This is incorrect.
I did not respond to this yesterday because I was not 100% sure but after checking:
I organized 3 more champs after 2019. 2020 and 2022 someone else made the format.
I did it again in 2023 and we did not end up with my proposed format but with the format you and Django preferred (Round Robin + Double Elimination) after lots of exchanged messages.
That is until 1 day before the tournament when the format was scratched due to scheduling reasons and we went back to my proposal ![]()
I appreciate Georg making the post earlier because I didn´t want to be the one to raise the points he made, which I completely agree with. I think there are a few wrong statements and issues in your reply to him. Hope we find time to discuss them this weekend.
In general, I think everyone in Vienna was stoked about finally having the ÖHBPM in Linz last year and finally having it back again in Graz this year, where the first ever ÖHBPM took place.
However, there is also the sentiment among few viennese players I talked to that certain things felt very “imposed” last year in Linz and this year for Graz.
ÖHBPM is a community event, no single club has ownership over it. That was certainly the way Vienna approached the 9 ÖHBPMs we hosted over the years.
Maybe we can take the gathering of BP Austria this weekend to talk about a more democratic process in the future. I once proposed a club based voting system (such that the large amount of viennese players can not simply outvote Linz and Graz players).
I always hoped we´d manage to get a bikepolo dedicated court in Vienna some day.
I am super stoked you managed to get this done in Graz and potentially created a pathway for Vienna to follow! Thank you! ![]()
Looking foward to hearing all about how you got this done and playing on the court this weekend!
Okay sorry. Next time I won’t spend dozens of hours and taking a week off work for a tournament which is not appreciated… I’m totally fine with that. I enjoy it more going to tournament on friday and back on sunday, not having to care about it anymore….
But if I had known that you desparately wanted to help you could have picked up the pallets, get the stuff out of max basement, pick up the pavillons, beer tables, etc. And do the offical stuff with the city…. Ups you can’t even do that, you not part bikepolo graz and located in Vienna. And coming to graz a week before / after the tournament would be an option for you? Cool! Then I don’t have to bring all the stuff back and care for the storage.
And did you know there is officially a Alkoholverbot on the sports venue. No? We (I) had to care about it aswell so you can drink alcohol. I personally wouldn’t give a fuck about it! I don’t even drink alcohol but I did it for the COMMUNITY! I want to host a great tournament for everyone!
And I spent 5 year for the new Court! I was in Contact with the city all the time from the start of the discussion what’s happing with the old Kasernen property, to the first plans, to the finished facility! Emails, Calls, Baubesprechungen, I also spent a lot of hours on that! But Graz people appreciat it a lot!!
We did our Volksgarten tournament annually! Altough we were sometimes even just 3 people organizing the whole stuff!
It’s easy to complain about stuff without hosting a tournament altough you are x-times more people than we are. And please don’t come with the money issue…… if you care about sponsors, founding it’s easily possible! I know what I talk about! You probably can even make 1000+ Euros because in Vienna you will more sponsors easily! And the Veranstaltungsgebühr in Vienna won’t be much different than in Graz… I looking forward to come to the Vienna tournament next year.
And last year in Linz it was talked about it that this year graz should do the Meisterschaft in 2025 (and next year Kärnten haha). At the pumpquing tournament aswell… we took that as a Mission. Then in the summer when it was offical we have the court I posted it on Signal and was only demand to host the champs in graz. Nobody said anything againt it……. You’d better have done than! We started the real organistion in August so it would easily possible to cancle it.
I really thinking now, we I even do it??Spending my time and holidays for something I did ‘wrong’….
Sorry but I don’t have anything to say anymore! I’m looking forward to come to your tournament (and help with it because I know how much work it is)
See you tomorrow!
Morning Group (start 8:00)
- TICKS HIGH - Hansi (Latschach), Max (Graz), David (Maribor)
- NO STRESSO ESPRESSO - Ana, Schlotti (Vienna), Gallo (Milano)
- IN DA LETTN KETTN FETTN - Christopher (Linz), Georg, Conny (Vienna)
- NEVERMIND - Kuba, Peter, Shaki (Vienna)
- IAMOURHATSCHER - Larissa, Raphi (Vienna), Gustavo (Budapest)
- RUKAVICE - Zappa, Simon (Graz), Alča (Prague)
- GUACA POLO - Philipp, Schorsch,Werner (Linz)
- BOOM - Omayra, Jovina (Vienna), Frax (Prague)
Afternoon Group (start 13:00)
- AFFOGATO CORRETTO - Lea, Jonas (Graz), Django (Feistritz)
- TUBA - Prolo, Marco (Graz), Mateen (Vienna)
- CORNFUSION - Andi (Linz), Johanna (Vienna), Riley (Prague)
- TOPFENGOLATSCHN - Emilio, Frie (Vienna), Top (Milano)
- 3 BODY SOLUTION - Lucas, Paul (Vienna), Sebi (Dresden)
- CRANK THAT - Äri, Maus (Vienna), Clara (Bern)
- DIE PINGUINE - Moritz, Pauberin, Marky (Graz)
- 404 GOALS NOT FOUND - Mischa, Astrid (Vienna), Mazetta (Conegliano)
Hey, I thought of contributing my opinion on this a lot but I think I have to do it now.
