STL BIKE POLO LOCK-IN

Before/After

2012-02-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

Before:

After:

Thanks to David Mitchell for taking these awesome photos for us!

Get In The Fucking Venga Bus

2012-01-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

Everything you bring makes the party better

Donuts and enchilada sauce

The 2012 pinata

Party moves!

Team building

Beer Run!!

Nice!

Big Tides in the Party Van!

Pinata time

Perfect

The only rule to whacking the pinata is don't just walk up and whack it

Image 9666

This is what it was like

Scrumming for party favors

The Golden Ticket

Russian stacking Bourbon

Grandpa showed up!

Jump ropin'

Blatent misuse of the make out couch

Couples skate

The joy of foot down

Doubles

We like to party

Detail

Goal Party!

This is what sleep deprivation looks like

Big Tides

Bob From Cleveland: Party Inovator

There til the bitter end

Sleepers Caught Sleeping...

2012-01-15T16:53:00.002-08:00

Consider this pt. 8...

2012-01-12T18:35:00.000-08:00

The party before the party.

On Friday night, some of you will be in Saint Louis looking for fun. It will be Friday the 13th, so something special is sure to happen.

The night will start with a stop at Handlebar, a bicycle-themed watering hole. Handlebar is donating some beer to our 24-hour party, so stop in, buy a drink, and show your gratitude for donated beer. If i had to guess, 9pm is probably a good time to show up.

Handlebar is located at:

4127 Manchester Avenue
Saint Louis, MO 63110

Once a good crew has assembled, we'll assess our situation and see what the night and the city of Saint Louis has to offer (Hopefully, another "ANYTHING GOES" party.).

Stay out all night, or get some sleep. Just remember that the Lock-In starts at Noon on Saturday.

The Skatium is located at:

120 Catalan Street
Saint Louis, MO 63111-3754.

Eat before you arrive. Feel free to bring in coolers full of extra food and beer...Especially, if you have special dietary needs.

The Lock-In is close. So very close.

Consider this pt. 7...

2012-01-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

We will be sending out the loan sharks on Saturday.

Some of you have not sent us your entrance fee for the 2012 Saint Louis Bike Polo Lock-In. Trying to get into the Lock-In without settling your debt will result in you receiving a baseball bat to the kneecaps.

If you still have outstanding debt, make sure you bring cold, hard cash on Saturday. Otherwise, your Lock-In experience will be spent outside in the parking lot with the crackheads trying to break into cars.

And on that note, last year, while we were having a blast inside of the Skatium, assholes were outside smashing windows and rummaging through cars. This seems to be a problem in the area surrounding the Skatium. Scumbags have been known to break into cars in search of guns. To avoid having your car damaged during your stay at the Skatium, we recommend you do the following:

-Take everything potentially of value out of your car.
Seriously. Take everything. One car that was vandalized last year simply had a cell phone charger stolen. Leave your valuables at the home of your STL host or take everything with you into the Skatium!

-Leave your car doors unlocked.
Ask the Cleveland guys what it was like driving down the highway in January with a trash bag poorly replacing a broken window. If you don't want your window(s) potentially smashed out, just leave the car doors unlocked. Roll your windows down too while you're at it.

-Park as close to the Skatium as possible.
Once everything is officially rolling inside the Skatium, we'll try to rearrange cars so that we can cram as many as possible into the Skatium's parking lot. The most vulnerable cars seem to be the ones furthest away from the Skatium.

-Leave a note!
Leave one on your window or the front seat informing any would-be thieving bastards that the doors are unlocked and there is nothing valuable in your car or in the trunk. Tell them your head unit won't work once it's pried out of your dash. Tell them that your car is a waste of time and effort.

It sucks that we have to deal with this junk, but these are simple solutions to a potential problem and a way to hopefully keep your windows from being smashed to bits. Ideally, these steps will prevent everyone's Lock-In buzz from being ruined by South Saint Louis City hood rats.

Consider this pt. 6...

2012-01-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

A quick look at the extended weather forecast seems to indicate that this weekend will feature favorable weather if you can tolerate brisk temperatures.

On Saturday, if the "next game" wait is too much for you to take, I am sure that you could enjoy some outdoor polo at a nearby roller hockey rink. Mt. Pleasant Park is only a couple of miles away from the Skatium, and if you have enough layers to enjoy outdoor winter polo, feel free to join the group inevitably making the trek.

If you are coming in Friday night and plan on partying, make sure you have warm clothes. There have been rumblings about visiting an outdoor party spot at some point on Friday. More details about Friday night will be posted in the coming days.

