Each summer, Sant Sebastià Beach in Barcelona hosts a game unlike the usual seaside sports. Poloboya, created in 2017, puts a buoy at the center of a loose, joyful contest. From the shore, it’s easy to miss. Swim out 170 meters, though, and you’ll find a group in water polo caps passing a ball through the water and aiming to hit the buoy, after at least three passes.
There’s no scoreboard. Tapping the buoy with your head counts double, but nobody’s really keeping track. The premise is simple: if you can float, you can play. The group’s motto, “Si flotes, vine, que riurem,” sums it up. Players come from nine countries, and anyone is welcome, regardless of age or background. Even some Atlètic-Barceloneta water polo pros have joined in, while the mood remains relaxed and open to all.
Poloboya began with a frustration. Manel, tired of waiting for the ball during a water polo class at Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta, started practicing alone with a buoy. David soon joined him. Joana and Carlos followed, turning the solo routine into a group event. One day, a stray ball drifted over to a group of Californian water polo players in town for a youth championship. They joined in and raised the level of play, but the spirit stayed the same: skill is optional, enthusiasm is not.
Games are organized through a chat group with over a hundred members. If at least six people say yes, the game is on. Teams can have as few as three or as many as six players per side. Sometimes the group splits into three teams to keep everyone playing. Matches have happened at dawn and under a full moon. Some have even taken place in secret, with only the group’s social media, @poloboiala, offering proof of these late-night games.
This year, on September 20, the 10th Poloboia World Championship will take place at the same beach. The event is sponsored by El vaso de oro, a local bar that has supported the group from the start. The championship is more about bringing the community together than winning a title, and it has become a neighborhood tradition in Barceloneta. Organizers expect the event to draw more attention to a sport that puts spontaneity and inclusion ahead of competition.
As the city’s schools start the academic year with their own challenges, the mood at Sant Sebastià Beach is about sharing the water and enjoying the moment. Poloboya has grown from a small experiment into a fixture of Barcelona’s summer without losing its easygoing spirit. With no strict rules and a focus on fun, the game brings locals and visitors together. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest: float and enjoy the game together.
