Geneva), The Guardians (Seattle); Doin’ it With Our Socks On (Northeast U.S.), That’s What She Said (Adeliade, Australia).

“We’re an underdog sport,” says Seattle player Kiersten George. “The sport is growing into becoming more professional; there’s more sponsors, there’s more companies involved. Whether it’s in Geneva or whether it’s in New York, it doesn’t really matter, because that’s still gonna happen. As more people and more companies get involved it’s going to become bigger and more professional.”

Courtside, players can be found “warming up” at the foosball table and playing three’s, a dice game that has become a part of nearly all polo events. “Knife fights,” a one-on-one style bike polo game, is the highlight of the welcoming party at Belltown Underground, where true to the spirit the first World Knife Fight Championships are held. Throughout the weekend, moments between games are filled with scoping out the array of polo bike setups and mallet configurations from across the globe.

“I’m always impressed and amazed by how bikes evolve,” says Rowdy. “It’s funny how bikes continue to be modified and changed for bike polo—different ways of doing wheel covers, different wheels being built, different braking systems.”

After two days of seeding, the double elimination finals kick off with an upset when the 32nd seeded team, Portland’s Wizard Tactix, defeats Milwaukee’s Beaver Boys, sending 2010 world champs into the loser’s bracket in the first game of the day. “Now I get to play two more games,” laughs Ben Miller, aka Ringer, of Wizard Tactix.

Before noon, the 2011 EHBPC Champions, L’Equipe of Geneva go on to receive an early loss as well. The two title-holding teams finish the day tied for 5th. Meanwhile Vancouver’s Crazy Canucks, a team that has competed in all three World Championships, move steadily through the day undefeated. In the final game they face off against France’s Call Me Daddy. The court is lined four and five people deep on every side, banging on the boards and rattling the fences. It’s impossible not to be infused with adrenaline, watching the two teams of highly skilled players battle it out for five goals, an amalgamation of bike control and ball handling and strategy and teamwork.

“There’s something in polo players attitudes; it’s very addicting,” says Kiersten George, adding, “Not only the attitude of the players and how much we’re enjoying it and how into we are, but also that pretty much everyone knows how to ride and bike, and they know that they tried to ride in little circles when they were a kid and they fell off their bike. And then to watch these people and what they can do on their bike. This is clearly not just something we do once or twice a month; this is something that is so passionate for us.”

As the last rays of sun fall below the trees, the Crazy Canucks earn their hard-fought victory off the joust in overtime.

“It feels surreal because we finished second a couple times,” Rory Crawley says of his team’s win. “I think we expected maybe we could win, but I don’t think that many other people thought we’d win so it feels amazing.”

After a raucous awards ceremony, adrenaline levels begin to subside and weary polo players and fans migrate to a local pub for dinner and drinks. In the coming days scores of visiting players explore Seattle by day and gather at the Cal Anderson courts for pickup at night. Even after five days on nonstop polo, there’s no letting up.

“It’s all about playing longer,” Messmann says. “Every game to 11!”