It’s polo, but played on BMX bikes

(Columbia, Lancaster County) — Getting – and staying – healthy is usually pretty cut and dry for people: eat well and work out.

That might mean a trip to the gym, going for a run or a swim, or maybe just a simple walk.

But it’s time to fire up that imagination and break out of the routine.

There’s polo: horses majestically galloping through a field, impeccably dressed spectators, regal competitors swinging a mallet to hit the ball forward, and of course, the fine cuisine.

And then there’s bike polo.

“Bike polo is a sport that most resembles hockey,” says Matthew Kabik, one of the organizers of Lancaster United Bike Polo.

He gets together with the team for three-on-three scrimmages every Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon at Fairview Park in Columbia, Lancaster County.

“You crash a lot. You crash a lot and you learn to curse under your breath,” he says.

“It just takes time. Some people are naturally better at it.”

Bike polo originated on the West Coast, but has since spread, and there’s a bunch of tournaments on the East Coast now too.

There’s nothing regal about this.

“So yeah, this is a hurling helmet, from the great Irish sport of hurling. A couple players started using these. They’re very lightweight,” says Kabik.

They’re also very brown – almost like an old-school football helmet.

Instead of mojitos and pink country club pants, bike polo features sweaty t-shirts, lacrosse gloves, water from a thermos, and bikes made specifically for the game that look like someone took a mallet to them instead of the ball.

“It’s pretty fantastic,” Kabik adds.

“It’s got a lot of durability, it’s got the build to take a lot of punishment, but it’s still pretty light. These wheel covers are kinda going out of style, but I’m a loyalist.”

The wheel covers protect your spokes from a ball, but also are used to stop the ball from rolling into the goal.

Lancaster United plays on a hard court just like one you would use for street hockey – wooden boards surround it, with two small nets at each end.

One downside: the injuries.

Kabik: “I’ve broken most of my fingers. I rebroke my collarbone a couple tournaments ago. I think I may have hurt my hip somehow, but I never really got any treatment for it, I just played it easy for a while.”

There’s another Matthew involved in bike polo – Matthew Krofcheck.

He’s one of the guys who brought the sport to Lancaster.

“They call me horse, yeah.”

Bike polo and roller derby have that in common.

You’ve got nicknames like Crusher, Lumberjack, Doc.

But back to Horse.

He used to ride BMX bikes five days a week.

Then, he heard about bike polo.

“Usually cycling is very solo. It’s cool to get the sports aspect with cycling. Learn a lot of team dynamics and that kinda thing. That and it’s fast and a little brutal and fun. I’m super competitive, so it’s a lot of fun,” says Krofcheck.

Krofcheck kinda hits on what this is about.

Yes, bike polo sounds ridiculous and absurd, something out of a sports maniac’s imagination.

But it should be said – these guys feel more refreshed than ever after a couple matches.

Says Krofcheck: “It’s healthy because it’s fun. I don’t think any of us come out here looking for fitness. It’s just something we have to do because it’s great and awesome.”

Here’s the point – when you think health, you probably don’t think hopping on a bike to go tear it up on a court.

But health is what you make it.

You’re out moving around, forgetting about the stresses of life, getting a good exercise in, and that’s what counts.

If that means playing polo on BMX bikes, so be it.