Tourney: European Hardcourt Bike Polo Championships, 27 - 30th June 2013, Krakow

Vikings are out I'm afraid.

Sloots you are up next. Sons of Jor El are next in line.

Remember the deadline is Monday, so please leave the next team enough time, if you can't make it.

I got an email from Krakow guys today saying if I found a team, we could almost definitely play in the wildcard as there are probably going to be slots left after the deadline...

Hey y'all i figured I'd give you the heads up as London is my second (well, third) polo home and some of you have already helped us a good deal.

You can fly to KRK, it's like 10 kilometers from the venue (good side of town), so it's actually cyclable. If not, the train takes you to the centre in like 20 minutes and costs about 2 pounds. Avoid buses, they're usually packed, no way you'll get on it with a bike.
If you guys arrive in a big group maybe we could have someone cycle to the airport and pick up the ones who aren't afraid big distances on polo bikes.

Also, if you travel to KTW, it's an hour drive from Krakow. I'm sure it's easy to get to the city from there, but you'd have to do your homework. Anyways, if it's cheaper to fly to KTW, might consider that.

Register at registration@ehbpc.org, and if you don't want to sort out accommodation, book our accommodation with Maciej (maciej@ehbpc.org). It's 8pounds/night.

Once you get there, all we've got prepared is within 10-15 minutes on a polo bike. Including the polocat.

Bike theft in Poland is probably 20% of London. No need for looping miles of wire through your wheels. Just make sure your bike can't be ridden away/carried away.

That's it. Can't wait to see y'all there and the rest of you at London Open! (any news btw?)

Hey Stan, thanks for all the info! London Open will hopefully take place 24th - 25th August. We will be announcing it very very soon but please do not book tickets until we have done so just in case.

EHBPC 2013 KRAKÓW Teaser - YouTube

So Alex and Felix can't make it so Sloots cant take up our slot. I'm still really up for going so if people need a sub or want to form a possible team for any spare wildcard slots I'm in.

Open to the Canterbury guys now

SONS OF JOR EL

THIS IS YOUR TIME

HELL YEAH

3 weeks to train up, everyone to Canterbury, STAT!

if Jor el can't make it, who goes?

I vote stabbath

Had the teams who can't go said so before the RR, the next three teams would have been Stabbath, Troika and Jofos.

I obviously don't know the circumstances and there may be perfectly justifiable reasons, but it's a bit disappointing that several teams 'would go' to the Euros on Saturday evening, but then a few days later 'are unavailable'.

Perhaps another thing to consider in the format for next time?

Why? As long as they opt out within the first few days (like they all have), is there really a major issue? Also, how would you enforce that? Would teams have to show their boarding passes in order to play in the tournament?

I'm talking to Sons of Jor El, otherwise Black Stabbath are next up.

Perhaps another thing to consider in the format for next time?

It was.

I asked all the teams to drop out, if they knew they couldn't go. They all said they could/hoped they could.

Now there are reasons they can't, or since then they've made other plans. Unfortunate, but that's the way it is.

I can't speak for the others, but for Vikings, we knew only 2/3 could go. But after being out on Saturday night, one of those 2 has made other plans. That's the way it goes.

3 weeks to train up, everyone to Canterbury, STAT!

This would be awesome!

I obviously don't know the circumstances and there may be perfectly justifiable reasons, but it's a bit disappointing that several teams 'would go' to the Euros on Saturday evening, but then a few days later 'are unavailable'.

(sticking my nose where it doesnt belong, but) Agreed.

I guess everyone wants to play more games, but it is a bit unfair on the people who finished 13th, 14th etc in the swiss rankings, if competing teams win a place and then back out 24 hours later.

Yup is abit bad but sometimes life does get in the way..

But then this year is abit weird due to the two tourneyms being so close. But I'm sure formatt changes could make this abit better for next year (if this was to happen nxt year)

I 100% wanted to go and so did Woody but something came up for him, that's life...

I should have just played better

ftfy

I should have thrown the Jofos game or incentivised them to throw it so as to avoid the Dead Rappers game.

ftfy, more plotting required, fewer worthless draws.

Yeah, I get that other stuff comes up and shit happens and it's all a bit of a rush.

My approach was always 'main tournament or nothing' but it wasn't really an option to declare this beforehand, and I wonder if this is what's causing the sudden drop-off in interest in taking up slots now. It's an extra day of holiday to use up, more money for accommodation and expenses and there's a good chance you won't get through to the main tournament. As much as I like getting drunk and watching polo, three days of it could get a bit trying.

Wild card tournaments are awesome to play in and spectate. The 'main tournament or nothing' thing has always been a bit of a mystery to me... unless you're planning on winning the Euros, then doing the wild card simply means you get to play more polo, no?

I realise no team that has won a wild card has gone on to do particularly well in the main event, but they are epic winners all the same.

The wild card event in Krakow is shaping up nicely (lots of courts, a proper affair, loads of spots on offer, etc)... in my opinion you would have a great time playing the wildcard and would end up wondering why you ever doubted going?

If another 15 turn down the offer party illuminati might get the call up :D haha.
Flights and bikes already payed for ;)

It certainly feels way better to qualify by right to me - enough to justify the commitment/expense to represent. Personally, I couldn't take a donated/patronising slot - neither this year or last - and this put greater pressure on my team last Saturday (as it should).

What will always be frustrating is teams that affect the credibility and the outcome of the qualification process by their insistence to play and play with the advantage of not being under the pressure of the process . The ego trip of proving 'you could if you wanted to' must be too great for some and is to the detriment of the polo community IMO.

Oh wow.

Neil, that is the biggest load of crap I have read on this forum for a while! From first sentence to last. Read it back to yourself when you have a quiet moment.

^ That.