Saturday, November 23, 2013

You're Invited...To Sign Up


Last year’s Lock-In was a success. Every Lock-In has been a success. But Saint Louis Bike Polo thinks it may be time for some Real Talk about the happenings inside and outside of the Skatium.
We love partying.
Saint Louis Bike Polo lives to party…and occasionally, to play bike polo on the side.
We love partying, and we want you to love partying too.
If there is any way that we can help you facilitate your party urges, we want to be your tag-team-partner in the steel cage of partying. Together, we have the spirit, creativity, and gumption to create party memories that will last the rest of our lives.
But if we are being honest, there is a dramatic difference between partying and having fun –VS– being careless and destructive for the hell of it.
Lines were definitely crossed last year.
Partying for 24-hours at the Skatium is not a no-holds-barred-anything-goes main event where carnage is free to run rampant all night and the Skatium staff is left to clean up the mess in the morning.
The Skatium is a rare gem of a party spot. It is a location that those of us in Saint Louis visit multiple times throughout the year. Mouse is a friend of ours, and Robert (the Skatium’s owner) appreciates our business and trusts us to respect his property during our stay.
So it really sucks to see and hear their disappointment over some of the events that transpired last year and the mess they had to clean up after we left.
It sucks to have to apologize for the actions and poor decisions of others.
It also sucks that the Saint Louis club is being charged more to rent the Skatium for Lock-In #5 after what happened at last year’s event. Everything you do at the Saint Louis Bike Polo Lock-In has a ripple effect. That effect can be positive or negative. Last year, the lasting impression was more negative than positive.
We can redeem ourselves. We can still have fun…because having fun is easy! But it may be time for some common sense ground rules.
If breaking chairs is your idea of fun and partying, great! Bring a stack of your own chairs and smash away. But breaking and destroying Skatium property is unacceptable and has consequences.
If you love setting off explosives in the heat of partying, that’s cool. We love a good explosion. The Skatium, however, does not. Explosives sound like gunshots. And neighbors call the police when they think they hear gunshots. The Skatium does not want nor need police making unannounced visits.
Speaking of unannounced visits, showing up to Lock-In #5 without registering will not be tolerated. Last year, several people thought they were important enough to show up at the door the day of and weasel their way into the 24-hour party. Unfortunately for us, we were too kind to turn them away.
This year will be different.
If you attempt to show up at Lock-In #5 without registering and without being accepted, you will be turned away. This is not an empty threat. Having people crash our party throws a wrench into our plans. We budget beer and food based on our planned attendance, so showing up the day of is a selfish dick move that takes away from the Lock-In attendees that followed directions. If you think you will be able to show up to Lock-In #5 unannounced, please realize you are greatly mistaken.
With a few minor tweaks from last year, Lock-In #5 will be fantastic experience that will provide memories that we will laugh about and celebrate for years to come. Please do not think that we want to squash your fun. We just need to be on a similar page in regards to what kinds of fun are allowed and encouraged at our 24-hour party. We look forward to sharing this amazing experience with you in January.
If you still want to party with us at Lock-In #5, here is how you can register:
READ CAREFULLY!!!
Send an email to STLBikePoloLockIn@gmail.com at 7:06PM CST on December 1 with the following information:
Name: first name
Club: city, state
Shirt Size: S/M/L/XL
We have 55 spots open this year. After the initial rush of registration, we will sort through the chaos and send confirmation emails.
You must sign up yourself. Do not sign up yourself and eight of your friends.
Incomplete submissions will be deleted, and no confirmation will be sent.
Confusing submissions will be deleted, and no confirmation will be sent.
Sob story submissions about why you missed registration will be deleted, and no confirmation will be sent.
Thanks for reading.
-Saint Louis Bike Polo Lock-In Staff


Saturday, November 16, 2013

Announcing: The Saint Louis Bike Polo Lock-In #5

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 in St. Louis for 24 hours of partying and polo from noon on Saturday, January 18th until noon on Sunday the 19th.
We've thrown this party four times 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. Our party/polo location only has one court, and with almost 75+ 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, and an hour of rollerskating. Donut shop runs featuring thrash metal soundtracks, spiritual awakenings, merit badges and broken bones are all 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:
1. Keep an eye on STLBikePoloLockIn.blogspot.com for information about registration that will be posted within the week.
2. Encourage your friends to do the same!
3. Follow the registration instructions precisely.
4. Prepare yourself for the best party bike polo has to offer.