For those of you that have never had the privilege of partying at one of our Lock-Ins, know that the Skatium has many awesome qualities, but it's also chilly within its walls. You will be warm when playing polo, roller skating, playing dodgeball, smashing a pinata, and drinking whiskey. But when you are just hanging out with some of the greatest people Bike Polo has to offer, hoodies and jackets are encouraged.

Consider this pt. 5...

2012-01-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

This time next weekend, we will be immersed in the greatest annual bike polo party the world has ever seen.

Some of you will be drunk. Some of you will be hung over. All of you will be partying.

We will open the doors and begin the check in process at high noon. After making it into the Skatium, promptly stash your gear, throw your mallet in a "next game" pile, and have your picture taken. This year, we are having everyone take a photo when they enter the Skatium and a photo when they leave. Once our 24-hour polo party ends, we will get those photos online, and you will be able to see what you look like before and after 24 hours of partying.

Prepare to look fabulous.

Consider this pt. 4...

2012-01-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

While we encourage you to avoid sleep during the 2012 Saint Louis Bike Polo Lock-In, those of you getting into Saint Louis on Friday night will probably want a floor or couch on which to crash.

If you would like the pleasure of sleeping in a brick house in the lovely city of Saint Louis on the Friday night before the Lock-In, you are required to do a few things:

First, you need to send an email to LockInHousing@gmail.com politely asking the Lock-In staff to reserve a housing for you.

Second, you need let the Lock-In staff know how many people, including yourself, need housing.

Third, it would also be nice if you could bring a pillow and sleeping bag for your Friday night stay.

Do all of that, and we will make sure that everyone that needs housing will have it on Friday the 13th.

Consider this pt. 3...

2011-12-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

Last year, I was a jerk about bringing extra mallets into the Skatium. In theory, it was a great way to keep people from using multiple mallets as multiple place holders in multiple next game piles. In reality, it limited our ability to have special games/grudge matches because pulling your single mallet out of the rack of next game piles was an unsettling game of "find the needle in the pile of needles."

This year, we encourage everyone to bring an extra mallet or two because we intend on having entertaining grudge matches at random points throughout the 24-hour extravaganza (state vs. state...city vs. city...dream team vs. dream team...etc.).

This liberal attitude towards multiple mallets does not mean that we are going soft on anyone we catch with more than one mallet in the next game piles. Anyone caught stacking mallets will be booted out of the Skatium and left to fend for themselves on the mean streets of Saint Louis. Good luck.

PS. The RiverFrontTimes sucks.

Consider this pt. 2...

2011-12-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

While almost anything goes within the walls of the Saint Louis Skatium, a couple of the Missouri laws that seem to exist simply to limit fun still have to be followed...Or the Skatium staff has to give the appearance that laws are being followed.

What I am trying to get at is the fact that around 1AM, the Skatium has to pretend to stop serving alcoholic beverages for a couple hours. Now, before you start throwing a tantrum, please note that this has happened the past two years. Technically, no alcohol is supposed to be distributed after 1AM, but as most of you know, that didn't stop beer from quietly exchanging hands at the bar.

What I recommend you do if you want to continue ingesting beer throughout the night is consider bringing a case of beer or two with you to the Skatium. This will help your desire to drink for two reasons:

A). The "stop serving at 1AM" rule won't interrupt your fun if you have your own stash.
B). While PBR is donating beer and we are trying to secure more free beer from other beer makers, last year's crowd inhaled two kegs in a few measly hours. We may run out of free beer, and while we will be happy to make a beer run if necessary, I encourage you to prepare yourself for the event that we run low on beer at some point during our 24-hour party.

Now you know.

I hope all of you are getting excited. This Lock-In, like every Lock-In, is going to be a damn good time.

Consider this pt. 1...

2011-12-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

Throughout the past two polo parties that we have hosted, people have requested that we play a certain song or playlist for them at some point during the party. While we happily support anything that helps you party harder, juggling 20 iPods and iPhones is a hassle and a big responsibility. So to make everything easier for all of us, we are encouraging you all to do something special.

Participation is optional, but if you are so inclined, create an awesome playlist, burn it onto a CD, and bring it with you to the Lock-In.

Make sure you give your mixed CD a title that will grab our attention. Also include a description that will give us a hint as to what is on the CD or the appropriate time at which it should be played during our 24-hour party.

We will randomly pick CDs to play throughout the night when our DJs need a break.

Party Outfits...

2011-11-24T11:35:00.000-08:00

Emails were just sent to everyone that registered for the 2012 Saint Louis Bike Polo Lock-In about t-shirt sizes.

Basically, we're planning to order t-shirts for everyone, but before we do, we need to try to get everyone's t-shirt size.

