Re: Unicycle articles (but wait there's more...)

[JJuggle]

RIDING HIGH

AP
64 words
12 July 2003
The Commercial Appeal
Final
DS4
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Mississippi State University employee 'Jim Schrock'
(http://tinyurl.com/gvc3) was riding high Friday as he negotiated his
way across the Starkville campus on his 6-foot Schwinn unicycle. Schrock
is lab operations superintendent for MSU's Department of Aerospace
Engineering, which is part of the Bagley College of Engineering. He also
is a member of the local unicycle club.
==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Well, we have to find out right now,
what kind of ice cream do these martians like.
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[JJuggle]

POLICE HUNT UNICYCLE THIEF

107 words
11 July 2003
Newsquest Media Group Newspapers: This is the North East
English
c Copyright 2003 Newsquest Digital Media.

POLICE are looking for a thief who stole a unicycle from a shed.

The silver machine, with a red-and-black seat, was taken, along with an
old air rifle, from the house in Eppleby, near Richmond.

The owner is a member of a local circus troupe and, although the
burglary took place on June 30, details were only released yesterday.

"The thief would probably be a tad conspicuous if he used the unicycle
himself," said a police spokesman.

Anyone who knows anything about the raid or may have been offered such a
bike is asked to contact police on (01609) 783131.
==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Well, we have to find out right now,
what kind of ice cream do these martians like.
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[U-Turn]

JJuggle wrote:
> *RIDING HIGH
>
> AP
> 64 words
> 12 July 2003
> The Commercial Appeal
> Final
> DS4
> English
> Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
> rights reserved.
>
> Mississippi State University employee 'Jim Schrock'
> (http://tinyurl.com/gvc3) was riding high Friday as he negotiated his
> way across the Starkville campus on his 6-foot Schwinn unicycle.
> Schrock is lab operations superintendent for MSU's Department of
> Aerospace Engineering, which is part of the Bagley College of
> Engineering. He also is a member of the local unicycle club.
> ==============================================
>
> Raphael Lasar
> Matawan, NJ *
The neat thing that the link brings out is that Jim Schrock helps build
experimental aircraft and is a tenor, which is the highest male vocal
range; by adding riding a giraffe he's an all-round high guy.


--
U-Turn - Mounting a Revolution

Weep in the dojo... laugh in the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

-- Dave Stockton
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[JJuggle]

U-Turn wrote:
> *and is a tenor, which is the highest male vocal range*
You mean you've never heard of Michael Aspinall, the Surprising
Soprano?

[image: http://www.durbeckarchive.com/images/parody10.jpg]

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Well, we have to find out right now,
what kind of ice cream do these martians like.
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[U-Turn]

No, I haven't.

:(


--
U-Turn - Mounting a Revolution

Weep in the dojo... laugh in the battlefield.

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

-- Dave Stockton
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[Gardner]

In article >,
U-Turn > writes:

> a tenor, which is the highest male vocal range
>

....apart from countertenor and castrato... and if you
have a viscount saddle, you know that the last one is no
joke.

================================================== ==========
Gardner Buchanan >
Ottawa, ON FreeBSD: Where you want to go. Today.

[JJuggle]

'One wheel is enough' (http://tinyurl.com/h51r).

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Hey punk where you going with those beads around your neck?
Well, I'm going to see my shrink so he can help me be a nervous wreck.
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[chirokid]

JJuggle wrote:
> *'One wheel is enough' (http://tinyurl.com/h51r).
> Raphael Lasar *


Awesome Article Raphael. Great looking kid too. He has "confident"
written all over him. --chirokid--


--
chirokid
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLE UNITY DRAWS MEMBERS OF NEW VISION

SHIRLEY DANG - The Oregonian
757 words
17 July 2003
The Oregonian
SUNRISE
10
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

BEAVERTON

Summary: The One-Wheeled Wonders come together for practice before their
performance in a Beaverton parade

The church that prays together, unicycles together.

That philosophy led 11-year-old Laura and 9-year-old Allison Millar to
the One-Wheeled Wonders, a unicycling group from the New Vision
Fellowship church that will take its place July 19 in the Beaverton
SummerFest Parade.

The group debuted at the event two summers ago, a trail of streamers
fluttering from the cycles' spokes. Laura recalls falling off her yellow
Jugglebug model nearly 10 times last year when she tackled the 2-mile
route for her inaugural ride.

"You definitely get tired after a 2-mile parade," Laura said.

They meet regularly

The Wonders count about 25 members, many of them groups of young
siblings or whole families. They meet regularly at 3:30 p.m. each Sunday
to practice.

Pastor Gene Grass started the group four years ago, channeling his love
of the unicycle to his parish: one wheel, under God.

Occasionally, Grass delivers sermons while idling on his unicycle and
juggling balls. He uses his props to demonstrate various life lessons:
balancing one's responsibilities or having patience.

"I just did it a few weeks ago on endurance," Grass said. "The unicycle
isn't something you learn overnight. It takes endurance."

Laura learned to ride from Grass two years ago on a church loaner. The
seat is swathed in the requisite towel, for comfort, and wound with duct
tape.

Each week, Grass came to the Millar driveway in Hyland Hills.
Eventually, Laura started holding on to her father's car as he chugged
slowly down the street. At the end of her journey, she marked the curb
with chalk, leaving a series of tick marks on the street.

"Every day would be a new record," Laura said.

Stopping takes skill

After learning the crucial skill of stopping -- which essentially
consists of falling forward and catching the seat before it hits the
ground -- Laura is learning to turn, idle and pedal backward.

On a side street near the Millar house, the girls' mother, Anne, holds
out one hand. Laura grasps it, tucks the seat under her blue stretch
pants and pedals haltingly in reverse.

"If you've been unicycling forward for a long time, it feels really
weird going backwards," she said.

Many church members live near the Millars, bringing a whole fleet of
unicycles to the quiet suburban streets.

"It's not unusual to see a one-wheeled rider in this neighborhood," Anne
Millar said. "We're just infested with unicycles."

Friend Julie Liggins counts three boys out of her five children as
unicyclers, with another rider on the way.

"My daughter, who's 6, said she wants a unicycle for Christmas," Liggins
said.

Her son R.J., 13, pioneered the family's obsession four years ago when
he started his one-wheeled hobby. He has mastered the skill so well he
can play saxophone at the same time, as he did in last year's parade.
His 11-year-old brother, Rob, picked up the unicycle soon after, and
8-year-old Alex began in kindergarten.

Rob, an athlete, said unicycling does not compete with his love of other
sports. In fact, he likes to combine them.

"I play basketball and football," Rob said. "I've played both on a
unicycle."

Grass said unicycling helps give families time together to learn
something new, sometimes about each other. And mastering an obscure
skill can be great for kids.

"It's a confidence booster," Grass said. "Maybe they haven't excelled at
something, or maybe they're real studious and kids make fun of them."

All that disappears when the congregation pedals duct-taped vehicles
behind the church each Sunday afternoon, he said.

"One of the neat things is I've got people at all different levels,"
Grass said. "The others encourage them and say, 'I've been there.' "

Laura loves unicycling in a group, to pick up tips or see who's learning
to do tricks such as the bunny hop. It's nice that just being on one
wheel can get you attention, she said.

But she takes an almost Zen view of riding mono.

"I don't think there's a best or worst thing," she said. "You just get
up and go."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Hey punk where you going with those beads around your neck?
Well, I'm going to see my shrink so he can help me be a nervous wreck.
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[GizmoDuck]

JJuggle wrote:
>
>
> MOUNTAIN RUNNING
>
> Any one of the thousands of trekkers who've been to Everest Base Camp
> can tell you about the effects of altitude around the Khumbu. It's
> difficult enough to breathe the thin oxygen without adding to your
> woes by running along the tracks. But, each 18 months, including this
> November, that's exactly what happens with the Everest Marathon,
> officially listed as the world's highest marathon. The marathon begins
> 5000 metres above sea level, at Gorak Shep in the shadow of Everest,
> and follows trekkers' routes down into Namche Bazaar. Forty-two
> kilometres of Himalayan hardship that takes even the best and fittest
> about four hours.
>
> The Everest Marathon is a high point - literally - of the world of
> mountain running, but it's far from unique. The Brits have been
> mountain running - or "fell running" as they call it - for years, and
> now the great adventure-racing nation of New Zealand has taken
> wholeheartedly to the high sport. Across the Tasman, there are dozens
> of events each year, some along New Zealand's most famous walking
> routes, such as the Abel Tasman and Kepler Track. Indeed, New
> Zealand's Jonathon Wyatt has won three of the last five World Mountain
> Running Championships, an annual title "run" since 1985. The
> championships will be held this year in Alaska in September.
>
> [/B]


Yeah, go Jonathan- he's our local hero.

And I would love to do the Everest Marathon on a MUni. I'm not sure how
much of the Everest Trek is rideable though. Does anyone know? I spent
most of the time carrying my MUni along the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal
last year.


--
GizmoDuck - One Wheel Drive

My bum was really sore and they made me jump up and down and up and down
and up and down in front of this kid who was laughing at me!
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[JJuggle]

Amusing if not complimentary.

SCRAP THE SCOOTER

Johanna Huden
397 words
3 August 2003
New York Post
23
English
(c) 2003 N.Y.P. Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

IF I got a free Segway trial, I'd probably give it a scoot, too. But is
the NYPD serious about the "human transport system"?

You have to wonder what Mayor Mike's smoking if he plans on paying money
for yet another annoying, traffic-impeding, unnecessary and just plain
weird mode of transportation on New York's congested streets.

Midtown seems to be overrun with pedicabs this summer. But the smiling,
fresh-faced college students who pull them can't be chatting with any
real New Yorkers, because you won't catch one taking this touristy,
uncool ride.

And you have to laugh when you see a grown man in a suit weaving one of
those ridiculous personal scooters up Sixth Avenue.

Are our tough men and women in blue really going to hop on one of these
12 mph silly-looking Segways?

Not if they hope to intimidate the bad guys. These contraptions look
like they should have pink streamers and Hello Kitty stickers on them,
not our big, brave keepers-of-the-peace.

Could you imagine the jeers from a street crowd in The Bronx if an
officer pulled a President Bush and went toppling head-first to the
ground while pursuing a gangmember?

Officer Chintua Alozie of the Manhattan Traffic Task Force told The
Post, "You park it and go after the criminal." Then what's the point?

"It has a bicycle lock if necessary." You stop it, lock it and then
chase?

Even locked, the Segway only weighs 90 pounds, so you can bet that some
enterprising thief will steal it, leaving the tired officer flat-footing
it back to the precinct.

And can the Segway handle city potholes, metal grates and plates, horse
dung and slow tourists? Some cars, even SUVs, can't, so how is this
elongated tricycle (which doesn't meet state safety standards) supposed
to tackle our rugged roads?

Its job is to reach off-road areas and maneuver in heavy traffic.

Um, that would describe the bicycle. Which is faster, cheaper, available
and doesn't make our police force look like they're: a) lazy, b)
physically (even mentally!) challenged, or c) as Hans and Franz would
say, "big sissy man on zer big girly unicycle."

==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


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It's not against any religion,
to want to dispose of a pigeon.
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[GILD]

JJuggle wrote:
> *Amusing if not complimentary.
>
> Raphael Lasar
> Matawan, NJ *


or accurate!!!


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least
once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.
-- Rene Descartes
'pleez check this out' (http://www.reuniteluna.com/)

JUST SAY 'KNOW'!

Namaste!
Dave
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[JJuggle]

GILD wrote:
> *or accurate!!! *
I was actually referring to the very last sentence. :)

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


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JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

It's not against any religion,
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[JJuggle]

PERFORMER FIRED UP ABOUT JUGGLING ** WADE HENRY CASHED IN BUSINESS
CAREER TO TOUR WORLD WITH HIS \"SUICYCLE.' ** FRASS AT THE FAIR

By Mike Frassinelli Of The Morning Call
629 words
27 August 2003
The Allentown Morning Call
FIRST
B1
English
Copyright 2003, Allentown Morning Call. All Rights Reserved.

MIKE FRASSINELLI, a reporter for The Morning Call, prepares to throw a
series of flaming torches up to juggler Wade Henry, seated on a
basketball hoop-high unicycle at the Allentown Fair.

Wade Henry -- yes, the Wade Henry way up there juggling burning torches
while riding his 10-foot-tall unicycle -- planned for a sensible career.


He went to a sensible college in his native Canada.

He used his sensible business degree to land a sensible 9 to 5 office
job in marketing.

So what was he doing wearing a floppy leather pilot hat and juggling
fire while riding what he calls his "suicycle" in front of a crowd that
assembled on the midway Tuesday night at the Allentown Fair?

He was continuing the career that turned out to make the most sense to
him after all: the career of traveling around the world to make people
laugh.

He left his office job nearly a decade ago to travel with a buddy, but
returned to his college hobby of street performing when they ran out of
cash in Australia.

Henry, 33, who now hails from Clearwater, Fla., is as good a street
performer as you will see. Back by popular demand at the fair this year,
he juggles chain saws, balls and the emotions of a crowd. He swallows
fire and 4-foot-long balloons. He rides a unicycle that has a chair
about the height of a professional basketball rim.

And, in his most amazing feat, the married father of one had enough
trust to let me throw fire at him Tuesday night.

During the audience participation portion of the show, Henry called up
Ron from Fogelsville ("Ron came all the way from Pennsylvania, wooooo"),
me and a guy named Eric to help steady the unicycle while Henry climbed
up it.

Henry sat first on my shoulders, acting surprised that he hadn't yet
reached the top of the unicycle.

Following his advice, at the count of three we let go of the unicycle,
turned in the other direction -- and ran like heck.

As Henry stabilized himself on the unicycle, he called out: "No
steering. No brakes. No insurance."

He called me back again to help him with his torch juggling.

