CU Bike Polo Tournament

Origin

It started in a parking garage one night in 2007. Young, passionate, and fearless bicycle lovers started playing polo together. They made their own mallets from ski poles and PVC pipes. They played in various venues, from a roller hockey rink to vacant parking lots. They grew in numbers. In Spring of 2014, BikeFace and Neutral Cycle partnered to bring the game to the next level by creating a bike polo tournament.

Tournament

The tournament took place Sunday April 27th from 12-4pm on Broadway Avenue between Main Street & Elm Street in Downtown Urbana. There were 8 teams of players from Chicago, Decatur, and Champaign-Urbana.

The results were overwhelming. With over twenty volunteers, we not only successfully hosted a street event in the heart of Downtown Urbana, We also had more than twenty local businesses and organizations support and sponsor the event. Over 400 people showed up to watch the tournament through out the day, and a new cycling sport was born in CU.

Why We Are Doing It

CU Bike Polo is not just a sport; it’s a culture that brings people together, transforms urban spaces, builds community. It is Neutral’s commitment to celebrate bike polo in the Champaign-Urbana area and create a diverse bicycling culture.

Special Thanks

Chrome Industry
Flying Machine Coffee
Pizza M
Common Ground Food Co-Op
[Co][Lab]
Weiskamp Screen Printing
The Urbana Butcher Shop
Cathedral Consulting
David Michael Moore Illustrator

The Bike Project Of Urbana-Champaign
Champaign County Bikes
China Garden
Xinh Xinh Cafe
Pandamonium Donghnuts
University YMCA
City of Urbana
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Homer Soda Company