If you can email us at STLBikePoloLockIn at gmail dot com, we'll make a list and place an order with a t-shirt printer soon.

Ideally, we need this info before the end of the month to ensure that we get the shirts on time.

So email us ASAP!

We need the following information:

NAME: ________
SHIRT SIZE: ____

Thanks!

Nitty Gritty

2011-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

This winter St. Louis Bike Polo will once again be hosting the greatest 24 hour bike polo party in the known universe. You are invited to join us at the St. Louis Skatium indoor rollerstaking rink for 24 hours of partying and polo, from twelve noon Saturday, January 14th until noon Sunday the 15th.

We've thrown this party twice before with memorable results. The people that seem to enjoy it the most are the ones that have no problem staying awake all night and can go with the flow. The Skatium only has one court, and with almost 80+ polo players, party goers should not expect to be on the court every other game. The wait time between games will be long since we do not allow mallet stacking or any other form of line jumping. In other words if you are trying play 40 games in 24 hours, you are going to be disappointed.

But if you are trying to party (and play some polo) you'll have a blast. We will provide some beer and food, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to bring a cooler full of whatever you want, especially if you have special dietary needs. We'll also provide a big ass pinata, some little motorbikes, shit tons of Mountain Dew and an hour of rollerskating. Thrash metal donut shop runs, spiritual awakenings, merit badges and broken bones are a possibility. For the most part we'll be playing it by ear.

So what do you say? Are you up for it? If so, do this:

On November 19th, starting at noon (cst), reserve your spot for the 2012 STL Bike Polo Lock-In by sending us $30.00 through PayPal.

Our PayPal email address is: STLBikePoloLockIn@gmail.com

When you do this, include the following:

1. Your Name and the name of anyone else for which you may be submitting funds.
2. The appropriate funds ($30.00 per person).
3. Your polo club.
4. Your contact info (phone number and email).

Failure to submit all four of those things will result in us getting a headache and you getting denied access to The Skatium.

There are 45 spots available. Spots are reserved in a first-come-first-serve melee. Spots are not reserved until money has been sent to our PayPal account. Once the spots are gone, they are gone.

You will get a confirmation email as fast as we can sort through the chaos. If you submit money but miss out on the limited number of spots, we will refund your money and add you to the waiting list.

It's Official...

2011-10-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

The dates are confirmed.

The Skatium has been booked.

24-hours will be spent partying.

Mark your calendars in ink.

Wheels are turning...

2011-09-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

2011...What a Year...

2011-01-25T18:50:00.001-08:00

The Lock-In was a week and a half ago, and I am still not sure what to think of it. After nine days, my brain is still a little on the fritz after attempting to polo and party for 24 hours.

I wanted to write a recap of what happened in and around the Skatium on that cold January weekend, but I am not exactly sure where to start.

I guess I need to start by saying that I love St. Louis Bike Polo. The sport of bike polo and the people that play in St. Louis have all become cherished parts of my life. The idea of playing anywhere else pales in comparison. A club that plays tough polo and leaves it all on the floor of the nearest party is rare and nothing to take lightly. Having fun is easy. And having fun with STL Bike Polo is even easier. St. Louis Bike Polo knows how to play good polo and have a great time.

Who better to host a 24-hour bike polo party??

A 24-hour polo party is brilliant idea, but it is also an insane endurance challenge. I walked into the Skatium this year with the cocky attitude that after surviving the 2010 Lock-In, 2011 would be a walk in the party park. I was a quickly handed a dose of reality as my energy reserves were drained soon after sunset on the 15th. Can after can of Mountain Dew could not keep me from stumbling around the Skatium like a bum drunk on sleep deprivation. My memories of the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In become a blur around the 2am mark. Some of my favorite memories up until the point of me sleepwalking around the party are listed below:

The Skatium. The Skatium is dirty, dingy, and drafty. But it is also a rare gem that needs to be cherished. It is a clubhouse that we get to use for one 24-hour span each year. You do realize that almost ANYTHING goes at The Skatium, right?! Hell, Ross and I were riding motorcycles around inside that place. If you ever find an indoor establishment that does not raise an eyebrow when you roll out your Honda XR50 and start riding it around inside, note its existence and visit as often as possible. Mouse, his son, and Robert, the Skatium's owner, run that place like an underpaid babysitter. As long as you do not die inside the Skatium, feel free to do whatever you like. The Skatium is one of the many gems in St. Louis' crown of jewels.

