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Since we're not playing polo tonight, I'm issuing a challenge to all of you. Yes, even you.
Tonight, I want you to do at least two things on this list. Don't be timid or embarrassed. You'll be a better polo player AND a better human being because of it.
- BUILD SOMETHING
- DESTROY SOMETHING
- BEND SOME METAL WITH YOUR BARE HANDS
- PUNCH A HARD OBJECT
- KICK SOMETHING "CUTE"
- BREAK A SWEAT
- BREAK SOMETHING FRAGILE
- SCARE YOURSELF
- SCARE SOMEONE ELSE
- STOMP SOMETHING 'TIL IT'S DUST
- DO SOMETHING YOU'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE
- EAT A LITTLE DIRT
- WALK BAREFOOT IN THE SNOW
- GET ON YOUR BIKE AND *SPRINT*
- VOW TO BE THE BEST POLO PLAYER YOU CAN BE
Share your experiences in the comments section. Everyone must participate! GO!
69 comments:
Ben,
Email me that as an EPS ASAP
That is a fucking crest.
Trent, check your inbox.
So far tonight...
...I have:
-Broke a sweat climbing hills.
-Built three mallets for my quiver.
-Bent a broken ski pole and a 7-iron with my hands.
-Sprinted on my bike on the way to hill climbing.
-Walked and stood in the snow with bare feet.
-Punched a metal cabinet in the garage...Left and right hand.
-Vowed to be the best polo player I can be.
Christ jeez
All I did today was have the flu and unlace a wheel.
I feel so intimidated by you all/underwhelmed at myself.
Not to mention that new logo puts the "aggro" back in "maggroni and cheese".
--drewcomo
geez...you guys so angry. please don't cuddle me.
IT'S WORKING!
ALL WILL BE CUDDLED!!
This isn't fight club, you goons.
While it's true that anything you do is an opportunity to find out/push what you can do with your mind/body/life, it is not appropriate to attach all this macho, messianic, B.S. to bike polo.
In no way will any of us "destroy" anyone that we play this game with. Even if we win by large margins, no one will be "exploited", "defeated", or "destroyed". They will be our friends, our comrades, sometimes opponents and sometimes teammates. But always fellow human beings.
If you are using bike polo to test yourself, fine. If you are using it to improve yourself, great. Concentrate on teamwork and skills. Not paramilitary drilling and telling me how to think about a sport I participate in and/or how to live my life to it's fullest. I get to define those goals. Not you or Andrew W.K., me. And I'll point out in parting, that none of you know how I feel about this because it's my fucking life and I've kept it off the blogs and out of your faces. Do me the same courtesy, please.
-Granpa Polo
Lucky,
Please don't tell me whats appropriate where. That is a matter of opinion.
King Shin Beef is training to be the best team in bike polo. We are going to win the tournament in Madison like gentlemen. With respect for our opponents and for the etiquette of the game.
In order to do so, we must confront our weaknesses. We are doing that now. The Kill and Destroy shit is a joke, kind of.
None of the Andrew WK stuff is a joke.
You already knew that.
Let us have our fun. You can keep the trophy on your mantle.
We are exploring mastering something. And we are doing it all the way.
If you are exploring moderation do it all the way.
-Lee
Lucky,
You realize you are the coach, right?
Please help us be the best. All of our club might learn something important.
Like how easy it is to succeed.
-Lee
I'm convinced. Inspired realy.
Weather we like it or not we are part of an incredible "new" sport. Like any sport there are differing levels of ability and skill. You determine your skill level and ability. Playing with and/or against players of greater skill and ability can only improve your own.
Several of us are determined to win the world.
Everyone that is involved in this club is participating in an evolution. One that benefits all of us.
Three of us however are going to go down in history
-Jake-
I have never been so motivated to succeed at something before in my life...and still enjoyed participating in that thing.
On Sunday, I got home and declared to anyone that would listen that "Bike polo is the most satisfying hobby/activity I've ever been a part of." It's more satisfying than years of soccer, street hockey, mountain biking, and anything else that occupied my time growing up. For that, I am extremely grateful...Especially, to Lucky, Trent, and Anchovy who took me under their wings my first day of polo on a scorching hot afternoon in late June of last year.
Now I'm out riding my bike up steep hills at night, throwing myself off ramps at Ramp Riders, pushing myself at polo, embracing fear, and making propaganda in Photoshop...Not because I want to kill people or make the polo community hate STL...I just want to push myself and be pushed by others to be the best player I can be so that KSB can be the best team we can be. And the best that KSB can be is definitely championship level, we believe.
We will win with honor and lose with grace. We will be a shining representation of STL Bike Polo. Our training methods may be odd or intimidating or downright stupid. But they are OUR methods, and honestly, I know they're working (for me, at least).
