It’s getting chilly outside and daylight savings is all done and dusted… that can mean only one thing, Winter Whack is coming!! Christchurch Hardcourt Bike Polo Inc is proud of what Winter Whack has become in such a short time and we believe that WWIII will be even more amazing than previous events be it in sun, wind or snow.

Dates:
NZ Queens Birthday weekend 1 + 2 June 2012
- Friday 1st June – Friday Night Knife Fights – 8pm ‘till 10:30pm-ish
- Saturday 2nd June – Winter Whack III – 8:30am briefing (brrrrrr). ‘till 5pm-ish (brrrrrr) – There is no postponment date, we play regardless of the weather!
- Sunday 3rd June – Epic Pick Up – this is unofficial Winter Whack stuff and allows travellers to fly home on cheaper flights this day rather than the more expensive public holiday flights on Monday. That said we’d love to see you all for more polo!
The Format:
Winter Whack is a bike polo tournament for players and teams for all abilities, we’re here to have fun and play the sport we all love.
If you’re prone to over-competitiveness, dangerous play, temper outbursts, tantrums, pissing people off or bitching and moaning then this is definitely not the tournament for you to attend (in fact bike polo may not be for you eh?). If none of those things sound at all like you then book your tickets, boy do we have some polo for you!
There will be no refs and it’s up to you to keep yourself in check and the smile on your face. Tournament rules are on the tab at the top of this blog page – read them!
The main tournament on Saturday 2nd will run as pooled round robins to seed teams, the top half teams will proceed into the “Whackers” bracket and the bottom half teams into the “Hackers” bracket for their own single elimination “sudden death” play offs. This is designed to allow teams of similar ability and seriousness to equally enjoy the tournament over the whole day.
Teams:
This is a BYO teams tournament and will be capped at 18 teams, do your best to find teammates for yourself, we’ll try to ‘match make’ those who can’t come as a team so let us know if you need help.
Friday Night Knife Fights:
Somewhere between skill, luck and party is the 1 vs 1 knife fight polo event, we’ll be ordering pizza to be delivered to the courts (incl Vege, Vegan and GF) which is covered in your rego fee. You’ll need to bring your own beverages and party hat.
Court Facilities:
We’ll be running two courts of 17m x 32m at Heathcote Domain Courts
There are toilets and water available at courts
Hot food will be available at the courts (incl Vege, Vegan and GF) – Bring cash
‘Underground’ coffee car will be at courts – Bring cash
‘Basic Bikes’ mechanic – Free help and advice, parts for sale – Bring cash
Accommodation:
Full credit to Taupo for this idea – We’ve booked the local Scout Hall in nearby St Martins to accommodate our out-of-town visitors, it’s communal living for 30+ people for up to 3 nights, has mattresses, heaters, hot showers, toilets, a kitchen with all the essentials and we’re even providing breakfast food for those who stay there. You’ll need to bring a sleeping bag.
It’s only a 20 minute ride on a polo geared bike to the courts, we’ll organise a van to take your gear and bags to the courts on Saturday morning… you pedal your bike there, OK.
Prize Giving:
Will be held post tournament at Winnie Bagoes pizza restaurant and we’ve booked the whole back bar from 8pm (yes we’re aware that’s a lot of pizza in one weekend). We’ve worked a killer deal of $15 per person including your first drink (OK so you’ve probably already had a few by then so it won’t technically be your first). This is not covered in your rego fee and extra drinks are extra $$. Again this is about 20mins ride from the Scout Hall.
Registration:
Opens on Thursday 12th April at 9am NZST and closes on 4th May or when 18 teams have registered, which ever comes first.
To register your team and secure your spot please email chchardcourt@gmail.com all of the following info:
- Team Name
- Chosen team shirt colour (first in first served)
- Team members names and their email addresses
- Dietary requirements – Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free
- Who requires accommodation at Scout Hall (available nights of 1st, 2nd + 3rd June only).
- Registration fees must be paid by direct deposit for all NZ players by 11th May. Only overseas players may pay cash on the day.
How much coin?
Tournament entry plus accom at Scout Hall: $35 per person
Tournament entry only: $20 per person
(Pizza at the courts on Friday is included in these prices)
How much Fun?
Too Meke (Much)