Nov 6, 2008

GRUNGELEGANT

SEATTLE, Washington: Bikes circle like sharks – lean, lithe and predatory. "Keep moving, just keep moving," Matt Messenger urges. Then he weasels his mallet between my wheels and snags the ball. Rookie meat, I jam the brake – yes, just one – smash the cycle into a horizontal skid and bounce out of the wreckage.

"Nice fall!"

The sport is bike polo, the "urban/hardcourt" strain, as opposed to the more sedate variety on grass. All players need is a ball, a mallet – monstered together from a ski pole and PVC pipe, usually – and a junker bike, often stripped of entangling elements like that pesky second brake and handlebar.

Read the full story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Inexplicably, three paragraphs from the sidebar migrated to the conclusion. But I got to trot out "bogarted" and introduce the word "grungelegant," so, hey, net gain!

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:44 AM

    No way, Castleman, are you blogging real-time now?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Apparently. For now, at least...

    ReplyDelete
  3. You are slowly moving into the realm of real-time reporting. You wait, before you know it you will be there at the next shooting, with your note-pad....for the Intellinger...never mind

    ReplyDelete
  4. (Shudder)

    That was me at 18, 25 even... Upward and onward now!

    ReplyDelete
  5. After experiencing London traffic on a bicycle I think I'll be carrying one of those lovely hammers for my commute.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.