On Wednesday evenings in the mid-to-late 1990s, Gary Southstone would finish work in Bellingham and commute with co-workers to the Seattle area to play a sport called kayak polo.
In Europe, the sport is formally called canoe polo and – like water polo – involves teams of players trying to throw a waterproof, rubberized ball into the opposing team’s goal to score points. In action, the game looks like a cross between water-based basketball and soccer, with the tussling physical elements of rugby thrown in.
The official version of the sport takes place in swimming pools, but in the Pacific Northwest, it often occurs on bodies of fresh and salt water.
Southstone’s introduction to the sport was particularly gladiatorial in nature.
“I was breaking bones down there,” recalls Southstone, now 70, of the Seattle-based version.
In addition to ample testosterone and no safety equipment, Southstone’s first games were fueled by coolers of beer, floating at mid-field in inner tubes.
“We got pie-eyed while playing in the dark,” he says. “It was a free-for-all.”
As a Bellingham resident who wanted to limit both his commutes and injuries, Southstone introduced his own version of kayak polo to Whatcom County in 1998. A quarter-century later, his Kayak Polo Bellingham Club is still going strong, with year-round matches at Fairhaven’s Marine Park.
Creating Bellingham Kayak Polo Club
Initial kayak polo matches took place at Lake Padden, but several issues, including overcrowding, limited parking and even players running into fishing lures, led the club to adopt Marine Park as their home water around 2001.
Though traditional kayak polo goals often resemble soccer goals, Southstone decided to mount netted plastic baskets atop buoys 22 years ago, giving his game a basketball-like vibe. The equipment has remained in that form ever since, holding up year-round through all kinds of conditions.
In fact, the only conditions the club will not play in, says fellow club member Genaro Shaffer, are lightning.
“We like the waves and the wind,” says Shaffer, a 41-year-old local realtor who’s been part of the club for 10 years.
To reduce the risk of injury, players must wear lacrosse-style helmets with face guards and well-padded life jackets. Southstone also decided to put plastic tubing on the edges of paddle blades, dulling what would otherwise be sharp edges. T-boning other players with your kayak is also not allowed.
In the past, some club members didn’t care for safety, and Southstone eventually had to kick several people out for being overly aggressive. Today, though, most everyone is on the same page, and matches are enjoyed by a wide variety of locals, representing various ages and occupations.
Southstone says there always seems to be an outsize number of doctors and medical professionals among the group, which can come in handy if someone is hurt. Firefighters and software engineers are also currently represented.
Once, in June 2010, several club members actually rescued a man clinging to the Post Point buoy in the bay, after his kayak flipped and floated away from him.
Giving Kayak Polo Bellingham a Try
Maeve Bedenkop, 25, is among the group’s newest members, having moved to Bellingham from Massachusetts less than two years ago. With a background in whitewater-based activities, the window washer and ski instructor says kayak polo is a sport she can really lock into during the 90-to-120-minute matches, which follow an initial warm-up.
“It feels like a full-body workout, for sure,” she says.
Shaffer, the realtor, says he was crabbing on a paddleboard one day when Southstone approached him about trying something new. The club, he adds, doesn’t really do much advertising but welcomes anyone interested in giving it a try, especially if, like Bedenkop, they have other paddling experience.
“It’s surprisingly hard for beginners,” Shaffer says. “It’s a fun skill and completely unique.”
Once new members get a feel for things, the competition generally hits its stride.
“It really makes a difference when everyone is competent and has been playing for a while,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun.”
New members don’t even need their own equipment to start, as Southstone always brings extra stuff.
Matches take place Sundays at 9 a.m. year-round, and Wednesdays around 6 p.m. during the Daylight Saving Time months. The club needs a minimum of six players to play, allowing for at least a 3-on-3 matchup.
Southstone has now been championing his version of kayak polo long enough to see multiple generations of club members play, sometimes even against each other. Others have entered the club as young people and are now firmly into middle age. It is, he contends, among the most rewarding parts of being the club’s chief architect.
No matter the temperature of the water or the air, Bellingham’s kayak polo club is a warm place for anyone seeking fun and friendly water sports.
“This is a great group of people,” says Bedenkop. “Everyone’s so nice and welcoming.”