I don't expect everyone to go break stuff, walk barefoot in the snow, and eat dirt. But I did. And it pumped me up. And I encourage others to find ways to pump themselves up for polo.
KSB is an animal that is going to be unleashed on the polo world. Don't keep that animal caged.
Step out of your comfort zone. Push yourself to be great. The end results will be totally worth it.
In the end, it's all fun. If it weren't, we wouldn't be doing it.
-Ben WK
This is my blog.
This is your blog.
This is OUR blog.
It will evolve.
It is evolving.
It has evolved before.
It will evolve again.
New FRIENDS will take polo in new directions.
It is journey we are all on.
We are exploring.
I wouldn't want to take this journey with any other group.
who wants to play polo tonight? i know anchovy is out, who else wants to play.
Where? What rinks aren't covered in ice and snow?
I am probably in for at least a little while.
I heard that the downstairs space at Ramp Riders is open. Jake, do you know anything about this? We could practice there. 50/hour rents you the Skatium, they don't seem to mind bike polo, and they've got heat and lights.
i rode by lindenwood yesterday. there was a patch of ice in the south side of the boards, about where the ice at Mt pleasant was. it was still really wet and im sure still is now. i would be down to play\practice at the skatium or RR. skatium would be awesome. if we wanted to clear off some water, lindenwood would be our best bet. btw. i have class until six.
Registration for the Bench Minor in NYC ends tomorrow at 3pm local time. If anyone wants to throw themselves into it (Lee has), write up a little blurb about your style and post it to LOBP.
winter polo at the skatium is an awesome idea. no way do the roller girls pay 50 bucks an hour for practice. I doubt the hockey league pays that amount either. weekend party rates have gotta be higher. also, negotiation is key in this type of relationship. if nobody is using the place on wednesday nights they'd be better to get someone in there.
maybe we can barter for rink time. think the skatium is in need of any vinyl graphics or metal bending services?
PARTY TIP: Life really is a big celebration. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or just doesn't realize how life works.
i am in for some polo
April 10th & 11th there's gonna be a little tournament in Little Rock, Arkansas. This will probably be a good tournament for newer players looking to experience their first tournament.
Just throwing that out there.
I'm going to lil'rock mainly to visit friends.
As for rampriders. I am told that the space I was refering to has been filled. I need to take a look and see if we can sneak into an unoccupied warehouse in that huge complex. Probably be a week or two before I can do that.
My ankle is getting stronger. My bike is getting stronger.
Our club is the strongest. Thank all of you whom made it all that it is. We would have nothing if we had not our forefathers. G-pa polo. Ouchovi. T-rentasaurus. Laser blazer. Thank u all.
-king-
for what it's worth, as an outsider i get TOTALLY PSYCHED UP when i read the stl kikkelo blog. i recognize the jokes as such, appreciate the wisdom, and leave wanting to play polo even more.
Chris. Gets. It.
I am totally bummed I'll be missing your bday party in Chicago. But I am stoked as ever for the pull out tourney.
T-RENT
Trent, I sent you some sweet artwork for wheel covers, did you get it?
Chris, I believe I'm attending your birthday pickup party. I'll bring you some metal to bend.
eugene,
I did not get your email.
trentsturms (at) gmail (dot) com
double check the spelling on my last name its easy to mess up.
March will be full of rad polo, can't wait to see you guys. the pull-out will be the shit!
@ Ben - excellent, cause i've already bent all the metal in my house. except for my mallet shafts and the main tubes on my polo bike. the spoons i bent with my mind, but i say count it cause that's just a technicality.
Just so everyone knows, NOBODY is an outsider. We are everywhere and anyone who wants to be a part of this journey is one of us.
Don't bother inviting us to your polo game, we're already there.
Be Me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MHtx1nwFow
sounds like we need to play at the skatium on wednsdays. we should maybe talk more about that on sunday, possibly arrange some sort of money pot? so, is trent making stickers of that awesome new metal\polo\destroy crest?
it looks like it might snow again on sunday. sorry mom. maybe no outdoors polo. i am going to do some parking lot research in clayton tonight, see if i get any hits.
i know there are like a million of them down there right off hanley. the only problem is i dont really have the best relationship with Clayton PD. and they really dont have anything better to do on a sunday than roll around and look for suspicous parking lot activity.
Ben, give me your e-mail or just send me an e-mail. crpc6f@umsl.edu
benjamin (underscore) j (underscore) simon (at) yahoo
I would be down for forking out some dough if we could get a deal for some skatium rink time. Just throwing that out there.
