Top 4 Weird, Crazy, And Fun Alternative Sports In Beijing

Staying in shape and meeting new people in Beijing can be tough, so here are some alternative sports to keep things interesting.

The “alternative” label has been slapped on just about everything, from music and fashion to food and parenting. But for something a lot less serious and a lot more fun, try out an alternative sport as a way of burning off extra pounds from all that Dongbei food, and meeting some new friends. Here are four “sports” that will get your blood pumping and muscles moving as well as guarantee plenty of laughs that will leave your face sore the next day. We’re not talking hot yoga and Chinese-ribbon Taichi here, but rather grade-school games and historically-inspired sweats. Intrigued? At the very least, your new, alternative sport will make for some good Instagram posts.

1. Dodgeball

No game is more polarizing to a group of 12-year-olds than Dodgeball. The big kids grin at the thought of bringing pain and ridicule to the smaller ones, while the others just want to feign illness so they can sit on the sidelines. Why is this archaic and immoral form of punishment still practiced in public schools? Hasn’t humanity moved beyond this yet?

Still, from an adult perspective, dodgeball is a great way to let off a lot of steam in a red-rubber-ball-hurling fury directed at willing participants. (Attempting to perform similar actions against strangers on public transportation would risk unwanted attention and jail time). If mildly violent, adrenalin-packed ball sports sound appealing, then sign up to be a member of Mashup Sports & Social and organize a dodgeball match online. Past events have seen great success and everyone leaves with several red marks and several new friends.

If the organizing effort really takes off, a league is inevitable and the next step is to get dodgeball into the Olympics. Then China will have no choice but to set up training centers and sponsorship for this obscure “sport” (see curling, below).

2. Bicycle Polo

If water polo is just a good excuse to wear a Speedo and swim cap in public, then bicycle polo is certainly the hipster-apparel equivalent. In this sport, there is plenty of flannel, skinny jeans, black glasses and fixed gear bikes abounding, along with a good “reason” to buy the original tool of the trade: a long wooden mallet.

If picturing all of this is a little difficult, check out the International Bike Polo League’s website at (aptly) www.leagueofbikepolo.com for photos of what to expect. Then, head over to Workers’ Gymnasium in Chaoyang District on any Sunday afternoon to watch the five-on-five matches held every week and starting at 2 p.m.

Admission to watch is free (it’s a public basketball court after all) and anyone willing to put their fears and dignity aside is able to join a pick-up game when there are openings. Obviously a bike will be needed.

Like many things that look silly, bike polo is a lot of fun and works out muscles that may have been lying dormant for decades, so expect to be sore in unusual places. But it is also a great place to meet new friends and get stared at by locals who can’t imagine why the laowai always do such strange things.

3. Ultimate Frisbee

If dodgeball is just too much fifth grade tomfoolery, how about a much more refined and elegant game? With game play honed on the vast lawns of higher learning institutes, ultimate frisbee boasts a pedigree dating all the way back to the early 1970s. (Also, attention WhamO Corporation, which owns the Frisbee name: get used to China’s general attitude toward Western trademarks and please don’t bother with the copy infringement lawsuit for the use of your product’s name).

Now popular all around the world, ultimate frisbee is played by locals and foreigners across China and leagues are even hosting intercity matches for the dedicated athlete. But ultimate is still a grassroots game, meaning that anyone wanting to run, jump, catch and throw is welcome to join.

Chinese university students, being typically more studious (not a stereotype: it’s just a fact that Chinese universities don’t tolerate students cutting class to play outside on sunny days, so readers, please hold the hate mail) tend to meet up in the evenings and are happy to see newcomers.

Organized evening games are common, which actually makes a lot of sense considering the heat in the middle of the day and how much running is involved in ultimate frisbee. Evening games also mean that the gainfully employed can get in on the action too.Plus, Beijing Ultimate hosts events year round, so even in the cold, dark, lonely winter, players can get sweaty together at indoor venues where everybody is welcome and no experience is needed. For more details, check out Beijing Ultimate’s website for pick-up game schedules, locations, basic equipment needed, rules and shared rental fees (don’t worry, it’s very cheap).

4. Curling

Most people hate cleaning, and sweeping in particular. Considering this, and the fact that being cold for too long can prove fatal, it is hard to understand how curling has became an Olympic sport. Perhaps it is the romantic thought of medieval kilt-wearing Scotsmen shivering on a frozen lake with nothing but a large stone and a few brooms to keep warm.

Sounds fun, right? Apparently some people think so, because the I Sweep Curling Club, based in Huairou about an hour north of the city center, hosts events and is attracting lots of new members lately and even offers training. In view of this, how is it possible that there is still no dodgeball club in Beijing?

Curling’s newfound popularity is probably due in large part to China winning the bronze medal in women’s curling in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, a traditional home of the sport. If one of these lady curlers is smart she will get an autobiography cranked out soon, perhaps entitled From “Ayi to Olympian: My Icy Road To Fame.” Expect book sales to rocket if China does well in the 2014 World Men’s Curling Championship that will be hosted in Beijing next year.

If Curling ever gets as popular as badminton and ping-pong, Beijing will truly wear the crown of Weird Sports Capital of the World, in which case, perhaps a good use for the Bird’s Nest would be to flood the playing field, let it freeze solid in winter, and repurpose it as the world’s largest curling arena.

Still, for homesick Canadians and Kiwis missing the joy that can only be found by sweeping a path on ice ahead of a slow moving rock, curling with a few friends could be a good way to stave off the blues and perhaps introduce a date to some native Western culture. He or she is sure to be impressed. After all, being passionate about a weird sport doesn’t make someone bad, it just makes them “interesting.” And just about everyone living in Beijing could benefit from being a little less serious from time to time.

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