Polo makes a SPLASH.

Byline: Mike Stahlberg The Register-Guard

Polo is exciting enough, as gentlemen's games go. But no one ever described it as being more fun than dunking your buddies upside-down in a swimming pool.

That special thrill is reserved for kayak polo, a sport that's beginning to make quite a splash at Eugene's Echo Hollow Pool.

As the name implies, kayak polo is water polo played with kayaks and paddles.

The object of the game is to advance the ball, using either hands or paddle blade, into the opposing team's goal more times than they can put it in the net your team is defending.

And if a nearby opponent happens to be holding the ball, tipping over or "tackling" him is not only allowed - it's encouraged.

Kayak polo first surfaced in Eugene last year because members of the Riverhouse Outdoor Program staff were looking for a way kayakers could have fun while practicing "rolls" and paddling skills in a swimming pool.

"We were looking for something to develop the skills of more advanced paddlers," said Tom Powers, Riverhouse teen adventure coordinator.

"We knew this was a lot of fun," he said, because a staff member from Colorado had experience with kayak polo there. (The 2006 national kayak polo championships were held last month in Fort Collins).

Powers, who also serves as advisor to the South Eugene High School whitewater club, said participation in the kayak water polo sessions has increased each session.

About 30 boaters were on hand last week.

"I think it's fantastic," Riverhouse supervisor Roger Bailey said of the game.

"It's a great fitness workout, and for boaters it's a fantastic way to hone paddling skills in a nice, warm, safe environment."

Actually, several kayakers at last week's session opted to give up the warmth of the indoor pool and start a second game in the steaming outdoor pool, where they played until the 10 p.m. closing time.

Kayak polo (or canoe polo, as it is known internationally) has been around about 25 years. The International Canoe Federation adopted rules for the game in 1987.

Polo in the United States is played under the auspices of USA Canoe/Kayak and the American Canoe Association, which hold national championships. There are about a dozen sanctioned polo clubs in the U.S.

Most participation in the sport, however, is simply recreational and played with less formal rules.

And with lots of laughs, screams and shouts of "flip him, flip him," amid frenzies of rainbow-colored boats and helmets splashing after a loose ball.

At times, it looks more like a game of bumper boat more than soccer and basketball, its dry-land cousins,

"It's played five-on-five, and it's pretty much a full-contact sport," Powers said.

However, players are not allowed to swing their paddle at the ball if another player is within an arm's length and could be hit by the paddle.

Helmets are required - and face guards recommended - in any case.

And there's no pushing or "tackling" of paddlers who don't have the ball.

"The other players' safety is your number-one concern," Powers stressed after reviewing the rules for a new group of paddlers.

"And then laughing at them is probably your number-two concern."

Teamwork and passing, however, are the keys to victory.

Players are not allowed to hold the ball for more than five seconds, or to carry it while paddling.

"If you have the ball, you're not allowed to move," Powers said. "But if you have the ball, other players can knock you over, and keep knocking you over, until you give up the ball."

At Echo Hollow, players who are not yet adept at rolling their kayaks can request that they not be pushed over deliberately, and other players generally honor that request.

If a player does tip over and, unable to roll upright, is forced to execute a "wet exit" from his kayak, play stops until that player can get out of the pool.

Then the game resumes, with one team short-handed until the dumped player can get back in his kayak and into the pool.

"So there's motivation to get your roll down," said Bailey.

So far, the kayak water polo sessions have been drawing mostly high school- and college-age paddlers, although Bailey says "the night I played there was some gray hair poking out of helmets."

Powers said his goal is to eventually see kayak water polo become a city league sport with set teams and schedules.

For now, however, kayak polo is offered on a drop-in, pick-up-sides basis when pool space is available.

The River House has kayak polo sessions scheduled Nov. 7, 14 and 21 and Dec. 19 at Echo Hollow Pool. All begin at 8 p.m.

Sessions for January and beyond will be listed in the City of Eugene's winter recreation services guide.

Kayak polo drop-in sessions are open to any experienced kayaker age 12 or older who is able to execute a wet exit from their boat without assistance, Bailey said. The cost is $4 per session, and boat rentals are available for $6, with advance registration required.

In addition, for those who would like to hone their rolling and paddling skills before taking the polo "field," the Riverhouse offers a three-week series of lessons in the pool.

Those cost $45 ($35 if you provide your own equipment).

Drop-in roll practice sessions (without instruction) are also available for $4.

For additional information on Riverhouse kayak programs, call 682-5329. For details on competitive kayak polo, log on to: www.usack.org/disciplines/polo/polohq.asp.

Mike Stahlberg / The Register-Guard