He wanted me to light three torches -- juggling pins with cloth wicks.
He pulled a lighter out of his pocket and held it for me to grab -- but
held it just above my reach, prompting me to jump like a child trying to
retrieve a ball in a game of monkey in the middle.

A few more laughs were had at my expense when the lighter turned out to
be a dud.

I finally got three torches lit. Now it was time to throw them one by
one to Henry.

It was starting to get windy and I could feel the heat against my arm
hair.

Henry emphasized: "Mike, one at a time Not like the last guy!"

Using the bent-elbow throwing motion Henry showed me earlier, at the
count of three I gave him a nice chest-high toss that was easy -- for
him -- to catch.

The other two throws were on target, too, although I could have sworn I
smelled burning arm hair after the third toss.

Relieved that I didn't play Mrs. O'Leary's cow to the hay-filled barn
that was the Allentown Fair midway, I thought my participation was over.


Henry spotted a cute child in the first row.

"Now, Mike," he said from way up on his unicycle. "Throw me the baby."


--
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Cut up, Maria!
Show me some of them Spanish dances.
Pass me the bottle, Mr Jones.
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[JJuggle]

VICTOR LEWIS-SMITH'S COLUMN - POINTLESS BOOK OF RECORDS.

By Victor Lewis-Smith.
555 words
23 August 2003
Mirror
6
English
(c) 2003 Mirror Group Ltd

THERE are people called physiognomists, who make a scientific study of
the human face.

But I may well be the world's only gastro-physiognomist, specialising in
celebrity boat races that are so unpleasant they turn my stomach.

There's Ruby Wax, who has a face like a bulldog licking p*** off a
nettle, and who is so in my face when she's on TV that I feel like the
nettle.

Then there's Antony Worrall Thompson, half-chipmunk and half-Munchkin
(with the emphasis on munch, to judge from his expanding girth).

Nor should we forget Norris McWhirter, whose face bears the permanently
pained expression of a man sucking a lemon, and who is so starchy that,
if he stood alongside dead brother Ross, he'd still be the straight man.


McWhirter's name will always be synonymous with the Guinness Book Of
Records, that literary lemon he edited for some 40 years.

I've long regarded it as a stomach-turning exercise of mind-numbing
futility, whose sole purpose is to give ill-deserved media attention to
overgrown schoolboys, whose sole accomplishment in life involves sitting
in a bath of custard or *unicycling around the Isle Of Man.*

So the 14 members of the Kabosh Theatre who crammed themselves into an
Edinburgh telephone box this week must have been astonished when a
spokeswoman for the Guinness Book said that, "We no longer recognise
records for people in phone boxes", on the grounds that it is not a
sufficiently serious enterprise.

Really? Well, if the editors start regarding seriousness of purpose as a
criterion for entry, their next edition is going to be the thinnest
volume since The Pop-Up Book Of Saddam's WMDs.

But what a pity they didn't announce that policy back in the early 60s,
because I wouldn't then have had to endure a childhood blighted by
attention-seeking idiots pushing peas with their noses from London to
Norwich in a bid to get an entry.

Nor would we have to put up with tedious stuntmen like David Blaine, who
is proposing to spend 44 days locked in a glass case suspended over the
River Thames, and expects us to watch him just because it'll be a world
record.

Even worse than the Guinness Book was its televisual spin-off, Record
Breakers, on which people were actively encouraged to perform such
pointless feats.

Indeed, I once saw the McWhirter brothers cramming 70 children into a
Mini, in exactly the sort of imbecilic exploit that the publishers of
the book now claim to eschew. At this point, I should confess that in my
younger days I wrote numerous letters to Mr McWhirter in a bid to be
included in his book.

But my attempts were always satirical, such as the time I asked to be
included as "the first journalist to libel himself in print, then sue
his newspaper for damages" after I'd used my column to call myself, "A
fat, ugly, untalented hack with hair like a slashed sofa, diarrhoea of
the mouth and constipation of the ideas".

Come to think of it, I've just done the same thing again, so the
Mirror's lawyers can expect a writ on Monday.


--
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Cut up, Maria!
Show me some of them Spanish dances.
Pass me the bottle, Mr Jones.
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[JJuggle]

Don't see that anyone posted this article on 'Unicycle.com'
(http://tinyurl.com/ll2y) and John Drummond.

It's from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
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Cut up, Maria!
Show me some of them Spanish dances.
Pass me the bottle, Mr Jones.
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[JJuggle]

ON ONE WHEEL FOR SICK KIDS

Fiona Byrne
191 words
5 October 2003
Sunday Herald Sun
1 - FIRST
111
English
(c) 2003 Herald and Weekly Times Limited

SAMUEL Johnson will fulfil a 12-year-old pledge when he rides a unicycle
from Sydney to Melbourne later this month.

Johnson, the sometimes controversial star of The Secret Life of Us,
tells the November issue of B. magazine, on sale tomorrow, he will make
the unusual journey to raise funds for CanTeen, a support organisation
for young people affected by cancer.

Johnson was 11 when his older sister, Constance, a disability support
worker, was diagnosed with bone cancer.

She has made a full recovery, but the years she spent having treatment
and battling the disease had a profound effect on Johnson.

"When I was 14, I told CanTeen I'd ride a unicycle from Sorrento to
Melbourne -- that's about 60km," Johnson (pictured above with his sister
in B) tells the magazine.

"I've modified the idea over the years. I thought if I unicycle from
Sydney to Melbourne, people would be interested in the story."

Johnson will leave Sydney on October 24 and plans to arrive in Melbourne
at Federation Square on November 25.

==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I believe in the Power of Good
I Believe in the State of Love
I Will Fight For the Right to be Right
I Will Kill for the Good of the Fight for the Right to be Right

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[JJuggle]

GOING OFF ROAD, ON ONE WHEEL ; A MOUNTAIN UNICYCLING CLUB

ABIGAIL LEICHMAN, STAFF WRITER
1,101 words
2 October 2003
The Record
All Editions.=.Two Star B. Two Star P. One Star B
U03
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Scott Bridgman's unicycle obsession began with a wheelchair.

A fellow mountain-biker who'd injured his ankle demonstrated a
wheelchair wheelie to Bridgman and invited him to try. But he couldn't
manage even one.

So disturbed was Bridgman at his lack of athletic prowess that, at age
44, he got himself a unicycle and determined to learn how to ride it.
His girlfriend, Jennie Bruno, also went one-wheeled.

Now, the two Morristown residents are part of a group that regularly
takes their unicycles off road in the off-beat sport of mountain
unicycling -- MUni for short.

"It's kind of an unusual sport," Bridgman concedes. But he insists it's
not extreme. Mountain unicyclists go only 1 or 2 mph and are suited up
with safety in mind.

"MUni is the act of riding over rough or uneven terrain on a unicycle
specially designed for the task," he explains on his Web site,
muniac.com.

"The challenge is to maintain balance and control while moving through
terrain that may include ... single track, sand, dirt, mud, streams,
logs, log buildups, roots, rocks, bridges, drops, snow, ice, grass,
uphills, and downhills."

Bruno says they bought their unicyles hoping that improved balance would
come in handy in skiing season. "We spent all of the summer of 1999
trying to beat this skill into our heads," she recalls. "After a lot of
bruises and scrapes, we figured it out."

And they were right about the balance factor: "For those out there that
are looking for an off-season balance sport to keep you in shape, MUni
is perfect," Bridgman contends.

But it was not easy to master. The trick was installing a bar along a
20-foot wall of their basement, which allowed them to slide along as
they practiced. They also picked up tips in Jack Wiley's "The Unicycle
Book."

Bridgman recalls that by July, a month after starting, they were ready
to venture beyond the basement. "After a dozen attempts with an assisted
start on smooth, level pavement, I managed to ride a very wobbly 50 feet
before dumping off. That first ride gave me the confidence to know I
could do it. Unicycling is so addictive once you get past that first
ride."

By November of that year, the pair had learned about MUni on the
Internet and wanted to try it. "We decided to get a Web site going,
figuring that maybe somebody else might be crazy like us," Bridgman
says. "Lo and behold, we started to get some interest. Now we have 12
people in the group."

The group, which rides about once a week unless the ground is too wet or
snowy, includes two men from Manhattan, one from Caldwell, one from
Cresskill, one from South Jersey, and two from Livingston.

Bruno remains the only female, and the ages range from early 20s to late
40s. But they all have one thing in common aside from their unicycles:
Every one of them has a technical job.

"We seem to enjoy the challenges and technicalities of what's required
to ride off road," says Bridgman. "You have to be able to do movements
rapidly and correct your balance constantly on a surface area the size
of a half dollar."

Bridgman is an electrical engineer who makes specialty design and
fabrication work with plastics and metals, a skill he has parlayed into
custom unicycle accessories he sells on his Web site.

Jeff Prosa, 24, of Cresskill, is a computer programmer. He says he once
spotted a guy unicycling across the Queensboro Bridge and decided to buy
one. "My friend and I became obsessed with it because it's so difficult
to ride," he says. "Even just trying to sit on it is difficult because
your legs have to adjust to the pedals."

It's also a tiring workout. "I've done a lot of bicycle riding, and I
thought I was in pretty good shape," says Prosa. "But after one loop on
the unicycle, I was burned out."

Now, he says, his bike is sitting in the garage with flat tire. "The
unicycle is much more of a challenge, and I prefer riding in the woods."


Bridgman calls MUni a "grabber sport," and Bruno explains that riders
are always curious to see what they can accomplish next.

"The thrill is getting the hang of that bend, or getting over that root
that you couldn't do before," says the information systems analyst.
"It's also a social thing. I would love to have another woman in our
group."

****

(SIDEBAR, PAGE 003)

WHERE TO MUni

The North Jersey MUni Invitational II, scheduled for Friday through
Saturday, will include riders from as far away as California,
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Each day's ride will last four to six
hours. Registration is required, writes Scott Bridgman on his Web site
(muniac.com), "but it's painless both to the wallet and body."

Bridgman's site also includes a list of state parks where he has tried
this sport, with commentary (muniac.com/trails.htm).

For instance, he writes that Ramapo Mountain State Forest has "six good
one-way runs" while Norvin Green State Park has "difficult terrain with
huge, slick rock formations."

Those who register with the site also get information on upcoming rides.


****

(SIDEBAR, PAGE 003)

MUni equipment

Expect to pay between $85 and $140 for a new 20-inch model. You can
check out bike stores or unicycle.com. Used equipment and custom
accessories are available on muniac.com.

Safety gear is a must, says Scott Bridgman. You'll need a good bike
helmet, good knee and shin pads, arm and elbow pads, and a back pad to
protect the tailbone. Padded cycling shorts and eye protection against
flying twigs and dirt also are recommended.

The slow speed helps keep down injuries, and unicyclists usually land on
their feet. But falls come with the territory.

"If you dump - I should say when you dump - you may have to tuck your
arms into your body and roll," says Bridgman. "Arm protection allows you
to roll out of a bad fall."

Bridgman's own worst "dump" to date resulted in a bloody knee rather
than a shattered kneecap, thanks to his pads. "Generally, the idea is to
confine injuries to bruises, bumps, and sprains."

Caption: ++++; PHOTO - A boulder is no obstacle for MUni enthusiast
Scott Bridgman. "The challenge is to maintain balance and control," he
says.
==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I believe in the Power of Good
I Believe in the State of Love
I Will Fight For the Right to be Right
I Will Kill for the Good of the Fight for the Right to be Right

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*One-wheeled wonders; Group to present Unicycle Tour de Leola*

Carole Deck, Correspondent
681 words
1 October 2003
Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal/Sunday News
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

It's the first time for young unicyclists to present the Unicycle Tour
de Leola. But members of The C.L.U.B. (The County of Lancaster Unicycle
Balancers) are sure it won't be the last one.

The free event will take place Oct. 19 at Leola Elementary School, 11
School Drive, Leola.

More than 90 unicyclists from four elementary schools, one middle and
one high school are scheduled to take a 3-mile ride around Leola.

Twelve members of The C.L.U.B. from Conestoga Valley Middle School and
high school are participating in the event. Trainers for the midle
school and high school are David Ramos and Sam Gruss.

Other participants include Leola Elementary School -- Paul Hosler,
trainer; John R. Bonfield Elementary School, Lititz -- Jerry McDonald,
trainer; Paradise Elementary and Leacock Elementary -- Melissa Fritts,
trainer; Doe Run Elementary -- Steve Fink, trainer; and Highland
Elementary, Ephrata -- Cindi Hess, trainer.

"Our goal for the event is to have people recognize the growing sport of
unicycling," said Marti Beiler, who helped organize the event sponsored
by The C.L.U.B.

Registration starts at 2 p.m. at Leola Elementary School.

The tour route starts at Leola Elementary and travels through the Maple
Development (Sunset Avenue, Rose Avenue, Maple Avenue, Aspen Drive,
Magnolia Drive, Conestoga Avenue, Blaine Avenue) and ends back at the
school.

Paul Hosler will be grand marshal and will lead the riders. Hosler, a
Leola Elementary gym teacher, was instrumental in introducing unicycling
to students in Conestoga Valley School District.

Beiler emphasized that the tour isn't a race, and riders will ride at
their own pace. C.L.U.B. parents will bicycle along with the unicyclists
to provide assistance if needed.

Their will be a free performance at 5 p.m. in the Leola Elementary
School gym.

Hot dogs, chips, ice cream and beverages will be available from 3 to 5
p.m.

For Zach Wilson, 13, of Leola, riding a unicycle is more challenging
than riding a bicycle.

"You can do some really neat tricks... like side mounts, free mounts and
my favorite riding with one foot," Wilson said.

Most of the C.L.U.B. members began riding in fourth grade.

Marti Beiler's son, Jason, 15, leads the group routines and is a
national gold medallist. His aspiration is to compete in the
International unicycle competition held in Japan this summer.

