat, south of France, september 2014.

Bike polo was born in the streets of Seattle in 1998, and has been growing fast ever since. Its success builds on simple rules, cheap basic equipment, and a united community where all gender, ages and social backgrounds are represented.

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Training session, Toulouse 2010.

"3, 2,1, Polo !" : on every bike polo court of the world, you can here this signal, shouted to start the joust initiating a polo game.

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Joust of WHBPC 2014 final match, Call Me Daddy vs The Beavers

"Photographer and bike polo player, I've been taking pictures in this community since 2010. This book is not meant to be a documentary work whatsoever. I've just been shooting during trainings and tournaments, following my desires and implementing diverse processes."

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Olivier Minh (aka Liv) by Juanma Alaz, during World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship 2014.

FHBPC 2011 (French Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship 2011)

In Toulouse, I shot all the 32 teams using for that a plastic film camera.

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"Les Chevals" is surely the oldest unchanged team, with the same members since early 2011. Left to right : Tristan, Greg et Kostia.

FHBPC 2012

Incredible adventure for the players of Bordeaux, Toulouse and Montpellier which went from south of France to Avoriaz in the Alpes in a very old rented bus. Fog was there.

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Old Saviem bus from 1984.

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Vagaries of the weather.

La Maison du vélo 2013

En 2013 the association "La Maison du vélo" asked for an exhibition about Toulouse Bike Polo. I started then to make portraits of riding players, using for that a remote photographic equipement embedded on a bike trailer. I'll continue shooting like that for a while.

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Exhibition poster.

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Paul Vergnaud (Polo) from Call Me Daddy team, multiple bike polo champion.

FHBPC 2013

Montpellier hosted the french championship. Awesome backgrounds and beautiful light.

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Luca Semeraro, Guillaume Maldidier.

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AllG

Hell's Belles vol. 3 - Barcelona

Each year, this female tournament happen's in a different european city. In november 2013, Barcelona hosted it on a wonderful spot on the beach.

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Fuchsia Voremberg

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© Tony Bidel 2013

WHBPC 2014 (World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championship)

After a perfect management of FHBPC 2013, Montpellier Bike Polo successfully organized the World championship one year later.

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WHBPC 2014 players

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Tokyo Wallets team

Rules

Two teams of three players gather on a hardcourt playground of approx. 60 x 120 feet. Hitting a plastic ball with mallets, players have to score 5 times or less in games of 10 minutes. Touching the ground with feet is forbidden and implies a penalty.

Support the edition of "3-2-1, polo !!!", one of the first photo book about Harcourt Bike Polo !

Un Livre Photo sur le Bike Polo