Have you ever crammed 45 pizzas in your car? I have. The smell of pizzas and minibikes still taints my car's interior. When it's below freezing outside and you have 45 steaming pizzas in the back of your car, it is a race back to the party before you windows completely fog on the inside. Nick and I made it back to the Skatium before the last little section of my windshield fogged over and completely obscured my view from behind the wheel. If you have the chance, go to Dominos, tell them that you need 45 pizzas in seven days, and have a pizza party with 70 of your closest polo pals.

Playing footdown with 65 friends. Normally, this silly game is played with a handful of bored friends on bikes. But when you combine 65 people, parking cones, and kicker ramps to your standard game of footdown, you have yourself a grand ole time...And a lone victor from Lafayette, Indiana.

Before the 2010 STL Bike Polo Lock-In, if you told me that adults got excited about pinatas, I probably would have doubted your suggestion. But after watching a bunch of 20 and 30somethings bust open a Party Van pinata and an Andrew W.K. pinata, I am happy to say that there are still fun-loving adults out there.

Beer. Lots of it. We invited 65 friends to party with us in St. Louis. Nick secured 2 kegs from O'Fallon brewery. Jake secured 10 cases of 16oz cans from PBR. Plus, I had a few cases of Busch that were left over from the Lock-In last year. All in all, we had a ton of free beer for your enjoyment. And it was all gone by 8am. Wow. Good job boys and girls. PS: Be sure to check out Colt45 BLAST when it hits shelves in the near future.

Rollerskating! Honestly, the hour of rollerskating was probably my favorite experience at the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In. Skating is a blast. Why do we not do it more often? Turn the lights off, cue the disco ball, and pump the disco. If we do the Lock-In again, I hope we are smart enough to have a rollerskating hour again.

Underwear games.

All-girl games.

DJ Cole.

The Soul Train at 5am.

Watching Jordan, while attempting to sleep, roll down the bleachers, slam into the floor, and eventually resume sleeping.

The Lock-In applications.

Gabe's closing of the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In. If you stayed until the very end, you witnessed Gabe shred his guitar in the middle of the rink. Guitar feedback and the Star Spangled Banner screamed throughout the Skatium around 10am. Decked-out in his custom American flag outfit, Gabe perfectly recreated Jimi Hendrix's famous rendition of our country's national anthem. It was an amazing way to close the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In, and I hope the tradition of starting and ending polo events with the Star Spangled Banner catches on around the country and world this year.

Watch Jimi Hendrix - Star Spangled Banner in Music | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

The 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In was an experience from which I am still attempting to recover.

Thank you to everyone that came and had fun. Sorry to anyone I was not able to personally say "goodbye" to. Please visit again soon.

-Ben

2011-01-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

If You Haven't Seen This Yet...

2011-01-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Watch it now!

STL Lock-In 2011 from brandon carter on Vimeo.

Thanks for the great camera work, Brandon!

24 Hours of Partying!!

2011-01-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest, I was not totally convinced that having a 2011 St. Louis Bike Polo Lock-In was a good idea. For me, the first lock in was a life changing experience. By the end I had completely lost my capacity to speak, and mostly lost my desire to sleep. It was fun overload.

Lucky's idea was brilliantly conceived and flawlessly, while seemingly effortlessly executed. St. Louis Bike Polo showed the rest of the polo-verse what we are about. Having fun, applying energy and being inclusive. The people who showed up fell right in and, I would like to think, everyone there had an amazing time. For me it was perfect.

So when it came time to think about planing a 2011 Lock-In, I was hesitant. They say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice. I was afraid that anything less than perfection in 2011 would somehow take away from 2010. Thankfully, the rest of the club didn't share my reservations.

Ben took the reigns and did what St. Louis bike polo does best, started a blog. Then he secured the venue, tiny liquor bottles, pinata, small motorcycles, Mountain Dew, playground balls and tens of thousands of ounces of beer that it takes to make a bike polo lock-in a success. The people came. They played polo. They partied. They danced. They bleed. They hit the kicker ramp. They smashed the Pinata. They earned merit badges. And they had a blast. Thanks to everyone involved.

Fuck lightning, We'll make our own.
-Lee

The National Anthem Closing The Lock-In...

2011-01-16T08:18:00.000-08:00

Cuddle Buddies

2011-01-16T04:34:00.000-08:00

Makin' T-Shirts...

2011-01-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

This morning, I got a text featuring this:

2011-01-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Coming soon to a Skatium near you.

O'Fallon Brewery donated two kegs for your enjoyment. Party Hard!

Things to consider...Updated 1/14/2011

2011-01-13T10:32:00.000-08:00

With the big day approaching, here are a few things to consider:

-Helmets are not required. You are an adult. We are not your parents. If you need a helmet, wear one. If you don't want to wear one, that's fine with us. We're not going to make you wear a helmet.