The unicyclists ride on 20-inch and 24-inch wheels as they perform a
variety of routines to demonstrate their skills. The students think
doing the "Macarena" is more fun done on a unicycle.

Melissa Gates, 13, of Leola, believes balance and confidence are
necessary to succeed in the sport.

"It takes persistence and practice.... You fall a lot while learning,"
Gates said.

"Ride through life... on one wheel" is The C.L.U.B. motto.

Krystle Chocker, 13, of Leola, is credited with the catchy motto that's
featured on their T-shirts.

"I hope lots of people come to our performance. It's entertainment and
sports combined," Chocker said.

For some students, learning to ride a unicycle made a difference in how
they viewed sports.

Christina Tabraham, 14, admitted it was a sport she could do and really
liked.

"I'm not into competitive sports. I unicycle because I enjoy it,"
Tabraham said.

According to Marti Beiler, C.L.U.B. members benefit from their trainers,
Ramos and Gruss. Both are international and national multi- gold
competitors.

Other C.L.U.B. members are Abbey Barton, Ian Anderson, Ryan Masser,
Katie Jones, Jeremiah Martin, Jonathan Martin and Sarah Dommel.

For more information about the unicycle tour, call Marti Beiler at
656-9264. Rain date is Oct. 26.

PHOTOS; Caption: Carole Deck; (1)Members of The County of Lancaster
Unicycle Balancers practice for an upcoming tour and performance.
(2)Conestoga Valley Middle School students Zach Wilson, left, and
Melissa Gates practice some moves on their unicycles. They are members
of The County of Lancaster Unicycle Balancers.

==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I believe in the Power of Good
I Believe in the State of Love
I Will Fight For the Right to be Right
I Will Kill for the Good of the Fight for the Right to be Right

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

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ACTOR'S SECRET PASSION

CLARE MASTERS
MATP
203 words
19 October 2003
Sunday Telegraph
1 - State
20
English
(c) 2003 Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd

TEN months ago, embarking on a unicycle odyssey between Sydney and
Melbourne was just a drunken New Year's Eve resolution for rising young
star Samuel Johnson.

Now that the notion has become a reality, he's getting nervous about the
prospect.

"I'd had the idea earlier, but I decided somewhat hazily that I had to
do it this year," he says.

The rubber-faced actor, known for his role as Evan Wylde in television's
The Secret Life of Us, is serious about the cause he's riding for: --
cancer charity CanTeen.

"My sister had cancer when she was 12 and I was 11, and that led to a
long-lasting relationship with CanTeen," he says.

"Finding out that my sister had cancer shocked me to my very core. It
completely changed my life."

During the 1000km Seek LifeCycle for CanTeen, which he hopes will raise
more than $600,000, Johnson will ride an average of 37km a day before
crossing the finish line in Melbourne on November 25.

You can make a donation to CanTeen by visiting www.seek.com.au and
clicking on CanTeen or by phoning 1300 789 769.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Practicing democracy between wars is like being a vegetarian between
meals.

“You’re an instrument of God, bound by the limit of time and space. . .

[JJuggle]

GOOD TIMES ROLL ; YOUNG COLLINS UNICYCLERS FIND FUN, FITNESS,
SELF-RESPECT

DAVID WICKERT
The News Tribune
499 words
15 October 2003
The News Tribune
South Sound
B03
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Blair McFarland's office at Collins Elementary School is filled with
footballs, basketballs, jump ropes and other accessories you'd expect to
find in a gym teacher's possession.

And then there are the unicycles.

About 50 of them hang from McFarland's office ceiling - except for an
hour each afternoon when students in the school's Coyote One- Wheelers
Unicycle Club practice. At those times, the ceiling empties and the gym
fills with grade-schoolers peddling the one-wheeled bikes in circles and
figure eights.

It's a spectacle that has become increasingly popular among McFarland's
students in the Summit-area school in the Franklin Pierce School
District.

"They just come out of their shell," he said. "They've found something
they can do and others can't."

Six years ago, McFarland got the idea for the club from the success
colleagues at other schools had teaching various "circus arts" like
juggling, tumbling and unicycling. McFarland decided to focus on
unicycling.

He had to encourage many of the original 20 club members to participate.
But when kids saw their friends cycling, he said, "it just snowballed."


Today, the club has 75 active riders and another 75 on a waiting list.
Participants range in age from Collins first-graders to middle-
schoolers who come back just for the cycling.

They are divided into two beginning groups, one intermediate group and
an advanced group. McFarland also coaches a performing group that
masters choreographed routines and rides at football and basketball
games and parades.

Last Wednesday, about two dozen intermediate and advanced youngsters
defied gravity at the Collins gym as McFarland put them through a series
of increasingly complex maneuvers. They zigged left and right around
cones, zagged around each other, practiced various mounts and rocked in
place. Most rode standard unicycles, though a few mounted "giraffe"
bikes that in some cases were taller than themselves.

McFarland said unicycling helps develop good balance, strength, body
control and coordination. Several club members agreed.

"It makes me work hard at something," said 12-year-old Kaelin Kerr.
"It's something to focus on."

"It's challenging," added 9-year-old Taylor Griffin.

But kids also have more kid-like reasons for enjoying unicycling.

"I think it's cool to show off to people," said 9-year-old Rachel
Sandoral. "People stare at you."

"It's fun. It's interesting," said 11-year-old Justin Osborn. "Not many
of my friends do that."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Practicing democracy between wars is like being a vegetarian between
meals.

“You’re an instrument of God, bound by the limit of time and space. . .

[JJuggle]

I know Ramos and Lowell, two of our many Davids rode this event. And
look, Nikkifrog got a quote! Way to go all.

The search at 'LancasterOnline'
(http://www.lancasteronline.com/archives.shtm) does not currently
retrieve this article, but may in the coming days. Who knows, there may
be a picture.

==============================================
UNICYCLISTS HAVE A WHEEL GOOD TIME ON LOCAL TOUR

Madelyn Pennino
524 words
20 October 2003
Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal/Sunday News
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Whizzing around the parking lot of Leola Elementary School on Sunday,
unicyclists practiced their free mounts, jump mounts and zig- zags -
skills required of any seasoned unicyclist.

About 80 unicyclists from several local school districts and their
parents participated in a three-mile tour through Maple Development, a
neighborhood within walking distance of the school.

The tour was organized through the County of Lancaster Unicycle
Balancers, or CLUB. Marti Beiler, a member of CLUB and parent of a
unicyclist, spearheaded the event. "I think people are shying away from
unicycling as a sport," Beiler said. "There are a lot of people who know
how to ride, but don't continue to develop their skills."

Not true for Beiler's son, Jason, who has captured the title of 2003
World Champion Gold Medalist in the obstacle course category. Jason, a
freshman at Conestoga Valley High School, said riding a unicycle didn't
come naturally in the beginning.

"I wasn't very good at first," Beiler said. "Not until I started feeling
myself get used to the bike." Beiler, who will continue to compete
nationally and internationally, rode a six-inch wheel unicycle on
Sunday's tour.

Short or tall, big wheels or small wheels, there were as many different
kinds of unicycles as there were unicylists.

Jenna Miller, 12, of Ephrata Middle School, started riding her unicycle
a year ago as part of a unit in her elementary school gym class. Though
she is relatively new to the sport, she said the tour didn't wear her
out. "I wasn't tired afterward," Jenna said. "It was fun."

Three bicyclists rode alongside unicyclists to supervise the tour.
Streets were open during the ride. However, East Lampeter Township
police directed traffic at intersections.

Most of the students who participated in the tour were introduced to
unicycle-riding during physical education class in elementary school. A
large portion of those students are also part of CLUB, which was formed
in January to raise interest in unicycling and for people to maintain
interest in the sport.

Paul Hosler, a physical education teacher at Leola Elementary, said the
tour will encourage students to share their skills. "It's a great
opportunity for kids who know how to unicycle to learn from each other
and be together, Hosler said.

One unicyclist is so committed to the sport she drove four hours from
Coudersport to participate.

Nikki Morley, 15, said she learned about the event at the national
unicyclist convention this past summer. "I'm the only unicyclist in my
area," Nikki said. I have to travel to be with other unicyclists. But
I'm thinking of starting a club at my school."

As for Warwick student Rachel Olena, she won't have any trouble sticking
to riding her unicycle. "This (sport) is unusual," Rachel said, "Not
many people know about riding a unicycle. That's why I like it."

After the ride, students ate hot dogs, chips and ice cream courtesy of
local businesses. Unicycle performances by several school districts
ended the day in Leola Elementary's gymnasium.
==============================================

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

if you kant beet 'em joyn 'em

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

ONE-WHEEL CYCLISTS BOUND FOR NT

By ANTHONY BARICH
260 words
1 November 2003
Sunday Territorian
1 -
80
English
(c) 2003

The Unicycling Association of the NT (UniANT) has beaten Brisbane,
Campbelltown and Castlemaine for the right to host the 2005 National
Unicycling Championships (UniNats '05).

UniNats '05 will involve track racing, mountain unicycling, hockey,
basketball, freestyle riding and urban trials -- all on one wheel.
UniANT expects more than 100 riders to attend the July 2-5 nationals.

UniANT will host UniNats '05 at various venues around the Top End after
joining with Tourism Top End and NT Athletics to make the bid.

"UniANT put forth a very professional bid promoting Darwin and the Top
End," said Wayne Van Wijk, Brisbane-based president of AUS (Australian
Unicycling Society), the sport's national body.

"The AUS looks forward to working with UniANT to put on a sporting event
unlike anything the Territory has seen before."

The winning bid was announced on Thursday at Fannie Bay at a
demonstration ride by the NT's champion unicyclists from the recent
nationals.

Continued: Page 77

NT to host titles

From Back Page

UniANT president Karen Martin-Stone said unicycling is a young sport in
the NT -- at the recent UniNats, riders ranged in age from 7-71.

"You can learn to unicycle, whatever age you are," Martin-Stone said.

"It is an excellent sport for people seeking something exciting,
challenging and unique."

Australia's female National Mountain Unicycling champion Debbie Hyder is
now introducing adult classes to Darwin.

People interested in learning to ride can visit www.UnicyclingNT.com or
phone Hyder on 8983 3898.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

A short one, but another school uni club.

PEDALING FOR PERFECTION

94 words
5 November 2003
St. Petersburg Times
1; 1; 3B
English
Copyright 2003 St. Petersburg Times.

(ran SS edition of METRO & STATE)

Katrina Sawaska, 9, from left, Kaitlin Castle, 10, and Lindsey Norton,
8, practice Tuesday with Oldsmar Elementary School's unicycle club in
Oldsmar. Members of the club, founded in 1995 by school principal David
Schmitt, plan to ride in the Safety Harbor and the Oldsmar Days parades
and a school talent show.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

A short one, but another school uni club.

PEDALING FOR PERFECTION

94 words
5 November 2003
St. Petersburg Times
1; 1; 3B
English
Copyright 2003 St. Petersburg Times.

(ran SS edition of METRO & STATE)

Katrina Sawaska, 9, from left, Kaitlin Castle, 10, and Lindsey Norton,
8, practice Tuesday with Oldsmar Elementary School's unicycle club in
Oldsmar. Members of the club, founded in 1995 by school principal David
Schmitt, plan to ride in the Safety Harbor and the Oldsmar Days parades
and a school talent show.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

EXTREME UNICYCLIST

Alexa Moses
379 words
5 November 2003
The Sydney Morning Herald
9
English
© 2003 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.smh.com.au Not
available for re-distribution.

I ride therefore i am

Alex Toms's obsession doesn't need to be talked up. To get his jollies,
the 17-year-old from Campbelltown rides down rough mountain tracks,
travels on the edges of bridges or hops over gaps - on his trusty
unicycle.

"It's extreme unicycling," Toms says. "I wear a helmet when I
mountain-cycle because it's pretty crazy. We used to go without
protection and I've concussed myself, which was serious."

He took up unicycling when he was 14, as part of a circus arts course at
the Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, where he's doing his HSC.
Nowadays, he relaxes by unicycling around Campbelltown and the city with
his mates, ignoring the stares of riders on conventional two-wheelers.


"Bikers, I'm not sure what they think of us," he says. "Both sports are
really similar. Unicycling isn't as extreme as cycling but it's much
more difficult. You can't go backflipping on a unicycle, like bikes. But
a bike is just too easy now."

Toms competed recently in the national unicycle trials, where he took
the Australian records for high jump and long jump. You high-jump on a
unicycle, he explains, by bouncing on the unicycle like bunny-hopping on
a standard bike. The aim is to get over the high bar and ride away
without falling over.

Tips for would-be unicyclists?

"Unicycles have fixed pedals. Which means you can't stop pedalling and
keep moving. If you stop pedalling, you stop. Most of them don't have
brakes. So you don't want to go that fast."

Toms says he wishes he could learn to ride his unicycle again because
the learning stages were fun.

"But I got into bad habits thinking it was a bicycle. It was hard to let
go of the bike feel and learn the Unicycle Way."

Zen and the art of unicycle maintenance, maybe?

"Yes, it's very spiritual," he says.

For the 10 unicycling skill levels of the Unicycling Society of America
visit www.unicycling.org/unicycling/skills/skills.html


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

EXTREME UNICYCLIST

Alexa Moses
379 words
5 November 2003
The Sydney Morning Herald
9
English
© 2003 Copyright John Fairfax Holdings Limited. www.smh.com.au Not
available for re-distribution.

I ride therefore i am

Alex Toms's obsession doesn't need to be talked up. To get his jollies,
the 17-year-old from Campbelltown rides down rough mountain tracks,
travels on the edges of bridges or hops over gaps - on his trusty
unicycle.

"It's extreme unicycling," Toms says. "I wear a helmet when I
mountain-cycle because it's pretty crazy. We used to go without
protection and I've concussed myself, which was serious."

