PORTLAND- The sign on the fence at Arbor Lodge Park in North Portland reads: Court Reserved for Tennis Use Only: Bicycles, Skateboards and Other Uses Prohibited.

A light mist falls from the night sky onto the lit courts and inside the chain link fence, a mohawked man on a chipped and dented black Schwinn t-bones another rider against the tennis net. A third, moustachioed biker in flannel skids hard, and barely avoids the pileup. Mr. Flannes regains his balance and pedals hard in pursuit of a pink ball, his makeshift polo mallet raised high for the strike. Catching up to the ball, he swings, striking both court and ball simultaneously. The pink sphere comets through the night and soars between the plastic wheelcovers of the bike, blocking the gap between two orange cones. “Goal,” he cries, and skids to a stop in front of his teammates. Eight bikes speed around the court, and rowdy onlookers take swigs from their bottles of Pabst Blue Ribbon during the breaks while the crashed bikers untangle themselves and pick up their bikes. They are the Axles of Evil.

They are not a post-apocalyptic nihilist bike cult, just urban bicycle polo players. The Portland area bike polo club, the Axles of Evil, hasbeen playing the underground sport at Arbor Lodge Park for over a year, and they haven't gone unnoticed by the local residents and tennis players who enjoy their neighborhood park for its intended purposes. Lately, these residents have had to pick up the empty beer bottles and wonder what Portland Parks and Recreation plans to do about the new sport.

“I think bike polo looks cool,” said Patrick Lacey, a 31 year-old Arbor Lodge home owner and tennis player, “but they shouldn't be playing in tennis courts. I mean, the sign right there says 'bikes prohibited.' ”

The trend is growing in Oregon. In February, Portland hosted the Oregon Bike Polo Championships. Despite the popularity, the official policy of Parks and Recreation states that all tennis courts are explicitly reserved for tennis use only. But bike polo seems to be flying under the radar.

“We were not aware of bike polo games at Arbor Lodge Park,” said Susan Glenn, Parks and Recreation's regional director for North and Northeast Portland. “We were aware of the beer cans and cigarette butts being left on the courts, however.”

The litter, and the wear-and-tear on the courts, has Lacey, who brings his 16-month-old son and golden retriever to the park nearly every day, concerned.

“I play tennis here,” said Lacey. “I'm not positive bike polo is destroying the court, but it's definitely damaging it. There's broken glass and beer cans laying around. A neighbor talked to the players, but it's still a mess.”

In spite of the official policy, Parks and Recreation has no plans of banning bike polo, according to Elizabeth Sorensen, the department's public information officer. Sorensen says they “strongly discourage” any use of tennis courts other than tennis, but Parks and Recreation has not issued any citations to bike polo players using the tennis courts. Both Sorensen and Glenn acknowledge the possibility of damage, and the illicit consumption of alcoholic beverages without a permit, but they appear committed to finding an appropriate venue for bike polo.

“We're always happy to talk to participants and find a location for a new sport,” said Sorensen. “We're pretty good at listening, but tennis courts are not made for bike polo.”

According to Glenn, there have been discussions between Parks and Recreation and the Axles of Evil,such as the possibility of retrofitting a tennis court in Alberta Park. Another possibility is the conversion of some courts on a recently compiled list being recommended for decommission by Mike Stone, director of the Portland Tennis Center, a division of Parks and Recreation.

“One of our challenges is to keep track of recreation trends and balance new activities with existing ones,” said Sorensen. “We have a limited amount of space and a tightening budget.”

Although the Axles of Evil's de-facto spokesperson, Timothy Weeks, 31, denies that bike polo damages tennis courts and claims “it does more damage to our tires than the courts,” Stone doesn't believe the surface is designed for the abuse. He worries the courts will need resurfacing earlier than their typical five-year cycle. The cost of resurfacing is undeniable. According to Stone, a typical outdoor tennis court costs between $5,000 and $7,000 to resurface with the gritty acrylic paint. That money is getting harder to find, according to Sorensen, who pointed to last year's 5 percent cut in the discretionary fund that they use for such projects, in addition to a near-certain additional cut next year. The recent budget constraints make it harder for Parks and Recreation to accommodate new and growing sports while maintaining and patrolling existing public spaces, according to Sorensen.

“These parks are public property for public use,” Sorensen said. “We try to adapt to the taxpayers' needs.”

A close examination of the tennis courts at Arbor Lodge Park revealed scuffs on the acrylic playing surface, gouges and chips down into the asphalt, broken glass, and skid marks all over the courts. According to Lacey, there is a vibrant community of tennis players at Arbor Lodge with matches “nearly every day,” and Arbor Lodge Park is not one of the courts being listed for decommission by the Portland Tennis Club. Most of the damage to the park's two courts was accompanied by the telltale, white plastic streaks left by the homemade bike polo mallets.

Urban bike polo traces its roots back to British soldiers stationed in India in the late 19th century who practiced polo on grassy fields with bicycles to hone their equestrian polo skills when horses were unavailable, according to the New York-based Hardcourt Bike Polo website. Modern bike polo emerged in Seattle a decade ago and has quickly spread to cities around the world. The Pacific Northwest, including Portland, remains a hotbed, according to Weeks, the co-owner of A Better Cycle on S.E. Division and 23rd. Weeks estimated a population of 30to 50bike polo players in the city, but added that their numbers were growing and new players were always welcomed. Weeks laughed at the suggestion of his team's outlaw status.

“I don't think the bikes do damage,” Weeks said. “And people drink in parks. I don't think I need to get a permit to play polo and drink beer every Wednesday, but I'd still come play even if the regulations were enforced. Bike polo's fun, and the community is great. It's ours.”

Weeks is not so optimistic that Parks and Recreation will be able to deliver the team's dream of a dedicated, covered bike polo court with lights, and it seems the Axles of Evil will continue flying under the radar and in the face of some local residents and tennis players.

“Asking for our own court is like saying, 'Hey Santa, I want a pony for Christmas,' ” said Weeks. “Probably not going to happen. But bike polo's not going anywhere. ”

Comments

Hamid Karzai

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That was one quite of a story. It gives the reader the right thrills fro that one.

Friday 14 May 2010, 15:40

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