-Eat before you arrive at the Lock-In. The first meal we provide you won't show up until many hours after the start of the Lock-In. So enjoy a big breakfast/lunch/brunch before arriving at the Skatium. Also feel free to bring snacks and drinks. Leave them in your car or backpack them into the Skatium. Do what you need to do to survive the 24-hour party.

-You will be required to surrender extra mallets at the door. For 24-hours, you will only have access to one of your mallets. You can leave extras in your car or surrender them to us when you check in. Once you have surrendered your extra mallets, you will be required to put a name tag on your mallet shaft. The purpose of this it so we can call out your name if you're taking too long to get on the court for your game. Mallets without name tags will be tossed to the side and ignored. If your mallet breaks, you must come to an STL player, show him/her your broken mallet, and you will get a new name tag and one of your spare mallets back.

-We will throw you out if you are a dick. Anyone causing trouble...putting more than one mallet in the next-game-piles...destroying property...or being what we determine to be "a dick" will be thrown out of the Skatium. We are not bluffing. I will happily remove anyone that is ruining the Lock-In experience for anyone else.

-There will be punishments for things like own goals and spilling drinks. Punishments will probably be on a case by case basis. But if you witness an own goal or spilled drink, notify an STL member ASAP.

-Take lots of pictures. Reliving polo events through photography is something I truly enjoy. If you take pictures this weekend, be sure to upload and share them.

-Dress warm. Bring clothes for the winter weather outside. Also bring a few layers to the Skatium. It's a little drafty. A t-shirt and jeans will leave you wanting inside the Skatium.

-Be open minded and flexible. Having fun is easy. If you're too cool to have fun, you probably shouldn't show up on Saturday.

...I'll keep adding to this list as I think of new things. Check the comments too. I'm sure some STL players will chime in with things that I've forgotten.

The 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In is so close...I can almost taste that beer you spit in my face in the heat of partying.

Friday Night...

2011-01-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

If you are getting in to St. Louis on Friday and you need housing, remember to contact Nick at LOCKINHOUSING@gmail.com.

Also, if you are getting into St. Louis on Friday, and you are looking for something fun to do, we will be playing polo at our Maplewood rink from 6pm-10pm. The Maplewood rink can be found at 7601 Manchester Road - Saint Louis, MO 63143-2840 behind the police station. This probably isn't happening...Thanks to the recent snow storm, and despite our best efforts, all of our outdoor rinks are snowy, icy messes. Just go to Handlebar and enjoy cheap drinks.

After polo, we will be heading to HandleBar for cheap drinks until 3am in celebration of Jake's birthday. HandleBar can be found at 4127 Manchester Road - Saint Louis, MO 63110. Order yourself a dose of Wheeler's Tall Bike - A double decker shot special available until midnight.

After staying out too late and drinking too much on Friday night, we will all meet at The Skatuim on Saturday to experience a true, dead-of-winter Bike Polo Lock-In.

Check in for the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In starts at Noon on the 15th. The Skatium's address is 120 Catalan Street - Saint Louis, MO 63111.

Updates, Limits, and Housing

2011-01-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

As of right now, 30 people have paid for their spot at the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In. 30 people are all set to have the time of their lives on the third weekend of January. With those 30 spots spoken and paid for, 35 spots remain unclaimed.

I think we accepted around 90 applications, but we promised to keep the number of people in attendance at the Lock-In around 65. Obviously, everyone that sent in an application will not be able to attend our 24-hour party. If you have yet to pay or send us an email expressing your desire to pay at the door on January 15, you are on the outside looking in at the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In! Read that last sentence again...I'll wait. If you want to be on the inside, you need to pay your $25 entrance fee -OR- send us an email stating the following:

"I, (your name here), will be paying for my spot at the Lock-In on January 15, 2011."

Starting RIGHT NOW, the first 35 people to pay or email us promising to pay at the door will officially be part of the Lock-In. The number of available spots are going to be listed below. When the number reaches zero, the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In will be full, and no amount of begging or bribing will get you through the doors if you miss the cut. Okay? Good.

Number of Lock-In spots available: ZERO (updated 01/12/2011 at 5:08pm cst)

On another important note: If you need a place to sleep on Friday night (January 14th), you need to send an email to LOCKINHOUSING@gmail.com and politely tell Nick that you need a little floorspace. We do not have a ton of space for out-of-towners to crash, but if you ask nicely, I am sure the STL club can find a little section of floor where you can rest your weary eyes before stepping foot inside of our 24-hour circus.