He took up unicycling when he was 14, as part of a circus arts course at
the Campbelltown Performing Arts High School, where he's doing his HSC.
Nowadays, he relaxes by unicycling around Campbelltown and the city with
his mates, ignoring the stares of riders on conventional two-wheelers.


"Bikers, I'm not sure what they think of us," he says. "Both sports are
really similar. Unicycling isn't as extreme as cycling but it's much
more difficult. You can't go backflipping on a unicycle, like bikes. But
a bike is just too easy now."

Toms competed recently in the national unicycle trials, where he took
the Australian records for high jump and long jump. You high-jump on a
unicycle, he explains, by bouncing on the unicycle like bunny-hopping on
a standard bike. The aim is to get over the high bar and ride away
without falling over.

Tips for would-be unicyclists?

"Unicycles have fixed pedals. Which means you can't stop pedalling and
keep moving. If you stop pedalling, you stop. Most of them don't have
brakes. So you don't want to go that fast."

Toms says he wishes he could learn to ride his unicycle again because
the learning stages were fun.

"But I got into bad habits thinking it was a bicycle. It was hard to let
go of the bike feel and learn the Unicycle Way."

Zen and the art of unicycle maintenance, maybe?

"Yes, it's very spiritual," he says.

For the 10 unicycling skill levels of the Unicycling Society of America
visit www.unicycling.org/unicycling/skills/skills.html


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

So many jerks, so little time.

LITTLE MOMENTS IN GOTHAM

Reviewed by John McMurtrie
Chronicle Staff Writer
542 words
2 November 2003
The San Francisco Chronicle
FINAL
M.2
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

The Colossus of New York

A City in Thirteen Parts

By Colson Whitehead

DOUBLEDAY; 158 PAGES; $19.95

-------------------------------

For a brisk, freeform book that weighs in at a mere 158 pages, the
grandiose title "The Colossus of New York" is only slightly less lofty
than the Big Apple's top-of-the-world ego.

In trying to capture the majesty and complexity of his native city,
novelist Colson Whitehead has written 13 nonfiction chapters that read
as a stream-of-consciousness riff, an impressionistic take on a place
whose mutability, as he points out, makes it hard to pin down.

At its best, "Colossus" illuminates innumerable little moments that
define the city. "A man hands out leaflets," Whitehead writes in a
chapter on Times Square, "and they shun him as if he held a sheaf of
virus and not merely advertisements for discount prosthetics."

At its worst, the book strays toward overly grand and groovy
pronouncements. "Hit the town. It hits back," Whitehead muses in a
chapter on nightlife downtown. (The world-weary voice, one of several he
adopts, is especially precious for a writer who is 33 years old.) Times
Square, meanwhile, inspires this unironic insight (cue the smooth jazz):
"Oh, the lights. At night you need shades."

Being a New Yorker, Whitehead, author of "The Intuitionist" and "John
Henry Days," brings a New York attitude to his enterprise. It's only
appropriate, of course, but one senses that he's striving extra hard to
play the part of the urban misanthrope who loves his city but not its
inhabitants. He dishes out unimaginative put-downs for "the jerk at the
intersection," *"some jerk on a unicycle,"* "fools" who wade in
fountains and "him again, that rheumy bitch" on the subway.

Thankfully, "Colossus" has flashes of keenly observed and mordant humor.
Writing in the second person, he paints a vivid picture of the gloomy,
neurotic underworld of the subway: "Look down the tunnel one more time
and your behavior will describe a psychiatric disorder. It's
infectious." Of the advertisements staring out at riders, he observes:
"Along the fungi hall of fame we are introduced to ailments. Has anybody
ever in history copied down the phone number of the dermatologist with
the sinister name."

Though what he's written is, at heart, a love letter to New York,
Whitehead, oddly, makes no reference to the devastation brought about by
the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But he does reflect on the impermanence
of place: "One day the city we built will be gone, and when it goes, we
go. When the buildings fall, we topple, too."

What best emerges from Whitehead's book is a sense of New York as a
living, breathing entity, a benign force that always looks after its
own:

"You say you know these streets pretty well? The city knows you better
than any living person because it has seen you when you are alone. It
saw you steeling yourself for the job interview, slowly walking home
after the late date, tripping over nonexistent impediments on the
sidewalk. . . . The city saw all that. Remembers, too."

E-mail John McMurtrie at .

Document SFC0000020031102dzb20000u


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

So many jerks, so little time.

LITTLE MOMENTS IN GOTHAM

Reviewed by John McMurtrie
Chronicle Staff Writer
542 words
2 November 2003
The San Francisco Chronicle
FINAL
M.2
English
Copyright (c) 2003 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

The Colossus of New York

A City in Thirteen Parts

By Colson Whitehead

DOUBLEDAY; 158 PAGES; $19.95

-------------------------------

For a brisk, freeform book that weighs in at a mere 158 pages, the
grandiose title "The Colossus of New York" is only slightly less lofty
than the Big Apple's top-of-the-world ego.

In trying to capture the majesty and complexity of his native city,
novelist Colson Whitehead has written 13 nonfiction chapters that read
as a stream-of-consciousness riff, an impressionistic take on a place
whose mutability, as he points out, makes it hard to pin down.

At its best, "Colossus" illuminates innumerable little moments that
define the city. "A man hands out leaflets," Whitehead writes in a
chapter on Times Square, "and they shun him as if he held a sheaf of
virus and not merely advertisements for discount prosthetics."

At its worst, the book strays toward overly grand and groovy
pronouncements. "Hit the town. It hits back," Whitehead muses in a
chapter on nightlife downtown. (The world-weary voice, one of several he
adopts, is especially precious for a writer who is 33 years old.) Times
Square, meanwhile, inspires this unironic insight (cue the smooth jazz):
"Oh, the lights. At night you need shades."

Being a New Yorker, Whitehead, author of "The Intuitionist" and "John
Henry Days," brings a New York attitude to his enterprise. It's only
appropriate, of course, but one senses that he's striving extra hard to
play the part of the urban misanthrope who loves his city but not its
inhabitants. He dishes out unimaginative put-downs for "the jerk at the
intersection," *"some jerk on a unicycle,"* "fools" who wade in
fountains and "him again, that rheumy bitch" on the subway.

Thankfully, "Colossus" has flashes of keenly observed and mordant humor.
Writing in the second person, he paints a vivid picture of the gloomy,
neurotic underworld of the subway: "Look down the tunnel one more time
and your behavior will describe a psychiatric disorder. It's
infectious." Of the advertisements staring out at riders, he observes:
"Along the fungi hall of fame we are introduced to ailments. Has anybody
ever in history copied down the phone number of the dermatologist with
the sinister name."

Though what he's written is, at heart, a love letter to New York,
Whitehead, oddly, makes no reference to the devastation brought about by
the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But he does reflect on the impermanence
of place: "One day the city we built will be gone, and when it goes, we
go. When the buildings fall, we topple, too."

What best emerges from Whitehead's book is a sense of New York as a
living, breathing entity, a benign force that always looks after its
own:

"You say you know these streets pretty well? The city knows you better
than any living person because it has seen you when you are alone. It
saw you steeling yourself for the job interview, slowly walking home
after the late date, tripping over nonexistent impediments on the
sidewalk. . . . The city saw all that. Remembers, too."

E-mail John McMurtrie at .

Document SFC0000020031102dzb20000u


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[Klaas Bil]

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:06:55 -0600, JJuggle
> wrote:

>So many jerks, so little time.

Gosh, that was hidden!

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
Grizzly bear droppings have bells in them and smell like pepper spray. - UniBrier

[Klaas Bil]

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:06:55 -0600, JJuggle
> wrote:

>So many jerks, so little time.

Gosh, that was hidden!

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
Grizzly bear droppings have bells in them and smell like pepper spray. - UniBrier

[unibabyguy]

'Powdersville students find niche as unicyclists (with picture)'
(http://tinyurl.com/ukvc)


--
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[unibabyguy]

'Powdersville students find niche as unicyclists (with picture)'
(http://tinyurl.com/ukvc)


--
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[unibabyguy]

'Hey Joe, Try This (picture of newbie trying to ride)'
(http://tinyurl.com/ukwa)


--
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[unibabyguy]

'Hey Joe, Try This (picture of newbie trying to ride)'
(http://tinyurl.com/ukwa)


--
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[JJuggle]

Klaas Bil wrote:
> *On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:06:55 -0600, JJuggle
> > wrote:
>
> >So many jerks, so little time.
>
> Gosh, that was hidden!
> *
Yes, and in plain view. :)

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Klaas Bil wrote:
> *On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:06:55 -0600, JJuggle
> > wrote:
>
> >So many jerks, so little time.
>
> Gosh, that was hidden!
> *
Yes, and in plain view. :)

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

unibabyguy wrote:
> *'Powdersville students find niche as unicyclists (with picture)'
> (http://tinyurl.com/ukvc) *
Nice one. Thanks for that and the "Hey Joe" photo.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

unibabyguy wrote:
> *'Powdersville students find niche as unicyclists (with picture)'
> (http://tinyurl.com/ukvc) *
Nice one. Thanks for that and the "Hey Joe" photo.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Never have so few done so much for so few. - Jim Hightower on the Bush
administration

"...and lately I've been satisfied by simple things,
like breathing in and breathing out."
- Natalie Merchant
"...and a new uni" - RL
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

I myself am at this moment awaiting a UPS delivery from Unicycle.com.
:)

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

==============================================
*UPS and The UPS Store Stand Ready for Holiday Shipping.*

1,245 words
19 November 2003
Pressi.com
English
(c) Copyright 2003 by www.pressi.com

More Than 300 Million Packages Expected During Peak Season ATLANTA, Nov.
18, 2003 - For the second straight year, the calendar has thrown UPS
(NYSE: UPS) and a bevy of holiday shoppers and shippers a short holiday
season. But with more players on the team, including more than 3,100
newly branded The UPS Store retail locations, UPS is ready to deliver
more than 300 million packages during the holidays. Thanksgiving falls
on Nov. 27 this year, leaving just 18 delivery days during that peak"
period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While that's one day more
than 2002, it still means holiday shippers can't delay too long with
their packages. And it also means UPS is taking steps to highlight
various options that make the shipping process faster, easier and more
efficient. Most customers who used to drive across town to pack and ship
their gifts can find UPS right around the corner at The UPS Store in
their neighborhood," said Rocky Romanella, vice president, UPS Retail
Services.

The 3,100 U.S. locations of The UPS Store not only provide customers
holiday convenience, but also lower UPS shipping prices." UPS is no
stranger to the retail sector. UPS synchronizes the movement of goods to
store shelves and homes for major retailers, catalogers and e-tailers
such as Best Buy, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Lands' End and
Amazon.com. Additionally, small businesses like *'Unicycle.com'
(http://www.unicycle.com)*, which nets 40 percent of its annual sales
during November and December, count on UPS to conquer the holiday crunch
just as large retailers do. UPS has been critical to our success since I
first began selling unicycles from my basement three years ago," said
John Drummond, the founder of Unicyle.com. UPS's technology is as vital
to helping us fulfill the surge of orders as the drivers are to
delivering them. In fact, it has enabled us to recently start another
online business called *'Banjo.com' (http://www.banjo.com)*."...


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

...and when she passes she smiles, but she doesn't see.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[psycholist]

I am, too.

"psycholist"

"JJuggle" > wrote in
message clist.com...
>
> I myself am at this moment awaiting a UPS delivery from Unicycle.com.
> :)
>
> Raphael Lasar
> Matawan, NJ
>
> ==============================================
> *UPS and The UPS Store Stand Ready for Holiday Shipping.*
>
> 1,245 words
> 19 November 2003
> Pressi.com
> English
> (c) Copyright 2003 by www.pressi.com
>
> More Than 300 Million Packages Expected During Peak Season ATLANTA, Nov.
> 18, 2003 - For the second straight year, the calendar has thrown UPS
> (NYSE: UPS) and a bevy of holiday shoppers and shippers a short holiday
> season. But with more players on the team, including more than 3,100
> newly branded The UPS Store retail locations, UPS is ready to deliver
> more than 300 million packages during the holidays. Thanksgiving falls
> on Nov. 27 this year, leaving just 18 delivery days during that peak"
> period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While that's one day more
> than 2002, it still means holiday shippers can't delay too long with
> their packages. And it also means UPS is taking steps to highlight
> various options that make the shipping process faster, easier and more
> efficient. Most customers who used to drive across town to pack and ship
> their gifts can find UPS right around the corner at The UPS Store in
> their neighborhood," said Rocky Romanella, vice president, UPS Retail
> Services.
>
> The 3,100 U.S. locations of The UPS Store not only provide customers
> holiday convenience, but also lower UPS shipping prices." UPS is no
> stranger to the retail sector. UPS synchronizes the movement of goods to
> store shelves and homes for major retailers, catalogers and e-tailers
> such as Best Buy, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Lands' End and
> Amazon.com. Additionally, small businesses like *'Unicycle.com'
> (http://www.unicycle.com)*, which nets 40 percent of its annual sales
> during November and December, count on UPS to conquer the holiday crunch
> just as large retailers do. UPS has been critical to our success since I
> first began selling unicycles from my basement three years ago," said
> John Drummond, the founder of Unicyle.com. UPS's technology is as vital
> to helping us fulfill the surge of orders as the drivers are to
> delivering them. In fact, it has enabled us to recently start another
> online business called *'Banjo.com' (http://www.banjo.com)*."...
>
>
> --
> JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists
>
> ..and when she passes she smiles, but she doesn't see.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148
>

[Klaas Bil]

On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 13:30:13 -0600, JJuggle
> wrote:

>Klaas Bil wrote:
>> *On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 14:06:55 -0600, JJuggle
>> > wrote:
>>
>> >So many jerks, so little time.
>>
>> Gosh, that was hidden!
>> *
>Yes, and in plain view. :)
>
>Raphael Lasar
>Matawan, NJ

I'm not sure you understood my comment, nor am I sure I understood
yours. I meant to say that the string 'unicycl' was hidden somewhere
in that long text.

I usually read via the newgroup as you will know. But just yesterday I
saw your latest contribution in this thread on the forum, and I
noticed the search word appears in bold font. I never knew about that
formatting on the forum, but it certainly detracts from the
hiddenness.

So now I would say, paraphrasing both of our comments: "Gosh, that was
hidden in plain ASCII view!"

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"My butt has a crack in it , but I can still ride. - spyder"

[JJuggle]

TRICKY RIDE FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

the staff of the North Yorkshire Advertiser
209 words
2 December 2003
Newsquest Media Group Newspapers
English
© Copyright 2003 Newsquest Digital Media.

The North East

Unicyclists Jason Ayre, left, 12, and Alex McAulay, 13, of Richmond

TWO school friends have put their circus skills to good use by going on
a sponsored unicycle ride.

Alex McAulay, 13, of Skeeby, near Richmond, and Jason Ayre, 12, of
Richmond raised £170 for Children in Need when they unicycled 4.4 miles
from the town's Holly Hill Inn to the village of Downholme on Saturday,
November 22.

They learnt to unicycle at Richmond School's circus club and can also
juggle and play unicycle hockey.

Alex said: "It was hard work and quite tiring but it was worth it. We
will probably do it again next year, but go there and back instead of
just one way.

"The circus club is really good fun and we played unicycle hockey
against the British champions last month. We even beat them in a couple
of games."

The pair aimed to raise even more money for Children in Need by
organising a stall at Richmond School Fair last Thursday night and
making their school friends guess how long the sponsored ride took them
to complete.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I have to be careful not to preach
I can't pretend that I can teach,
And yet I've lived your future out
By pounding stages like a clown.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

WHERE THERE'S A WHEEL...

By JOHN MYERS.
657 words
24 November 2003
Evening Standard
9
English
(c) 2003 The Evening Standard, INL

IT'S arguable that freestyle BMX came out of the circus ring and on to
the streets and tracks. Can the unicycle do the same thing?

Can it be the next weird thing after the skateboard, rollerblades and
(just landing) Heelys? Will they be just as popular with the ACC?

Steve Pavarno of Palmerston North, and a couple of fellow exponents from
Auckland, are planning to make it work. They're on the way to setting up
their business - unicycle.co.nz, the Kiwi end of United States-based
unicycle.com - and Steve has been through a 14-part Biz training course
with small business adviser Sandra Anderson.

The incentive?

"It's free, government-funded business training - and I needed it."

And he says he got a lot of valuable knowledge out of it, both from the
courses and from rubbing off with people setting out on their own
business ventures.

"It's a really impressive set-up - we usually had 20 or 25 at the
sessions, and soon there were a lot of familiar faces and good
cameraderie."

Steve - it's a little hard to think of a guy who uses a unicycle like
most people use shoes as "Mr Pavarno", even if Wellington has no
problems with high-profile unicycling house surgeon Dr Ken Looi - has a
Massey degree in computer science. He also has a business background in
his own website development operation. That experience has gone into
building unicycle.co.nz as an internet-based retail, information and
promotional business, with its trading base in Palmerston North.

The administration structure and company governance, with fellow
directors Peter Bier and Tony Melton in Auckland, is also web based.

Steve is "general manager" primarily because his fellow directors and
unicyclists have too much on their individual plates. Mr Bier is a
biotechnologist working on a project to teach a computer to replicate
the human larynx (voice box). Mr Melton is an honours graduate in
chemistry.

All three are nuts about unicycles, and took the step of forming the
company because of the costs and time delays they and like-minded
one-wheelers faced to get quality gear in from the United States.

"I suppose there's always the chance we'll wind up being our own best
customers," he says.

But so far, with a half-tonne of unicycles having arrived this month,
it's looking good.

Steve can often be seen unicycling around the city, or doing longer
trips around the region in preparation for a coming Taupo distance
event.

"I did Bunnythorpe and back last weekend. Traffic doesn't know what to
do with a unicycle."

Unicycles, says Steve, are not just playground toys - though that's as a
good a place as any to start. The various "styles" extend from commuter
to freestyle (stunts), trail riding, trials (obstacles) and extreme
mountain (muni) unicycle.

While there have been small groups around the country, on and off, he
believes the unicycle has suffered from lack of a national body - and
that's something the trio are working to correct. The proposed NZ
Unicycle Federation is advancing as a web-based project advancing at
unicycle.org.nz.

He's working with schools, presenting the unicycle as an achievable,
impressive skill and a co-ordination developer.

"It's a great self-esteem booster - `Wow! I can do it!' - for students
who might not be great academic achievers, and its a strength-and
fitness-builder.

"A lot of people who can handle a BMX can be riding a unicycle, the
basics, in about 20 minutes," Steve says.

He's just landed a 10-unicycle order from a school. But he's expecting
the main business will come from the growing extreme sport unicycle
community.

A regular fun and promotional event is Saturday morning beginner lessons
and unicycle hockey at the Memorial Park skating rink, picking up a
growing following.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I have to be careful not to preach
I can't pretend that I can teach,
And yet I've lived your future out
By pounding stages like a clown.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[hole-in-my-shoe]

JJuggle wrote:
> *
> The naked truth: Strickland once joked that as the lawyer for the
> student body at the University of Virginia, she probably represented
> more streakers than any other attorney in the United States. She
> suspects she can still claim that. She remembers one client who was
> caught after riding a unicycle* - naked.


Yet another reason why you shouldn't buy a used unicycle on Ebay - you
don't know where it's been.


--
hole-in-my-shoe - getting bigger
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[Klaas Bil]

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 07:12:07 -0600, JJuggle
> wrote:

>"A lot of people who can handle a BMX can be riding a unicycle, the
>basics, in about 20 minutes," Steve says.

Sales talk, that.
I guess many learners are in for a deception.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"Friends don't let friends drop to flat - Kris Holm, discussing large drops to flat ground."

[JJuggle]

IT'S ONE WHEEL FOR MATT.

164 words
4 December 2003
North Devon Journal
49
English
(c) 2003 North Devon Journal

Is one wheel better than two? Matt Lemon, 29, from Braunton thinks so.
Instead of a bike he pedals to work on a unicycle.

He admits to falling off "only occasionally". Adding: "You have to start
from scratch, its just like riding a bike. Practice makes perfect."
After parking his car on the outskirts of Barnstaple, it only takes him
about four minutes to get to work at Our Price. Otherwise it would take
him 10 minutes to walk.

Matt loves the attention and even rides the unicycle to pick up his
Indian takeaway in Braunton.

Stilt-walking and fire-juggling are also part of his repertoire. His
juggling has taken him to exotic locations like Ibiza and Malta and he
is a regular juggler at Glastonbury music festival.

Matt said: "I have actually played unicycle hockey before which was
great, so if there's anyone out there that's interested I'd love to know
about them."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I have to be careful not to preach
I can't pretend that I can teach,
And yet I've lived your future out
By pounding stages like a clown.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[unibabyguy]

Article on elementary school unicycle club in Central Ohio:

'Stunt kids keep rolling along' (http://tinyurl.com/yrxm)


--
unibabyguy - Hunter-riding Municyclist
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[Klaas Bil]

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 10:17:09 -0600, unibabyguy
m> wrote:

>Article on elementary school unicycle club in Central Ohio:
>>'Stunt kids keep rolling along' (http://tinyurl.com/yrxm)

Maybe this is a good opportunity to point out that I like it that
JJuggle quotes the full text in his posts. For one thing, the texts
are 'safe' even though the original source may delete it, put it
behind a password, change the url, whatever. In addition, as an
offline (newsgroup) reader I would otherwise have to reconnect to the
net, for which I am frequently too lazy (and it costs more money).

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"Friends don't let friends drop to flat - Kris Holm, discussing large drops to flat ground."

[unibabyguy]

Good point, but the original article is copyrighted.


--
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[Klaas Bil]

unibabyguy wrote:
> *Good point, but the original article is copyrighted. *

Not more so, I think, than many of the articles JJuggle quotes in full.
And as a librarian he'll know what he does (in that respect, I should
add respectfully).

Klaas Bil


--
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLE SHOP TO GO

536 words
13 December 2003
Newsquest Media Group Newspapers
English
© Copyright 2003 Newsquest Digital Media.

Bolton

A SPECIALIST shop selling unicycles and other unique gifts is the latest
in a long line of retailers to move out of an isolated town centre
shopping complex.

Traders in the award-winning St Andrew's Court centre say that because
of a lack of promotion of the arcade they are struggling to compete with
out of town shopping centres.

Over the last few years, the court has seen several businesses close
down and relocate, leaving numerous empty shop units.

Card and gift shop Zebra, which sells unicycles, will be closing at
Christmas after 18 years in business.

Owner Gillian Terrell says that a combination of strict changes in
parking rules, out of town shopping centres and pedestrianisation of
surrounding streets have all contributed to her decision not to renew
the lease on the unit.

She said: "The area is no longer a busy thoroughfare into the town
centre, which used to attract a lot of passing trade.

"And there has been the construction of many retail parks around the
outskirts which is leaving Bolton like a doughnut -- with everything
around the outside and nothing in the middle.

"It's very sad because it could be a very busy shopping area."

St Andrew's Court, which houses 21 shop units, was built in the late
1970s and was billed as Bolton's showpiece shopping centre.

Mrs Terrell also said that large chain stores opening in the town centre
are slowly driving out traditional independent businesses.

Sue Calland, who owns and runs Mea Fashion in the court, said she relied
heavily on regular custom built up over the years.

Although happy with her place in the complex and the business it brings,
Mrs Calland said the area as a whole could do with more promotion to
attract new custom and businesses.

Bolton Council is currently using some of the empty shop units to
display work by professional local based artists.

Business owners in the complex hope this will attract more shoppers to
the court.

Andrew Dickson, owner of the successful St Andrew's Travel which is also
based in the arcade, said: "Some of the businesses in St Andrew's Court
have been affected by the general reduction in visitors to the town
centre.

"This has been created by the reduction in parking and lack of
investment in the infrastructure in the town centre. It becomes a
downward spiral when you get shops closing.

"The council needs to make stronger use of the law regarding issues like
fly-posting, litter louts and begging."

Mr Dickson is calling on landlords to invest in their properties,
improve lighting and lower rents so that businesses will be encouraged
to come into the town centre.

A spokesman for St Andrew's Court management said: "We are aware of some
problems which need addressing and moves are afoot to put our efforts
into these matters.

"Lighting and signange of the court are obvious issues, and capital
investment is certainly needed.

"We have appointed a permanent manager to the site for the first time in
a number of years, and he will focus efforts on making changes and
getting things moving again in St Andrew's Court."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

I have to be careful not to preach
I can't pretend that I can teach,
And yet I've lived your future out
By pounding stages like a clown.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLISTS TAKE TO MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS

By DEB ACORD
The Gazette
820 words
12 January 2004
16:17
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - Extreme mountain biking, extreme
snowmobiling. Extreme skateboarding and in-line skating. Motocross and
skiercross and all the other 'crosses.

They're so yesterday.

At least for Aaron Dubois, a local teenager who has all those old, tired
extreme sports beat. Dubois has embraced a sport that's so cutting-edge,
so new, so X, he appears to be only one of a handful in the state to
master it.

Dubois is a municyclist, a relatively new word for the relatively new
sport of mountain unicycling.

Several times a week Dubois pedals a shiny but scarred unicycle up and
down rugged trails favored by downhill mountain bikers. On a recent
sunny morning, Dubois took to a rough, rock-strewn hillside dotted with
spiky yucca and withered cacti.

Municycles, like the one Dubois rides, have knobby tires, big saddles
and mountain bike pedals. Like all unicycles, they have no gears and no
way to coast. The rider pedals constantly. One rotation forward takes
him forward the length of one rotation of the wheel. If he stops
pedaling, the municycle stops.

So municycle riders are always pedaling, uphill and downhill. With one
hand gripping the horn of the oversized seat and the other arm
outstretched for balance, a municyclist moves in jumps and starts,
continually adjusting for balance.

Speed isn't the issue. At unicycle races, according to the Unicycling
Society of America, 17 mph is a common speed for the 100-meter winner;
14 mph for the 1,600 meter and 11 mph for a 10K. Dubois figures he rides
about 2 mph on trails.

That doesn't mean you can't get anywhere on a municycle. Just ask Ed
Hansen of Florence. Hansen, 30, is a corrections officer who has ridden
a municycle since February.

He used to explore trails on a mountain bike. Now, he rides a municycle
with his mountain biking friends.

"If it's really smooth and straight and they can use their gears, they
leave me in the dust," he says. "But if it's rough, technical stuff and
we're going downhill, we go the same speed. If we're going uphill, I can
even pass them sometimes."

Like Hansen, Dubois has learned the power of a municycle -- but it took
a while. Dubois is 14 and home-schooled. A fan of science fiction, a
"true believer" in aliens and an avid model builder, he has tried
skateboarding and extreme inline skating and snowboarding, and is
proficient at downhill mountain biking.

On a whim last Christmas he asked for a unicycle. When he got it, he
spent a few weeks in his driveway trying to learn to ride it. "There was
about a week when I gave it up. It was hard to learn," he says.

But he couldn't resist the shiny one-wheeled bike, so he worked on it
until he could ride it.

Dubois left the driveway for a dirt hill near his house, and soon
graduated to trails in his Cheyenne Mountain neighborhood.

He discovered that balance was crucial, and that unicycling, especially
the mountain variety, can take its toll on his legs.

"But in some ways, it's easier than riding a bike. There's only one
wheel to worry about, and it's always a thrill."

Now, Dubois seeks out the perfect day on his municycle: a sunny, warm,
T-shirts and shorts kind of day. His only regret? "That I don't have
somebody to do it with me."

The hardest part of perfecting the municycle, Dubois says, has been
coping with the reaction of his peers. Kids called him "circus freak"
when they saw him riding on one wheel.

That's a common reaction to the unicycle, which, for generations, has
been associated with the circus ring.

But that may be changing. Municycle events and clubs dot California and
elsewhere. Web sites such as the one run by a municycle pioneer John
Foss, unicycling.com, detail events and provide news about the exploding
sport. The North American Unicycling Championships last summer in
Minneapolis attracted 350 unicyclists.

Unicycles have even taken on Moab, Utah, considered the mecca of
mountain biking. Ed Hansen met other muni-minded athletes at last year's
Moab MUni Fest, an event held each summer since 2001 on the slickrock
near town. At MUni Fest, Hansen says, the versatility of the municycle
becomes obvious. "It's a blast on the slickrock. It's amazing how steep
a hill you can go down or up without slipping."

Hansen believes municycling has a place in the future of outdoor
recreation. "I feel like it's where mountain biking was 20 years ago.
Not many people are doing it, but it's catching on."

------

On the Net:

Foss homepage: http://www.unicycling.com/

Unicycling Society of America: http://www.unicycling.org/usa


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

My favorite thing to buy is underwear. I think buying underwear is the
most personal thing you can do, and if you could watch a person buying
underwear you would really get to know them...I think the strangest
people are the ones who send someone else to buy their underwear for
them. I also wonder about people who don't buy underwear. I can
understand not wearing it, but not buying it? - Andy Warhol

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[JJuggle]

FALLING FOR; ON THE CORNELIUS ELEMENTARY UNICYCLE TEAM, AS IN LIFE, YOU
CAN'T HUG THE WALL FOREVER

PAM KELLEY
Staff Writer
513 words
11 January 2004
Charlotte Observer (NC)
1st
1G
English
Copyright 2004 The Charlotte Observer. All rights reserved.

Before you ride a unicycle, you have to talk about falling.

Because you will. Over and over.

First thing in the school year, that's what Cornelius Elementary PE
teacher Don Riehl discusses with all fifth-graders who want to be part
of the Cycling Cougars, the school's unicycle team.

When you feel you're falling, he tells them, take a step off and grab
the seat. If you catch it, the seat lasts longer.

Everyone approaches falls differently. Nicole Bodziony tries to minimize
them. She holds a friend's hand and pedals, afraid to let go. It's not
the fall that worries her, she says. It's the possibility that a
careening boy will plow into her when she's down.

As she talked during a recent practice, pedaling classmates swirled
around her. As if on cue, Ridge Morgan tumbled off his unicycle, skidded
across the gym floor and came to rest near Nicole's feet.

For Ridge, the dramatic fall adds to the overall unicycling experience.
"In here, if you fall, you sort of slide with the floor and it doesn't
really hurt. If I'm outside, I fall more carefully."

Cornelius' unicycle team, one of the few in the region, has been around
about 12 years. Once a week, about 60 unicycle club members arrive at
school early to practice. Eventually, they become proficient enough to
perform at school and community events. But in September, most hugged
gym walls for balance and made cautious forays across the floor.

By December, some wall huggers remained. But every week, more kids
zipped around with confidence, executing split-second turns to avoid
crashing into each other.

With gym traffic beginning to resemble rush hour in Rome, Riehl made an
announcement: "A few people need to start falling more gracefully and
with a little more control." He looked at Ridge.

How do you avoid falling? "Mr. Riehl says you've got to pedal, pedal,
pedal, pedal," Madison Barker says.

Sometimes, Katie Heidrich says, you start pedaling, and you realize
you're riding, "and you're just so proud of yourself you forget to
pedal."

And then you fall.

Keep trying, though, and one day you realize you're pedaling more than
falling.

Ben Pierce is there. Ben glides around the gym, arms swinging, shoulders
relaxed. "It feels like flying," he says. One real plus about unicycles,
he says, is that they don't have handlebars, "so you can just bring in
groceries for your mom."

When practice ended, Riehl gathered his unicyclers and told them to
practice at home over holiday break. In January, he told them,
accomplished riders could try a six-foot-tall unicycle known as "the
giraffe."

"Yay!" Ridge said.

But Jackson Ulmer had a question. "What happens when you fall on a
giraffe?"

Before you ride a giraffe, you have to talk about falling.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

My favorite thing to buy is underwear. I think buying underwear is the
most personal thing you can do, and if you could watch a person buying
underwear you would really get to know them...I think the strangest
people are the ones who send someone else to buy their underwear for
them. I also wonder about people who don't buy underwear. I can
understand not wearing it, but not buying it? - Andy Warhol

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

LUCKY INKS IN TATTOO RECORD

PAUL STEWART
361 words
18 January 2004
Sunday Herald Sun
1 - FIRST
32
English
(c) 2004 Herald and Weekly Times Limited

MEET Lucky Rich -- the world's most tattooed man.

In what is another international first for Melbourne, Rich, 32, has
entered the Guinness Book Of Records after having the inside of his ears
and the skin between his toes tattooed.

The ink-work was enough to take the world title from Scotsman Tom
Leopard.

"I am now fully covered everywhere and, yes, I mean everywhere," Rich
said.

"If you look up the Guinness Book Of Records extreme people category you
will find me now listed as the world's most tattooed man."

Rich, whose trips into the city literally stop traffic, has topped off
his distinctive look by having silver crowns on his teeth.

His skin is now a shade of blue meets purple from the many layers of
tattooing he has had over the years.

"I got my first tattoo when I was 16 in Kings Cross and lost my
virginity the same night," Rich said with a grin.

"I have since had more than 850 hours of tattoo work performed on my
body. I must have worked with more than 200 tattoo artists to achieve
the look I am after. Some people say `how can you do it?', but I simply
love being tattooed."

Asked if such extensive work had been painful, he said: "Opening my
wallet to pay for it all was the hardest bit."

Rich also lists his skills as a "master escapologist, *"awesome
unicyclist"*, "chainsaw juggler" and

a "self-taught sword swallower". He has also been hired to perform at
private parties attended by the likes of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.


"I am a living, walking advertisement for never judging a book by its
cover," Rich said.

"People might think I am nasty because of my look, but I am actually a
nice guy."

So what does Rich's mother think of it all?

"My mum did not like my tattoos at first and I used to hide them from
her," he said.

"Gradually she accepted them and she just got her first tattoo done at
age 50 and she is already talking about getting another one."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Nobody feels like working,
Panama Red is back in town.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

*The big wheel ; It's a highly effective workout for both mind and body,
once you master its mysteries. But those who ride unicycles do it as
much for fun as fitness.*

Chris Bynum Health and fitness writer
1,619 words
5 February 2004
Times-Picayune
01
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

The fitness industry has an array of high-tech machinery and an
ever-changing menu of workout motifs to keep its customers motivated.
But there's something to be said for the less-is-more approach to
exercise. So say those who burn their calories on less than half of a
bicycle.

"I had gained a pound a year since high school," says John Drummond, 46,
who rode unicycles as a child, resumed his pastime at age 40 and
promptly dropped the 20-plus pounds he had gained over the years.

Drummond became such a believer in the single-wheel cycle that he left
his job at IBM and started selling unicycles over the Internet from his
home base in Georgia five years ago. Friends and relatives thought he'd
lost his marbles -- his father-in-law asked, "How many clowns do you
know?" -- but his e-commerce gamble turned into a million-dollar
international business. He now sells about 4,000 unicycles, plus parts,
every year.

But customers, ranging in age from 10 to 92, aren't buying them for
weight loss; they're buying them for fun.

Every Sunday afternoon local unicyclists -- many of whom are customers
of Drummond's -- gather at the Norman Playground on the West Bank for an
afternoon of unicycle polo, a game the locals invented themselves. Their
version of polo follows sanctioned games of unicycle basketball and
unicycle hockey.

So what lures a rational person to a bike without handlebars, gears,
brakes -- and a second wheel?

An affinity for the crazy and unusual would seem to be one prerequisite.
But mastering the skill of unicycling has some healthy benefits,
according to the Unicycling Society of America:

-- Endurance. There's no coasting on a unicycle. One complete turn of
the pedal is one complete turn of the wheel. The pedal must be engaged
at all times to keep the rider upright.

-- Core strength. Posture is everything when you're fighting gravity on
a teetering wheel. A strong center helps keep the rider balanced and in
motion.

-- Focus and concentration. There's no daydreaming on a unicycle. The
rider must stay fully alert. Living in the moment is essential.

-- Balance and agility. Not only does the rider have to develop a good
sense of balance, but also be able to maneuver quick turns with hip
movements.

-- Mind-body experience. Balancing the body and focusing the mind work
hand in hand (or rather foot in foot) -- what the veterans call a
Zen-like workout.

And as an added benefit, unicycling is easy on the joints.

"It's a tremendous amount of exercise. says Alex Burke, 28, who has been
unicycling for six years. "Unicycling works out your legs more than (a
traditional) bike."

Burke recently got his degree in performance art from the University of
Southern Mississippi. Unicycling wasn't exactly course work.

"I have 1,001 hobbies, and I never go a year without picking up another
one," Burke said.

Tom Sherry, 52, caught the unicycling bug from his teenage son a couple
of years ago. The biology professor at Tulane University had to give up
running for exercise after breaking both of his feet when he fell from a
scaffolding while remodeling his home. He often takes rides on the levee
as his teenage daughter jogs, or takes a couple of loops around Audubon
Park -- but a few miles is a major workout on a unicycle.

Tom's wife, Tracey, had a childhood unicycle stored away in the garage
that got the family started. Son Jacob Sherry took it up at 12 (he's now
15 and profiled in today's Best Revenge on page E-1), and the entire
family soon followed suit. His sister Jenna, 18, is one of the few
female unicyclists in the New Orleans Unicycle Club. Tracey has
temporarily put away her unicycle since hitting a pothole last fall and
suffering a serious ankle sprain. But she is an enthusiastic cheerleader
for the sport that brings all ages together.

The local unicycle club now has about 17 members ranging in age from 13
to 52. They encourage newcomers, literally lending an arm - - and
instruction -- to beginners learning to balance on one wheel.

The initial investment is about $75 for the unicycle, plus protective
gear. Musts are wrist guards and a helmet -- "like the ones
skateboarders wear, with protection for the back of the head, although
such falls in unicycling are rare," Tracey Sherry says.

Elbow guards, shin guards (like the ones worn in soccer) and knee pads
are encouraged, but optional. "Basically, you dress as you would for
rollerblading," she says.

Wheel diameters vary, according to age and height, but a 20-inch
diameter wheel is average for a beginner. Distance riders may go all the
way up to a 36-inch diameter wheel.

When the local club gathers for a polo match, they get out their croquet
mallets (which are always in short supply since they wear out quickly on
the concrete floor) and head to the covered basketball court where
players have honed necessary court skills such as riding in reverse and
using well-executed hip swivels to lock in a shot, as well as developing
keen hand-eye coordination moving the ball across the court.

"When you get up to a certain skill level, unicycle polo forces you to
improve your skills with sharper turns and higher speeds, idling and
riding backwards," says Tom Sherry.

Those inclined to seek a sport requiring both balance and hand- eye
coordination are naturals for adding the circus art of juggling to the
cycling challenge. Many of the younger members of the club are
perfecting the skill. Keeping five balls in the air while the rider
balances on a single wheel by gently rocking back and forth is a form of
multi-tasking where neither task gets short-changed.

Local engineer Tim Gode, 36, has been juggling for 25 years (as a young
teen, he thought it would make him a better basketball player). He took
up unicycling eight years ago.

While unicycling polo is the newer passion, juggling is something Gode
won't surrender. The skill translates well into real life.

"It makes you think in a different way," Gode says. "You find different
solutions to problems, and it opens your mind to possibilities."

Gode sees the skill of juggling paired with the skill of riding a
unicycle as vehicles for productive life lessons. A recent study says
Gode is on track in that such tasks as juggling may benefit brain cells.
(For more details on this study, see The Shape of Things on page E-3.)


Unicycling itself has expanded beyond the boundary of circus ring and
spilled over into mountain trails where "MUni" or mountain- biking on
unicycles has become a strenuous endurance sport by those who want to
take the ultimate challenge on a single wheel. There are also unicycling
track-and-field events, says Drummond, "from long jump to high jump, as
well as trials with obstacle courses, and one- foot racing and backwards
racing in national and international competition."

There are also ten recognized skill levels requiring riders to pass
exams authorized by the Unicycling Society of America (
www.unicycling.org).

How long does it take to learn to ride a unicycle? Anywhere from minutes
to months, say the experts.

But it is often age-related, says Tracey Sherry.

"The younger you are, the less the fear of falling," says Sherry, who
resumed unicycling at the age of 46. "I never had a sense of balance,
and I wasn't particularly coordinated." Yet she mastered the skill for
her own enjoyment.

And falling, says her husband, is not as scary as it may seem, since in
most cases it is a "controlled fall." And one doesn't have that far to
go, he says.

Admittedly, it's not only the challenge, but also the quirkiness of the
sport that attracts its followers. They admit they love the questions
and the attention the sport attracts. When Drummond and his friends see
a group of bicyclists approaching, they often beat the traditionalists
to the question with, "Are those things hard to ride?"

Drummond's favorite unicyclist's T-shirt is "no brakes, no gears, no
handlebars, no problem."

Without such basics, learning to ride requires a little help from one's
friends. A beginner starts with two friends on either side, gripping the
friends' forearms with his hands, palms down. After some trial and
error, the beginner graduates to one friend, until he is ready to go
solo.

A key to staying upright, says Burke, is to not look down. "Keep your
head up as you would if you were walking."

That first foray into a no-hands ride is "a very accomplished feeling,"
says Justin Mercer, 15, a student at Archbishop Shaw High School who has
been unicycling for four months. Mercer plays soccer, runs
cross-country, rock-climbs and has a black belt in tae kwan do. But
unicycling, he says, is "cool and interesting."