At first, I think this is a problem about communication and expectations. This said I think it highly problematic and disrespectful to criticize our efforts - with the limited ressources we have - to make this happen. The criticism comes more then once and few days before the tournament…not cool and not productive.
I think we should talk it through this weekend. But I see (now) only two realistic options. I like the idea that every year another club hosts the champs as many have discussed before. Option A) we do a democrativ community based organization with 2-3 people from every club meeting in a plenum, talking about possible dates, tournament formats, costs etc. and organize a poll in poloverse. And most important this early enough! This said it must be clear that the main orga work will sit with the club who is in charge that year (hard for graz or linz people organize things within vienna). Option B) The club who is in charge that year organize the tournament on its own and the rest shuts up and will do it better the year after. I personally thought we are in this mode right now.
So please lets talk it through and find a better way of communication and create a save space for us and our lovely sport.
Looking forward to see you all!
I think we should all take a breath and calm down.
What maybe some people don‘t understand is that Graz has had to do an enormous effort annually to pull up Volksgarten tournament, often with a very limited amount of people. There was always a certain amount of envy to Vienna/Wördern, where one „just needs to make a phone call“ to host a tournament (obviously exaggerating here). There has always been some lack of understanding why there is not even an annual tournament in Vienna.
Graz is very stoked about the new court and the opportunity to host an event with relatively low effort, no court buiding necessary. I expect this to have an impact on the annual tournament calendar where you maybe some additional ABC or single player event to the usual Graz event may pop up annually.
Last, Graz has a history of not discussing what should/could be done until a 100% consensus is reached and everybody is happy but rather to have an idea and follow it. Take ownership, take responsility, do the hard work even there is little help and not even everybody says thank you. (This applies to polo organization in general, all the way up to the Euro level, many do the talk, few do the walk). In such a scenario criticism coming from a place that has for years had all the infrastructure, large number of players, and a quite empty tournament calendar are not taken too well.
I know there is no evil intent by anybody here, you just have to understand the sentiment.
If I convince enough players from Graz and Linz to vote for Vienna so we don‘t have to do anything and just come for the party and dump the work on others, do you see any flaw in such a democratic process? Shouldn‘t it be driven by who is voluntarily excited to do some work without pay for the community?
I prefer if some club is stoked to do it and take ownership there should not be an endless discussion, unless there are 2 clubs who are stoked and want to host or if nobody is stoked.
In my opinion if one club is stoked to step forward the other clubs should not be there to approve or criticize but rather to make a ressonable countercandidature or say thank you.
SOME LAST INFORMATION
Entering the Court: Please follow the marked paths around the beach volleyball field. It´s self explaining. And please avoid the inline skate course as good as possible. AND KEEP IT CLEAN!! They are super picky about it!
Parking: You can park on the streets but on Friday you have to pay for it till 20:00. Further in the south it´s free! Check the map. Grüne Zone - Map
Players Area: We put pavillons on the basketball court. You can but your stuff there. Cooking and beers are next to the court.
Toilets: We have one Dixi Toilet at the sports venue. But around 600m away there is a clean public toilet aswell. Public Toilet - Maps
Drinking and Smoking: Officially there is a Alkohol und Rauchverbot on the whole facility. But I have an agreement with the city that it´s okay! Just do leave any trash!
Dogs: Sadly dogs are not allowed….
Table tennis: We have two tables at the court. If you want to play please take a Racket!
Court: The court has a black net all around. Sadly we are not allowed to remove it. That means reffing a bit shittier but still possible. And it´s only the Austrian Champ… When your mallet breaks please take care it´s off the court. You can push it horizontally between net and boards. I tried that.
Sadly the Contruction fucked up the surface. It´s okay but it already has chipped stones. And when it´s wet be carful hat the markings! They are slippery. I had to learn it the hard way.
Food: We provide Breakfast and a warm meal on both days!
Gameplan: Please be on Time! We have a tight schedule!