So some of you have some work to do as fast as humanly possible: 1.) Pay or promise to pay at the door. 2.) Politely email Nick and ask for a place to sleep on Friday, January 14th if you need it.

Does all of that make sense? I hope so. If you have any questions, post a comment or email us. We will get back to you as fast as possible.

Thank You, Sir. May I Have Another?

2010-12-29T11:00:00.000-08:00

Since our last post, we have had a good number of people send us their entrance fee to the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In. Thank you for your prompt response. Paying early helps us purchase items we need to have and want to have at the Lock-In.

If you have not paid yet, get your money in as soon as you have the chance!

Again, you can send your $25 entrance fee to us via PayPal at: stlbikepololockin@gmail.com

If it is impossible for you to pay early via PayPal, we need a simple email from you stating that you plan on paying at the door. Hopefully, knowing who has paid and who still owes us money will make the process of getting people into the Skatium a little smoother and faster.

Get excited. It’s only a measly 17 days until we all party together for 24 hours at a run-down skating rink in South St. Louis. The STL Bike Polo club cannot wait to show you that traveling to STL instead of Boston is the right decision 110% of the time.

If you need housing on the Friday night before the Lock-In, information on that will be posted in the coming days. Stay tuned.

Goods and Services...

2010-12-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

On January 15th and 16th, we will explore the countless ways to have fun at an indoor skating rink in St. Louis, Missouri. Together, all of us will experience life-changing craziness that will be burned in our hearts and minds forever. If you leave The Skatium on January 16th and can say that you did not have a blast, you will have failed in an epic manner.

Of course, to get into our polo party, there still remains that pesky issue of paying the entrance fee. But before you start throwing money our direction, the STL Bike Polo Club wants to clearly state what your money is providing you:

1.) 24-hours of sheltered partying and polo. Your entrance fee helps us cover the building’s rental fee. Your entrance fee provides you with a (kind of) warm place to explore partying and polo for 24-nonstop-hours. There will be polo. There will be partying. There will be dancing (if you’re not too cool for school). There will be games. There will be a piñata. And Lexington promised an underwear game (we’ll see if they deliver on their promises).

2.) Beer. Lots of it. Your entrance fee provides you with access to as much beer as you can ingest in a span of 24-hours. We will try to do whatever it takes to make sure that you can have a beer from the first minute to the last minute of the STL Bike Polo Lock-In. You are also welcome to bring your stashes of moonshine/FourLoko/beer/liquor/homebrew/etc. for your enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. Just remember: The STL Bike Polo Lock-In is a marathon…not a sprint.

3.) Two meals. One of these may be vegetarian…The other will be along the lines of a pizza run. If you need more than that, feel free to backpack-in whatever sustenance you think you may need (side note: my college roommate backpacked a full, roasted chicken into the AMC theatre in downtown Chicago on opening night of “The Dark Knight.” Feel free to do something similar. Maybe we’ll hand out a prize for the best item carried into the Lock-In via backpack). You will also be welcome and encouraged to explore the city for grub. It’s called a “Lock-In”, but we are technically not allowed to lock you inside the Skatium for 24-hours…Something about fire codes.

4.) Chances to win/earn “fabulous” prizes throughout the 24-hour party. No, I am not talking about Velocity Chukkers. Booze is more likely. We will see what kind of fun stuff we can dig up around town.

Would you be willing to pay $25 for all of the fun promised above? Honestly, I have seen people spend more playing Photo Hunt at the local bar.

If you have read the list above and still want to attend the STL Bike Polo Lock-In, here is what you need to do:

- Send us $25.00 via Paypal. stlbikepololockin@gmail.com

- Make sure the message sent with your payment contains the following info:

a. The name of the person for which you are paying.

b. The name of that person’s club.

**PAYPAL NOTE** Before you try to pay us online, make sure that you applied and were accepted by the STL Bike Polo Club. If you try to pay for a spot and you haven’t sent us an application, you will not be allowed into the Lock-In, and we may keep your money. If you pay for your spot and we have your accepted application on file, you will get an email officially confirming your golden ticket to the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In.

If you do not want to pay via PayPal, we will collect money at the door. But we will only collect money from people that have applied and been accepted. DO NOT show up at the Skatium on January 15th and think that you can beg your way into the Lock-In. Only people that have applied and have been accepted will be allowed into the party. NO EXCEPTIONS.

For those of you that need more convincing, it has just been confirmed that PBR has agreed to be a part of the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In! This party is going to be amazing.

Countdown to Party...

2010-12-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

The 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In is just over a month away. I do not know about you, but those of us in STL cannot wait to spend 24-beer-soaked-hours with those of you planning to be in attendance.

Response for the Lock-In has been fantastic considering that we basically spread the word via whispers. If you got your application to us and received your acceptance email, congratulations! You are a simple step or two away from participating in a potentially lethal combination of partying and polo.

As of right now, we are no longer accepting applications. If you missed the boat and you still want to attend, you are probably out of luck…but feel free to send an email begging to be allowed admittance (some members of the STL Bike Polo club missed the same boat).

Payment instructions will be posted sometime next week. Once they are posted, please follow the directions closely. Failure to do so may result in your spot being sold to the highest bidder.

Great Expectations

2010-11-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

The 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In will set the bar impossibly high for the 2011 Bike Polo year. Days..Weeks..Months after the Lock-In concludes, you will still find yourself searching for a polo event that tops that cold January weekend in St. Louis, Missouri. Sadly, nothing will surpass the fun you have at the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In...until we do it again in 2012.

You may be wondering what to expect from the 2011 STL Bike Polo Lock-In, and we would be happy to give you a taste of what you will experience when you enter our 24-hour shitshow.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

- Expect a party where some polo will be played. We are hosting a party where polo will be possible most of the night. But be warned: If you are showing up expecting to play 30 games of polo, you are going to be disappointed. Be open and flexible and leave your serious polo attitude at home.

- If you attended the last Lock-In, expect to see fewer people. This year, we have kept the numbers down. Last year, we let over 100 people through the doors. This year, you won’t see more than 65 polo players. Say “bye bye” to next game piles running 14 games deep.

- Expect a random hour of roller-skating. Bring your skates if you have them. Shoot the duck if you can.

- Expect to be surrounded by fun people. Instead of a first-come-first-serve, open door policy, we have made this year’s Lock-In more select and intimate. This simple fact should make this Lock-In more pleasant for everyone involved. Just remember, the way you handle yourself at this Lock-In could influence whether or not you are invited to the next Lock-In.

- Expect to enjoy some quality, free beer. Our friends at O’Fallon Brewery have generously donated a large amount of beer to our party. But feel free to backpack in whatever beer/liquor/moonshine/snacks you would like to enjoy on your own throughout the night. Bring whatever you like, just try to avoid waving it around the rink staff like a moron.

- Expect to be put on notice. The number one rule of the STL Bike Polo Lock-In is “Have fun.” The second rule is “Don’t be a dick.” Everyone will be put on notice. It will be like a neighborhood watch. If you see someone being a dick, say something to that person or a member of STL Bike Polo. The main thing we are looking out for is mallet stacking (ie. Putting more than one mallet in the line of next game piles). No one is special. No one at the Lock-In is a unique snowflake. You are all equal. Anyone trying to get his or her unfair share of polo will be punished (your bike may be u-locked, your mallets may be stolen, or we may just throw you out onto the cold St. Louis streets ((good luck surviving the most dangerous city in the US))). We will be dicks about enforcing this rule.

WHAT WE EXPECT:

- We expect to have fun, and we expect you to have fun. Anyone ruining our fun will be excommunicated from the party.

Andrew W.K - we want fun

Plead Insanity | Myspace Video

- We expect to have a party, and we expect you to party. If we play a little polo too, great.

- We expect you to respect the building and the people around you. Failure to do so will have consequences.

Does all of that sound good? Good.

Some of our favorite answers thus far...

2010-11-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

1.) Your Name: The Girl

-Julia

3.) Why do you want to attend the Lock-In? Did it last year, met the love of my life and divorced her a month ago; looking for second go.

-Tucker

3.) Why do you want to attend the Lock-In? To Shred and make sure people properly empty beverage containers. No soldier left behind.

-Tim D.

3.) Why do you want to attend the Lock-In? I, Vince F., do wish to attend the Lock-In because I am considering going back to school for a graduate degree in Getting Fucked Up. After extensive research, I've determined that only in partnership with StL Bike Polo do I have a chance to perfect the art of "Beer Spraying" and "Coaster Shooting" which are two of the many areas of study available for me to specialize in.

-Vince (cowbell thief)

4) What do you expect from the Lock-In? From the lock-in, I expect no more than to be allowed entry. The party is all about who decides to step up and make it a good one, not about what expectations you have of someone else doing that for you. I'm just saying that I don't have to expect anything from you guys because we the partiers will bring the mother fuckin' party and I accept the responsibility of doing just that.

-Nick K.

4.) What do you expect from the Lock-In? More tiny bottles of booze in the piñata.

-Brian (Lex)

5.) Do you plan on sleeping at the Lock-In? No. 24+ hours wasn't enough last year. I'm hoping we pull off 48 hours with no sleep as a group, as brothers in polo, for the children.