Gode agrees. "It's a lot harder than I thought -- and more rewarding
than I thought," he says.

And there's a natural reflex to riding without handlebars.

"There's something very joyful about it," says Tracey Sherry. "You can't
ride a unicycle and not smile."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Let the good times roll,
let them make you a clown.
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[harper]

Another good one. Thanks for going to the trouble of researching and
then posting these articles, Raphael.


--
harper - Old dog, no tricks

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"In the unlikely event of someones unicycling demise, one should say 'It
was an amazing display of unicycling skill and daring, with a rather
unfortunate outcome'. Or something to that effect." - Scott Wallis

"Ugh, the Harpers; The worst neighbours in the world" - Tony Micelli
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Tellurider]

One more muni article, in september 2003 the Denver CO paper Rocky
Mountain News did an article called "One-Track Minds" on Muni it was by
Price Colman (Stormy) who is a Muni newbie from Durango CO. It was in
the saturday edition with a lot of great color pictures by Ken Papaleo,
the pictures don't appear in the article on the web. you can check out
the article, and a second article called "Getting Started" at
www.rockymountainnews.com/adventure then search, one track minds, and
getting started. I think it's a good article, I think he is planning to
come to Moab and do an article with pictures. Dan


--
Tellurider - Dan Wilson
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[JJuggle]

*Carnival laws keep all safe*

East Jefferson bureau
414 words
22 February 2004
Times-Picayune
01
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

The following is a list of public safety laws enforced during Mardi Gras
in Jefferson Parish.

-- Individuals are prohibited from following parade floats or bands
without authorization....

-- It is unlawful for any person to ride on or use skates, skateboards,
roller blades, bicycles, *unicycles* within 50 feet of parade...


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

At least I taught her to make a full Indian dinner.
The rest is up to God.
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[JJuggle]

*NED DOES ROUNDS IN WHEELY UNI-QUE WAY*

301 words
17 February 2004
The Citizen
3
English
(c) 2004 The Citizen

Because Ned has found an unusual way to deliver The Citizen to readers
in Blakeney in the Forest of Dean - by unicycle.

Ned, 14, himself a Blakeney lad, inherited the paper round from his
older brother and decided that walking was too much like hard work.

The one-wheeled wonder learned to ride a unicycle at the Lydney State
Circus, where he practises his technique every Friday evening for two
hours.

"Chris, who leads the circus, said I could do with the practice and lent
me a unicycle," said Ned.

And now he uses his circus skills to help him traverse his delivery
route in record time.

But Ned didn't want to limit himself to one trick, so he is also
learning how to juggle clubs and clearly has big plans.

"Perhaps in a few months I'll be able to juggle three papers while I'm
unicycling," he laughed.

He said that he started the paper round to save up enough money to buy a
banjo. You see, Ned is not only able to juggle clubs, but juggle all his
hobbies, and he is now teaching himself to play the instrument.

He also plays the guitar, fiddle and mandolin, and likes morris dancing
with the Lassington-Oak Morris Dancers.

Ned has three brothers and one sister: Joe, 16, Ben, 12, Kester, 7 and
Polly, 10.

They all enjoy being educated at home.

Ned is the practical one of the bunch and is often asked to fix things
in the house.

The quick-thinking paperboy loves riding his unicycle and says: "It is
much more interesting than walking." But Ned's unique paper delivery
system has temporarily ground to a halt. Not because he is wheely tyred
- his unicycle has a puncture.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

At least I taught her to make a full Indian dinner.
The rest is up to God.
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[Sofa]

JJuggle wrote:
> *
> "Perhaps in a few months I'll be able to juggle three papers while I'm
> unicycling," he laughed.
>
> *


That's gold!


--
Sofa - You Tu Tu Tuni?

'Unicycle Product Reviews'
(http://www.brianmackenzie.com/LUC/unicycleReviews.aspx) *79* reviews on
*53* products

'London Unicycling Club Website ' (http://www.brianmackenzie.com/LUC/)
version 3.02


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[JJuggle]

BARENBOIM DOES IT ALL IN BEETHOVEN CONCERTOS

By Alan G. Artner, Tribune staff reporter.
505 words
28 February 2004
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Final
31
English
Copyright 2004, Chicago Tribune. All Rights Reserved.

Late in life, Arthur Rubinstein, one of a series of legendary musicians
who influenced Daniel Barenboim, gave a number of programs made up of
famous piano concertos.

Thursday night at Orchestra Hall, Barenboim bettered his forebear by
leading from the keyboard two of those concertos and, in between,
conducting one of the 20th Century's most difficult orchestral pieces.


It was the high-culture equivalent of riding a unicycle with an acrobat
on his shoulders and juggling.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Just say just this once.
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[JJuggle]

*Mr. President, let's open up misery to all; Take off the rose-colored
glasses*

589 words
26 February 2004
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader (PA)
English
(c) Copyright 2004, The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader. All Rights Reserved.


They have lived and loved and struggled to make their relationship work.
And they think they've found the one, the person they want to spend the
rest of their lives with.

Now, they want to seal it with a kiss. More specifically, a wedding
kiss.

But President Bush has reason to believe that these good people should
not be united in holy matrimony, even if the state they live in decides
to allow it. And the president has chosen to speak now instead of
holding his peace.

In fact, he's doing everything he can to prevent same-sex couples from
dragging the old ball and chain around...


...Gays may think that marriage is a journey through life on a bicycle
built for two.

But they should know that about half the time, married couples find
themselves on separate paths riding unicycles. And the next thing you
know, you'll be fighting over who gets the Shih Tzu and the tea cup
collection.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Just say just this once.
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[Klaas Bil]

On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 10:11:15 -0600, JJuggle wrote:

>..Gays may think that marriage is a journey through life on a bicycle
>built for two.
>
>But they should know that about half the time, married couples find
>themselves on separate paths riding unicycles.

Quoteworthy if not a bit long. Keep them coming, JJuggle!

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"Heck, even my toes were aching from trying to grip the soles of my shoes! - Tommy Thompson"

[JJuggle]

LETTERS; Nader still guaranteed to stir strong sentiments

482 words
13 March 2004
Los Angeles Times
Home Edition
E-4
English
Copyright 2004 The Los Angeles Times

If Ralph Nader truly believes that by running for president he'll draw
more Republican voters away from Bush than from Kerry, he probably also
thinks that car buyers who read his book "Unsafe at Any Speed"
thereafter traded in their Chevys for unicycles. Wake up and get your
big fat ego out of the way, Ralph; you're blocking the Democrats' road
back to the White House.


--
JJuggle - Bombast Extraordinaire

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)
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[Robbie]

> "There are no brakes so you have to be quite strong as well."


Did he really notice all that much from what he says he's "discovered"
on the interenet? Even I know unicycles can have brakes, and MUni's
commonly do.


--
Robbie - Spoons Taste Good

'Link-a-Sauros-Rex' (http://www.outwar.com/page.php?x=2049484)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

Article on Gilby and tinyurl.com: http://tinyurl.com/yuq6b .


--
JJuggle - Bombast Extraordinaire

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

I got blisters on my fingers!
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLE PUTS MAN ON ROAD TO INTERNET BUSINESS SUCCESS

Allison McCrory
Freelance OK
536 words
17 March 2004
Pensacola News Journal
2C
English
(c) Copyright 2004, Pensacola News Journal. All Rights Reserved.

Allison McCrory

News Journal correspondent

A full-time business, shipping unicycles around the globe, was not even
a distant dream when Escambia County native John Drummond and his wife,
Amy, launched an Internet store five years ago.

``This was just going to be a hobby when we launched unicycle.com,''
Drummond said from his home near Atlanta. ``At first I just wanted to
sell enough to buy other unicycles.''

At the time, he worked for IBM and enlisted the help of three-time world
unicycling champion John Foss as an adviser to get the business off the
ground. The response was so great that Drummond eventually gave up his
job with IBM to devote himself full time to the business, which grossed
nearly $1 million in sales in the last year.

Drummond traces his business roots to his brother, Bob, who took up the
hobby after being inspired by a girlfriend's unicycling little brother.


Driving home from church one Sunday after the family had moved to
Milton, a 12-year-old Drummond decided that like his brother, Bob, he
would master the sport - no matter how long it took.

``I remember sitting in the back seat of my parents' car, and I just
made up my mind I was going to learn to ride,'' he said. ``And I think I
spent eight hours, and by the end of the day, I could probably go 10
feet.''

That was the beginning of a hobby that would weave in and out of
Drummond's life. He delivered newspapers by way of a unicycle in Santa
Rosa County and enjoyed the hobby until age 16, when the lure of four
wheels took over.

School, a career with IBM, marriage and a family crowded out the latent
interest, Drummond said.

``It was in storage for 20-something years. Every time IBM would move
us, it would be, `Oh, there it is.' "

The old unicycle, which eventually got left in the driveway by his
children and subsequently run over, was replaced with a new model six
years ago, and his passion was rekindled.

Ferry Pass Elementary School fifth-grader Ross Shirer shopped around
before using Christmas money to order a unicycle from Drummond's
business.

``It's cheaper there. I checked a whole bunch of other sites, too,''
said Ross, who found his Torker cycle at another online store for $30
more.

Drummond takes a humble approach when assessing the success of the
business. He gives God and his wife Amy, whom he calls a ``master
administrator,'' much of the credit for the company's success.

``There's definitely been a divine hand in all this, and there's no way
I can take all the credit for all that we've been able to do,'' Drummond
said. ``We pray continually.''

PHOTO

Special to the News Journal

John Drummond, center, and his three sons and wife all ride unicycles.
From left, they are Casey, 15, Sawyer, 9, and Zachary, 12, and Amy. The
two older boys recently took medals at a world championship, while the
youngest has won an award at a national competition.


--
JJuggle - Bombast Extraordinaire

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

I got blisters on my fingers!
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLIST'S HOBBY IS A MONEYMAKER ; \"WHERE'S YOUR OTHER WHEEL?\"

Annie Thompson (540) 981-3340
679 words
25 March 2004
Roanoke Times & World News
METRO
B1
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

The question Erik Evans hears most often is "Where's your other wheel?"


I don't need it, the unicyclist says.

Evans, 23, works as a cook at Three Little Pigs in the Roanoke City
Market building. But it's his sideline that is raising some eyebrows
downtown: He's getting into the food delivery business around the
market. His special one-wheel delivery style already has won a couple
regulars and earned him some nice tips.

Evans, a mountain biker, got into the sport when his mom gave him a
unicycle for Christmas.

The Roanoke native practiced in the market building mezzanine by holding
onto the rail and going in circles nearly every afternoon for two weeks.


People were amused by Evans' new hobby, but some doubted whether he'd
ever be good at it. "They would say 'you can't ride that' and he'd say,
'just give me time,' " said Clyde Merchant, a maintenance worker at the
market building.

Then one day, "Somebody asked if I did deliveries and I said I'd try
it," Evans said.

That was two weeks ago.

He stays within the downtown area but has gone as far as the Rescue
Mission with food deliveries. So far, he delivers only orders that he
can carry in one hand.

Riding a unicycle is faster than walking and not as cumbersome as a
bicycle, he said. He's fallen three or four times, but doesn't bother
wearing a helmet.

Evans gets a lot of smiles as he rides his unicycle, and kids really
seem to like it, he said.

The police, however, were not so amused. One officer told him he can't
ride it on sidewalks, so Evans and his unicycle share the road with
cars.

Little Louie from Burger in the Square gave Evans the nickname "side
show" when he started riding it in the market building while he was
learning.

"The guy has ambition," said Adel Eltawansy, owner of Zorba in the
market building. "One time after trying it many times he just took off.
He's just the kind of guy who's very good at this kind of thing."

Evans occasionally walks his dog, Dakota, while riding his unicycle.

Unicycling may be far from the national pastime, but there are more
adherents than one might think. John Foss, director of the International
Unicycling Federation, said about 1 million Americans can claim the
unicyclist title though many of them haven't ridden in years. About 10
million people ride unicycles internationally. Japan accounts for the
bulk of that number with 6 million. Unicycles are standard equipment in
Japanese schools, where students learn to ride them while they're young,
Foss said.

According to Foss, mountain unicycling is the fastest-growing segment of
the sport. With a few thousand participants, this extreme sport is
gaining attention rapidly.

That's the direction Evans says he plans to take. He wants to get good
enough on his unicycle to buy a mountain unicycle. He's already
practicing at Elmwood Park, where he rides the hills and goes down the
stairs.

"Any trail, any downhill I can ride on my mountain bike I'd like to do
on my unicycle," Evans said.

Caption: Photos by STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS The Roanoke Times - 1. Erik
Evans, 23, rides his unicycle on Campbell Avenue in downtown Roanoke on
Wednesday as he makes a lunch delivery from the Roanoke City Market
building. His mother, Pat Evans, gave him the unicycle for Christmas. 2.
Erik Evans leaves the Salem Avenue side of the Roanoke City Market
building Wednesday to make a food delivery. 3. Erik Evans picks up a
food order to deliver Wednesday. People were amused by his new hobby,
but some doubted whether he'd master it. "They would say 'you can't ride
that' and he'd say, 'just give me time,'" said Clyde Merchant, a
maintenance worker at the market building.


--
JJuggle - Bombast Extraordinaire

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you
a radical, liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

MOAB MOUNTAINS WILL BE CRAWLING WITH UNICYCLES

Lisa Church
453 words
25 March 2004
The Salt Lake Tribune
D2
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

One-wheeled daredevils determined to conquer Moab's world-famous
slickrock will gather this weekend for the fifth annual Moab Mountain
Unicycle Festival.

Festival organizer Rolf Thompson says 115 riders have registered for
this year's event, making it the largest gathering of mountain
unicyclists -- known as MUni -- to ever be assembled in the United
States.

