Surf Anywhere
  • Home
  • Projects
    • Back
    • Cochrane River Wave Park (CA)
    • Mountain Wave 2019 (CA)
    • Bend Surf Wave (US)
    • Mountain Wave 2014 (CA)
    • Castle Wave (CZ)
    • Calgary River Wave Park (CA)
    • Evje River Waves and Mountain Beach (NO)
    • Muonio River Wave (FI)
    • Surf Cambridge (CA)
    • Accident / Incident Database
    • Unsurfed: Afghanistan
    • 100 River Waves
    • Slam Festival 2018
    • Surf Polo
    • North American Championships
    • Surf Instruction and Safety
    • River Surf Summit 2017
    • Waveraiser
    • European Wave Project Tour
    • 10 St. Surf Improvements
    • Safety Signage
    • Surf Anywhere Documentary
    • Wave Deck
    • Skook Summit 2015
    • Kananaskis Safety Signage
    • River Surfing Association Development
    • 10 St. Wave Signage
    • Daily Planet
    • Riverbreak Contributions
    • PRGs 2014
    • Surf Park Summit
    • River Wave Forum
    • Slam the Kan
  • Wave research
    • Back
    • Wave research
    • Articles
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Stoke
    • Back
    • Stoke
    • Community
    • Supporters
  • Contact
  • Tel: 1.855.272.SURF

  • E-mail: info@surfanywhere.ca

Surf Anywhere Surf Anywhere Surf Anywhere
  • Home
  • Projects
    • Cochrane River Wave Park (CA)
    • Mountain Wave 2019 (CA)
    • Bend Surf Wave (US)
    • Mountain Wave 2014 (CA)
    • Castle Wave (CZ)
    • Calgary River Wave Park (CA)
    • Evje River Waves and Mountain Beach (NO)
    • Muonio River Wave (FI)
    • Surf Cambridge (CA)
    • Accident / Incident Database
    • Unsurfed: Afghanistan
    • 100 River Waves
    • Slam Festival 2018
    • Surf Polo
    • North American Championships
    • Surf Instruction and Safety
    • River Surf Summit 2017
    • Waveraiser
    • European Wave Project Tour
    • 10 St. Surf Improvements
    • Safety Signage
    • Surf Anywhere Documentary
    • Wave Deck
    • Skook Summit 2015
    • Kananaskis Safety Signage
    • River Surfing Association Development
    • 10 St. Wave Signage
    • Daily Planet
    • Riverbreak Contributions
    • PRGs 2014
    • Surf Park Summit
    • River Wave Forum
    • Slam the Kan
  • Wave research
    • Wave research
    • Articles
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Stoke
    • Stoke
    • Community
    • Supporters
  • Contact
  • Surf Polo
  • Surf Polo
  • Surf Polo

Surf Polo

Surf polo was originally played by Duke Kahanamoku in Hawaii on flat days with his brothers in the early 1900s.  Louis Kahanamoku is credited to be the first to add surfboards to water polo.  In 2013, nearly 100 years after its inception, Jeff Brooks and Jacob Kelly Quinlan brought the spirit of Surf Polo to the indoor pool environment to keep the river surf community going while rivers were frozen over for the winter.  The river surfers were quick to appreciate the mental and physical benefits of paddling a surfboard in the pool for 60 minutes and often meet up after the game building relationships with each other.  The most desired outcome from surf polo was a significant increase in paddle strength for surfers going on winter trips to ride the ocean swell.  The surf polos players were able to catch more waves, stay out longer and increase the value of their expensive plane ride.

Game Play
There are five active players and a goalie on each team with the option to have spares on the side to tag in and out.  The game begins with a paddle battle.  The teams line up on either end of the pool, the ball is tossed into the middle of the pool and the players race to the ball.  Players use passing and paddling to get the ball in the opponent’s net.  When a goal is scored the offensive team needs to clear the zone for the play to resume.

Note: Depending on your community keeping score is optional. The activity itself is more of a fitness workout that a game of sorting out the winners from the losers.

Interference / “Dead Ball”
As this is a fitness exercise to level up board control and paddling, the rules state that the player must always be in control of their board to be in play.  “In Control” positions are sitting up right on the board like waiting for a wave behind the break or laying on the board in the paddling position.  Upright in the water while off the board and with hands or feet on the board is not an acceptable position. A player who loses their board is out of play and therefore interfering if they keep control of the ball or block other players from getting to the ball.  Players may shout “dead ball” if a player holds on to the ball after losing control of their board. 

Contact
Through years of play, the surf polo community experimented with different levels of physical contact. Two options for game play are: “zero contact rule” or “Canadian rules”.  “Zero Contact Rule” means you cannot interfere with an opponent’s body or surfboard.  “Canadian rules” dictate a player can push or dunk an opponent’s surfboard. The pushing of the board increases core strength and simulates being rocked by a wave in the ocean.  No contact can be made with the person.  No contact with the goalie or their board is allowed.  Players can push a board with an open hand but not grab or grip the board. It is a good idea to use “zero contact rules” for beginners or anyone unstable on their board

Surf Anywhere can pass on the knowledge for organizing, running and booking Surf Polo in your river surfing community.  Surf Anywhere has helped with pool bookings, applying for grant funding, obtaining insurance, setting up tournaments and events, and offer letters of support.

community, fitness, sport

Categories

  • Community Building

Skills

  • Fundraising
  • Sport Development
Surf Polo

Evje River Waves and Mountain Beach (NO)

Surf Polo

Surf Instruction and Safety

Related Projects

  • North American Championships (NACs)
  • Safety Signage
  • 10 St. Surf Improvements
  • Wave Deck / Community Erosion Control
  • Surf Anywhere Documentary
  • Skook Summit 2015

Contact

  1.855.272.SURF
   info@surfanywhere.ca

Turn Stoke into Surfing

Stoked to get a surf wave in your neck of the woods? It all starts by sending us an email. Surf Anywhere will follow up with a phone call and walk you through the process.

Contact Us

Photography

Huge shout out to all the photographers who have supported Surf Anywhere and wave building.  Our website wouldn’t be this beautiful without you! All rights reserved by the original photographer, contact before reproducing.

Rob Bishop   rbishophoto.com
Zack Splaine Photography  500px.com/zsplaine
Stevin Tuchiwsky  tuchiwsky.com
Jon Tapper @tappoix
Jager and Ko.  jagerandko.com

Footer Logo
©2016 Surf Anywhere River Surfing is built by river surfers
  • Home
  • Services
  • Community
  • Stoke
  • Shop
  • Blog