Madison History

History of Mad Bike Polo

Bike Polo has grown a ton in the last 10 years. Part of the success in the US has been based on the support of community members who called Madison home at one time or another.

Madison's has a rich history and was influential in the spread of Bike Polo in North America. "We invented bike polo, then retired" - Jonny Hunter. The dreams still live on, and Madison Bike Polo is still playing strong.

Since its first appearance at the 1908 London Olympics, the meeting of mallets and bicycles have excited enthusiasts of the sport known as bike polo. Almost a hundred years later a resurgence of bike polo led to Madison becoming a major bike polo hub in the world. In 1999 Bike messengers from Seattle started to reinvent the sport. This spread throughout North America and here in Madison. In 2006, neighbors of the park decided to started playing and inventing rules for the game on the grassy field at Reynolds Park. Bike polo eventually transitioned onto a hardcourt surface and found a new home above the Madison Water Pump Station located on park property. 2008 saw the first North America Bike Polo Championships held in Chicago with 35 teams. This led to the formation of North America Hardcourt (NAH) the governing body of Bike Polo in North America. Now there are over 200 clubs in NAH. In 2010 with the support of Trek Bicycle, Madison was the host of the NA Bike Polo Championships. With the support of Alder Ledell Zeders, Park Supervisor Eric Knepp and Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association, an Official Bike Polo Court was designated and built by the Madison Parks Department. The tradition of bike polo continues to grow at Reynolds Park with people from all backgrounds and skill levels. By investing in athletic competition such as bike polo, tennis and other sports, they continually strive to create a safe and welcoming community space for the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood.