WHBPC 2011

What is Bicycle Polo?


The pastime of the PPAAH (Polo Players Association who are Allergic to Horses)?
Is it a fallback for those who can't swim?
Or for Hockey players with Cryophobia?
Maybe even a sport for the unmotivated rebellious upper-middle-class country club loving Republican youth in denial hipsters?

I would say, NAY! It is one of the most intense and fascinating sports that the ESPN-brainwashed world has never heard of (second only to Ultimate).

The 2011 World Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships came to Seattle this past weekend. Champions from five continents descended upon Magnuson Park; a fitting venue for a sport of this magnitude. Pride and honor were at stake, so let us begin with the final day of action:

International rivals, The Guardians, representing the TWO ZERO SIX battled hard with The Crazy Canucks from East Vancouver. Tragically, The Guardians fell in OT and into the losers bracket.


Next came the elimination match for the 'Merica's second best, Milwaukee Bike Polo. These Middle Americans battled fiercely, but were no match for the international force that is Iron Ponies:



^sad Freds.

A match of the undefeated East Van and French squad, Call Me Daddy, was up next in the winners bracket.


A hard fought battle ensued. Riders were felled, blood was spilled and feelings were occasionally hurt. Canada prevailed. France was pissed:


While this international skirmish ensued, The Guardians had defeated Iron Ponies to earn a spot in the semis against Call Me Daddy. The winners would face East Van in the finals. The hometown favorites (in darks) rolled onto The Brooks Court with thunderous approval, and the battle in Seattle was fierce:






Alas, it was not America's day...



The Finals - East Van v. Call me Daddy.
Sacredieu! A French-Canadian final?! North America backed their friendly resident, while the French garnered the support of the rest of the field. Being the only undefeated team of the day, the Canadians had swagger:


With one loss, Call Me Daddy needed two wins to become World Champions






Regulation ended in a tie. A Canadian goal would win it all. A French goal would prolong their day...


...and Canada scored on their first shot of OT.


ANNNNND there you have it. Until next time, Rick Perry fans.

Praha - Arts II

Walking around Prague, there were numerous signs for "Daily Concerts." The surprising part, was the number of them for Mozart or Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Dvořák was no where in sight; which was a shame, because I would have loved to hear his Cello Concerto or New World Symphony.

With another half day, we came across a gallery with Hanoch Piven's illustrations:






Then came the Artbanka Museum of Young Art. Conveniently located next to the Charles Bridge, it seemed to be more a gallery for up and coming art students:

Praha - Food & Arts Section

Rick Steves says you should have Turkish Coffee with every meal.

^I agree.

One thing I missed while on the road was a nice large breakfast. We struck gold when we randomly walked into this cafe:


Coke and Love


Museum time!

^I believe this was called Mary's Bump, or something to that effect.

Praha - The Streets

It's been two days since I've returned. Jet lag has taken over with full force, and I've spent a lot of time going through photos. For now, here's a dump of shots from the street:

Meet the 2012 Ford Focus Diesel Wagon 6-spd. She could get you up to 100+mph in no time. The drive from Frankfurt to Prague took ~5 hours.


Prague's cloudless skies provided for some harsh lighting. It made for some difficult shots.


Prague was... a giant maze of streets and buildings.















^Light Leak. my fav.



Prague was also extremely touristy. The Old Town was just packed with tourists, and entrepreneurs seeking to exploit the market.






Some notable sites were the St. Vitus Cathedral at Pražský hrad:


*peeking inside:


The Old Town City Hall:


Charles Bridge:




Frank Gehry's Dancing House:



Prague's public transport system was impressive with trams:


and a (small) subway system:


and the obligatory shot of the Charles Bridge at night: