• This is a mailshot to everyone who was in touch with me via LHBPA email so far:

    Evening everyone,

    Thanks for showing an interest in the Wild West tournament on Saturday at the Westway Sports Centre. This is being organised in conjunction with the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, as part of their excellent Bikeminded initiative (http://www.bikeminded.org/).

    It's looking like its going to be a really exciting and fun day! Weather forecast is good, the new ice hockey goals have stood up to their test run batterings, and we've got loaner bikes and mallets available for those of you need them. At the moment we're probably looking at about sixteen teams competing, including people travelling from Sheffield, Manchester, Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge and Canterbury.

    We've got a great selection of prizes, including Magic Bike Polo mallet heads, Paul Duplex Levers, Rigida 48h Sputnik Rims, Foot straps and top tube protectors, Chunk La Schmoove t-shirts, bar tape, and a few other bits and pieces for individual awards, as well as the engraved trophy, made by the crew at Bikeworks.

    We're aiming to be kicking the tournament off at 10am. Please be at Westway at approximately 9am so we can get the teams registered, and organise the schedule for the day (if you're there early, you can get some practice games in!). You can register your team once all three players are on site. We're hoping to play the final around 6pm. I'd recommend bringing some food and drink with you. Westway does have some snack machines but nothing substantial; but there are shops reasonably close by.

    The exact format will be decided on the day based on how many teams we have, but most likely we will be playing four or five Swiss Rounds, and then semi finals, 3rd place playoff, and then the final. Check Wikipedia for an explanation of Swiss Rounds if you havent heard of them before. We hope to give everyone at least four games of play.

    If you dont have a team but you would like to play, please come to me to give me your name, and you will be teamed up before the beginning of the tournament. We'll endeavour to get everyone who wants to play teamed up.

    A few quick pointers. Helmets are MANDATORY - nobody will be allowed to play without a helmet. We will have some helmets for loan available on the day, but if you have your own, bring it. You should also READ THE RULES ALL THE WAY THROUGH. http://www.lhbpa.org/resources/LO2012_Rules.pdf
    This is a long document, so please take ten or fifteen spare minutes to read through it properly when you can.

    Regulations regarding bike safety will be enforced at the organisers discretion - but please note any bike with bullhorns or drop (racing) bars will not be allowed on court. Any exposed chainrings must be covered by a bashring, or else taped up with several layers of thick tape. Any dangerous play on court will be penalised immediately. It's a competition, but we're here to have fun, and not to injure each other.

    Directions to Westway Sports Centre are here:
    http://www.westwaysportscentre.org.uk/directions/
    Latimer Road is the closest tube station, its on the Hammersmith & City / Circle Lines, which you can bring your bike on.

    OK I think that's it for the moment... If you have any questions, please get back to me as soon as possible. Otherwise, see you bright and early on Saturday morning at Westway! I look forward to meeting you all there.

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