-CoMo Chris in Chicago

5.) Do you plan on sleeping at the Lock-In? Really? Maybe with somebody, but that’s only if I get lucky. And not with Lucky...maybe with Lucky.

-Lefty Joe

5.) Do you plan on sleeping at the Lock-In? There is absolutely no chance that I will (voluntarily) sleep at the Lock-In. I may get knocked out sacrificing my body for a game-winning-goal or a massive boost off the kicker ramp in Kikkelo, but I will never willingly sleep at the Lock-In. What a waste. I fully intend to party for more than 24-hours straight on the weekend of January 15, 2011. Anything less will be considered failure in my mind.

-Ben

6.) If you attended last year's Lock-In, what would you do/change to make this year's Lock-In better? Less food, more booze, and a ban on cycling hats and Floridians.

-Tim A.

6.) If you attended last year's Lock-In, what would you do/change to make this year's Lock-In better? Don’t invite Florida and more ramps!

-Colleen

8.) Finish this sentence: Having fun is…what makes the world go round.

-CoMo Megs

10.) Are you ready to have a blast at the Lock-In? No, I am having at least 4 blasts, probably Baja ones from Taco Bell to caffeinate me.

-Pete

10.) Are you ready to have a blast at the Lock-In? YA!! FUCK BOSTON'S LOCK-IN!!

-Patrick (Lex)

Dear Sir / Madame:

My name is Andrew, a representitive of Chicago Bike Polo. I am writing you in response to your opening for 24-hour polo player. While this position is demanding and requires endurance and fortitude, I am more than ready to meet the challenges such a position requires. I can bring my full skill set in the areas of partying and playing polo, as well as my previous experience in the 24-hour polo playing field.

The things I can take away from my previous experience is that while beer and fine food nourishes, it also can encourage sleep if not distributed right. This year I can feast on fine food and stick to a strict regiment of King Dewies and/or Four Lokos in quantities large enough to fuel a party machine, yet complete enough as to not drive that party machine off into the mean-drunk abyss, nor drive that party machine off the self-injury cliff.

I expect this position to provide to me a fountain from which to drink beverages that will fuel the party machine, and in return I will help keep that party machine working. I will throw down for hot-n-readys, provide ice packs so that the joints of other partiers will allow them to continue to party, help prepare food, obtain spirits and beverages, and will do whatever it takes so that the party can continue all day through the night until the sun rises over the party yet again and shine its rays upon the many excellent partiers. This year I will also bring a helmet, maybe two. I will also change the oil on Little Tanfastic if it will mean that the party can be even more excellent.

Having fun is awesome, and having fun with everybody else also having
fun is mind-blowing. There is only one word that describes me completely, and that is Dumptruck. I am ready to have a blast at the Lock-In, it is what I was born for.

I am Dumptruck, I am ready to party.

Consider this...

2010-11-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

If I were you, I would probably be stocking up on this stuff NOW. When hour 19 of the Lock-In rolls around, you may need a caffeine boost, and FourLokos of the future that are missing three of the four Lokos just won't suffice.

This man wouldn't steer you wrong.

So you want to attend the Lock-In?

2010-08-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

Well you're not alone.

People will be banging down the doors and begging on their hands and knees for a chance to be a part of the Lock-In experience.

Unfortunately, not everyone will make the cut. There is a limit to the number of people that can have the time of their lives on that January weekend.

So how do we determine who gets a golden ticket?

You, the Lock-In applicant, will determine whether or not you make it through the Skatium's pearly gates.

There will be several (simple) steps necessary to completely cement your spot in the Lock-In.

First off, it must be stated that if you have been directed to this blog by a member of STL Bike Polo, we think you have great Lock-In potential. Just don't blow it!

Second, if you want to secure your spot in our 24-hour bike polo circus, you need to let us know.

You can do this buy emailing us at STLBikePoloLockIn at gmail dot com.

In that email, please include the following:

1.) Your Name.
2.) Your Polo Club.
3.) Why do you want to attend the Lock-In?
4.) What do you expect from the Lock-In?
5.) Do you plan on sleeping at the Lock-In?
6.) If you attended last year's Lock-In, what would you do/change to make this year's Lock-In better?
7.) What will you do at or bring to the Lock-In to make it a better experience for the people around you?
8.) Complete this sentence: Having fun is ___________.
9.) Describe yourself with one word.
10.) Are you ready to have a blast at the Lock-In?

If you can complete that simple task, you are well on your way to being a part of the greatest annual bike polo gathering ever.

Let's start this journey off on the right foot...

2010-08-06T15:13:00.000-07:00