I'm also down for scaring myself at the skatepark tonight or sometime this weekend.
lets not abandon outdoor polo this sunday just because of snow in the forecast. Saturday is supposed to be fairly clear. couldn't a little snow on sunday be considered "training"? -Patrick
NO, BE ME!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/andrewwk?blend=1&ob=4#p/a/u/0/jzlmaWukpdk
looks like 40degress and sunny on wed the 17th. set your sights for some hard training, metal bendin, record breakin polo next week. of course if does not snow too much on sunday we will return to the outdoors for polo or if it does snow we will do a group run up and down jameson from lindenwood to wilmoore. now get out there and cuddle somebody!
Indian Sprint Speed Circles!
Big. Rad. Circles.
I want to do speed circles with someone next to me the entire time so that the cornering aspect is more frightening.
I will be forced to trust my partner not to crash and collect me in the carnage, and my partner will be forced to trust that I don't crash and collect him.
Training!
ben. im reminded of the time, when i was tripoding, in goal, about to fall over and you rode over and pushed me up. STL bike polo will be the best. because we are the best. trust the fear dudes. embrace the fear. big rad circles.
How about Jake on one side, me on the other?
-Lee
Perfect. We're doing it as soon as Jake makes his triumphant return to Polo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0i7qjJKU4o
LET'S GO BLUES!
speaking of Rocky, who's down for raw egg gulping?
Goin' to Amsterdam Tap on Morganford to watch FA Cup soccer. If someone can give me and my shovels a ride, we can go clear off/salt a rink for this afternoon. Text me, or come by the bar before noon. 2 dollar beermosas.
Oh, and let's play this afternoon, cos it's supposed to snow tomorrow.
i get off work at 4. would be awesome for polo\training today. i will call ben or anchovy to see if we are still playing.
i am in for polo today
All right, kids. been thinking about this for a while. Let's see what comes of it.
http://www.stlhockey.net/forums/view_topic.php?topic_id=1099
does this have something to do with reserving rink times\hockey and soccer players taking us seriously? WAY TO GO COACH.
are we going to play polo today
What rink?
Mt. Pleasant? *fingers crossed*
I'll help shovel/scrape/salt.
Clear rink at 1? Polo at 2?
i will be there at 1 one to help clean it off. Where is mt. pleasent
Ben, come pick me up at home. I've got shovels, picks, and salt, but no car this weekend.
Colin:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=XVh&resnum=0&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=mt+pleasant+park+st.+louis&fb=1&gl=us&ftid=0x87d8b41938f4eec5:0x3c1ebdd5f26b278d&ei=suh2S6ndFMzPngfmksy_CQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA
who from STL is going to bike polo spring break? what about the SESPI tourney at the end of the week?!
Lucky,
I'll be at your place around 12:40ish.
See you then.
Maureen,
I think Nick and Anchovy are the only STL peeps interested in going/able to go to Polo Spring Break.
POLO.
Mt. Pleasant.
2 pm.
Be there or die.
Julia wanted to go to Spring Break, too. She may still. I wanted to go but can't. There will be plenty of polo traveling for me in March and April.
Did you guys play today? i checked across the street at Willmore and it was all wet with minor snow. I figured Mt Pleasy was going to be wet also.
I wonder what our hockey coach is going to be like. Those guys on that forum have to be like "Is this for real? Do you think its those soccer guys playing a trick on us?"
It was just Lucky, Colin, and me.
There was a good amount of snow that we had to remove, but the sun was drying the rink well.
We just goofed off for an hour after clearing the rink.
You didn't miss much.
@ Chovy: Ha! I wonder, too. It doesn't look like that forum has a whole lotta traffic, but it is local, which is important here.
I was thinking of (asking Ben to) making a flyer with about the same message on it and putting it up a the rinks, hockey stores, and lacrosse store. I'd be really interested to hear what a team sports-minded person has to say about bike polo. There are definitely times on the court where I'm sure I would be doing more for my team if I were somewhere else, but damned if I can figure out where else to be.
I'll make something this week.
There are only a few times in those hard games when im like that, when i dont know what i coulda done better. 9/10 times i think these things after the game.
1. TALK. We need to talk loud and direct. Much more.
2. PASS. Also being there for the pass. This is super important. You can be in front of the goal screaming "TIDES" all you want but if i got 2 guys between me and you & cant get it to you, then it does no good.
3. Dont chase the pass/ball (when the other team is advancing with ball and they pass). This is just covering a person and sticking to that person instead of chasing the pass.
Anchovy
If you guys wanna talk plays and strategy let's do it. I am more than willing to discuss this with y'all. I played soccer basketball and football for quite a few years. I've got a decent sense of strategy and placement / moving. I wasn't sure anyone was interested in this discussion. If you wanna be the best this stuff has to be discussed. Let's talk tomorrow even if we can't find a clear court.
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