The first Moab MUni Fest was a small affair that drew about 12 riders,
including Thompson's family -- he has sons and a daughter who ride
mountain unicycles -- and family friends from Idaho who also enjoy the
sport. Last year, participation in the event mushroomed to about 70
riders including some of the best mountain unicyclists in North America.
But nothing prepared the Sandy resident for the onslaught of e-mails and
telephone calls he received this year.

"It's kind of catching on," he says. "It's really amazing. Before this,
the largest mountain unicycling event in the country drew about 80
people. We're going to smash that with our number this year."

Thompson credits Dan Heaton, a MUni champion rider and filmmaker, with
generating much of the increased interest in the Moab event. Heaton's
new film, "Universe 2," includes footage of riders at the 2003 Moab MUni
Fest. Thompson says the combination of spectacular scenery and
mind-blowing stunts have led to an explosion of queries for the 2004
festival.

"The sport is growing," Thompson says. "But I'm not so nave as to
believe that Moab doesn't cast a spell on people. They see this place,
and what some of these riders can do here, and it makes them want to try
it themselves."

The list of participants for 2004 reads like a who's who of extreme
unicyclists: Heaton and fellow champion Kris Holm will attend, and John
Drummond, founder of http://www.unicycle.com and one of the first
designers of the mountain unicycle, are among this year's riders.

The 2004 Moab MUni Fest will include trial events -- short courses that
challenge riders to maneuver obstacles, hop their bikes from one rock
ledge to another, and navigate difficult terrain with speed and balance
to test their skills. Thompson says the trials are open to riders of all
abilities, and he encourages spectators to attend the events.

The festival kicks off Friday with group rides and an evening dinner. On
Saturday morning, riders will gather for trials at the Fins 'n Things
trail in the Sand Flats Recreation Area on Moab's east side.



Caption: Christian Marchant, 18, left, and cousin, Karl Thompson, 16,
show off their technical skills on Moab's Slickrock Trail in 2003.


--
JJuggle - Bombast Extraordinaire

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you
a radical, liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

'*Unicycle club up and running*' (http://tinyurl.com/2w87g) - Provo
Daily Herald, March 31, 2004

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

"Bad art, while often quite bad, is much better than no art at all"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

'*A pair of New York unicyclists take the sport to the masses*'
(http://tinyurl.com/25ucg) - AZcentral.com - March 29, 2004

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

"Bad art, while often quite bad, is much better than no art at all"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[johnfoss]

Thanks Raphael for digging up all these stories! As you may guess, I
often get contacted by reporters, but I never see many of those stories.
That Roanoke one was a typical example. A little background info for a
local story.

A million unicyclists in the US? Ten million worldwide? I don't know. I
believe the six million in Japan, and that most of them only did it in
elementary school. For the US, figure one in 300 or so people knows how
to ride. Does that sound believable to you? And as for the rest of the
world, I took an even more wild guess. But the press asks that all the
time. It's time I started making up some impressive numbers. But I guess
those might be a little high. Don't want to make it sound like our sport
is mainstream or anytyhing...


--
johnfoss - Home of the Garage Page

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"Wow, I'll never complain about hills ever again!" -- Bicyclist on the
American River Bike Path, watching me pass on my Coker on my way to work
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[U-Turn]

Personally I think the 1/300 is high. When I think about my general
local area, maybe 2 or 3 for many, many square miles. Even though this
is rural, there have to be at least 10-20000 people in that range, so
perhaps 1/(5000-10000). Of course, that too is just gut feel. And
rural areas may be different from urban, etc.


--
U-Turn - Member of Generation XO

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)

-- Dave Stockton
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[johnfoss]

U-turn is right in that we seldom see unicyclists out in public. I
certainly don't. What we do not see are all the people who *can* ride
unicycles. All the dormant ones that learned when they were kids and
then stopped doing it. Certainly these are not active riders, but they
are unicyclists.

When I lived in New York, I was always running into people who used to
ride. They would see my jacket, or the stickers on my car, and tell me
they used to ride. In most cases, they knew Bill Jenack also. He sure
made an impact in Nassau County. All those people are unicyclists, but
dormant (retired).

This comes down to the meaning of the statistics. Bicycling is often
listed as one of the most highly participated sports or recreational
activities, with participation by 50% of Americans. Huh? This was based
on people reporting that, yes, they did get on a bike at least two times
a year. So is that enough to count?

That's more riding than the majority of those closet unicyclists out
there. So I'm sure my estimate of one million is high. But I do believe
it's between 500,000 and a million.

As for *active* riders, we have to go back and define what we mean.
Without a basis of what counts as active, we can't guess at a number. I
sometimes go a couple of weeks between rides, so we have to be careful
there. But people who ride at least monthly? Those are the truly active
riders. I don't know how many there are of those, other than that the
number is growing faster than it used to.


--
johnfoss - Home of the Garage Page

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"Wow, I'll never complain about hills ever again!" -- Bicyclist on the
American River Bike Path, watching me pass on my Coker on my way to work
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[U-Turn]

johnfoss wrote:
> *U-turn is right in that we seldom see unicyclists out in public. I
> certainly don't. *
Actually I didn't say that. I didn't specify.

However, for someone to qualify as a "unicyclist" they should need to be
current to some degree. I certainly don't qualify as a "stamp
collector" even though I did that at some time as a kid.

My last post on this so we don't hijack Raphael's fantastic thread.


--
U-Turn - Member of Generation XO

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)

-- Dave Stockton
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[sarah.miller]

see

http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/
displayNode.jsp?nodeId=133188&command=displayContent&sourceNode=133171&contentPK=9393801

for the pictures to go with the text below.

A write up from the Plymouth Herald about the Calstock Unicycle clubs
Tamar bridge ride.



UNI-RIDERS BALANCE THE BOOKS


12:00 - 30 March 2004



Cyslists cross the Tamar bridge to raise cash for their club

Motorists driving into Cornwall on Saturday could have been forgiven for
not believing their eyes when they saw a group of unicyclists making
their way across the Tamar Bridge.

The unusual sight was not a figment of the drivers' imagination, but a
fundraising effort by Calstock Unicycle Club.

Nearly 20 adults and children rode across the bridge to raise money to
buy unicycle hockey sticks, and raised nearly £150. The club, which
meets in Calstock on a Saturday morning is run by Alison Knight, also
known as circus performer Ali Oops.

She said: "I have always wanted to unicycle across the Tamar Bridge.
Nobody has done it as a mass unicycle before."

Starting from Saltash, the unicyclists took about 25 minutes to cross
the bridge, before rounding the event off with a pub lunch. The group
has been running for two years in Calstock, and is always on the look
out for new members.

Sam Taylor, aged 10, from Calstock was one of the youngsters to take
part. He said: "It was brilliant. There were loads of people watching
us."

For information on the club, ring Ali on 01822 834017 or logon to
www.circusintoschools.co.uk.


--
sarah.miller - unicycist
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[BillyTheMountain]

johnfoss wrote:
> *U-turn is right in that we seldom see unicyclists out in public. I
> certainly don't. What we do not see are all the people who *can* ride
> unicycles. All the dormant ones that learned when they were kids and
> then stopped doing it. Certainly these are not active riders, but they
> are unicyclists.
>
> When I lived in New York, I was always running into people who used to
> ride. They would see my jacket, or the stickers on my car, and tell me
> they used to ride. In most cases, they knew Bill Jenack also. He sure
> made an impact in Nassau County. All those people are unicyclists, but
> dormant (retired).
>
> That's more riding than the majority of those closet unicyclists out
> there. So I'm sure my estimate of one million is high. But I do
> believe it's between 500,000 and a million.
>
> As for *active* riders, we have to go back and define what we mean. *


While all surveys and statistics have a range of error, it does not hurt
to attempt to gather information. Lots of good ideas here, and it is
certainly a good question to ask. A good starting place would be to
survey those who sell unicycles in North America to find out how many
are SOLD each year. Then estimate that many are sold to non-riders
(unicycle.com told me they sell mostly to novices) who never become
riders, and very few are sold to riders who already have unicycles. But
still, sales figures would be useful....

If any students need a project, email your fellow students with a poll
like Do you ride? When was the last time? How often have you ridden in
the past month? Better than an email poll would be to ask the first
question to EVERYONE entering the student union/coffee
shop/airport/train station, recording number of people asked and the
number of YES responses.

My bet is that uni riders are also distributed unevenly geographically:
much higher rates in the Northeast (DC to Boston) and the West Coast,
pockets in Minnesota, and far fewer down south, even taking into
consideration that these are denser population areas. Unicycling is
probably overrepresented in the denser population areas, and
underrepresented in the sparser population areas.


--
BillyTheMountain
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[JJuggle]

UP, UP AND AWAY - ON ONE WHEEL

292 words
2 April 2004
New Zealand Press Association
English
(c) 2004 New Zealand Press Association

Whangarei, April 2 - Skinny, bespectacled and riding about on one wheel,
Tony Melton is not your classic schoolyard idol.

But at Opua Primary School, 8km south of Russell, where pupils have
taken up the art of one-wheel cycling with fervour, he has something
approaching rock-god status.

One of the country's premier unicyclists, Mr Melton - a laboratory
technician from Auckland - thrilled pupils at the school yesterday with
a range of one-wheeled tricks and stunts.

The pinnacle of his performance came as he prepared to jump off a table
over four pupils lying side-by-side on the ground below him. He cleared
the group with ease and cycled around the courtyard to the applause of
parents and children.

Quickly he was surrounded by children wearing fancy dress requesting
autographs and advice on unicycling.

"It's like, wow, you feel like a celebrity," he said.

Mr Melton was introduced to unicyles while an exchange student in the
United States.

Yesterday's rapturous reception came because his audience were more
appreciative than most - Opua pupils don't just play the usual games
during their breaks, they juggle, walk on stilts and ride unicycles.

His exhibition was part of an All-Fool's Day celebration of the skills
the children had learnt during the past six months.

The school adopted the concept of teaching children to juggle and ride
unicycles from another Northland school Paparoa where principal Paul
Underwood introduced his passion for juggling to pupils to help build
their confidence.

Students from Paparoa were also invited to do a demonstration of their
own.

Opua teacher Johnny Ryan said the children's new-found talents had done
wonders for their confidence. NZPA WRA mgr dj.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

"Bad art, while often quite bad, is much better than no art at all"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

UNI-RIDERS BALANCE THE BOOKS

By HELEN PEARSE.
205 words
30 March 2004
Evening Herald
3
English
(c) 2004 Evening Herald

Motorists driving into Cornwall on Saturday could have been forgiven for
not believing their eyes when they saw a group of unicyclists making
their way across the Tamar Bridge.

The unusual sight was not a figment of the drivers' imagination, but a
fundraising effort by Calstock Unicycle Club.

Nearly 20 adults and children rode across the bridge to raise money to
buy unicycle hockey sticks, and raised nearly £150. The club, which
meets in Calstock on a Saturday morning is run by Alison Knight, also
known as circus performer Ali Oops.

She said: "I have always wanted to unicycle across the Tamar Bridge.
Nobody has done it as a mass unicycle before." Starting from Saltash,
the unicyclists took about 25 minutes to cross the bridge, before
rounding the event off with a pub lunch. The group has been running for
two years in Calstock, and is always on the look out for new members.

Sam Taylor, aged 10, from Calstock was one of the youngsters to take
part. He said: "It was brilliant. There were loads of people watching
us." For information on the club, ring Ali on 01822 834017 or logon to
www.circusintoschools.co.uk.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

"Bad art, while often quite bad, is much better than no art at all"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

*Sun City unicyclist rides along at age 94*

By KATY O'GRADY
Daily News-Sun
575 words
12 April 2004
03:30
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

SUN CITY, Ariz. (AP) - Fred Barton may be the oldest unicyclist in the
world.

A quick search of the Guinness Book of World Records shows no such
category, but at 94, Barton is probably too busy with his social life to
worry about records.

Inspired by fellow unicyclists Seven and Jackie Cama of Sun City Grand,
Barton picked up his first unicycle when he was 92.

"He was a biker. That's how we met him. He was in his 80s and he was out
doing these 20-mile bicycle rides," Jackie Cama said.

Jackie Cama said when Barton found out about Seven's unicycling, "he
looked at my husband and said, 'Order me one.'"

So Barton gave it a shot. He installed a railing on his back deck to
help him get on the unicycle and learn to balance it.

"I thought it was unbelievable, and it took me at least six months just
to stay on it," he said. "My neighbor, she and her daughter would peek
through the window and think, 'He's crazy.'"

Jackie Cama said she was impressed with Barton's tenacity.

"He just never gave up. He took some very serious falls, and just kept
at it and at it and at it," she said. "He's a great guy, and he's been a
wonderful friend. He's just amazingly young for his age."

Barton said he now unicycles about 1 mile three times a week.

"For me, it's for exercise more than the joy of unicycling," he said.

Barton also bowls in two leagues, averaging between 140 and 150, and is
an avid poker and bridge player.

Born Ferdinand Antonius Rainier Barten, Barton lived in the Netherlands
until immigrating to the states in 1932. Lured by the Mormon faith, he
moved to America and changed his name to Fred Barton.

"I felt this is my adopted country and I feel very American, and I want
to be as American as I can be," he said.

His new name was easier to pronounce and most people spelled his last
name with an "O" anyway.

Barton was aiming for Salt Lake City, but ended up in California when a
stranger asked him to carry a package to a restaurant for $1. Barton was
arrested because the package contained drugs.

"The district attorney, after several hours, he put his arm around me
and said, 'Don't worry,'" Barton said.

The district attorney explained to him about the drugs, and helped him
get room and board at a YMCA. Having had some experience making wigs in
Holland, Barton found work in the beauty business.

At the same time, he was going to law school and had joined the National
Guard. It was 1941, and he was set to graduate in January when the
Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7.

He served until June 30, guarding California's bridges, which
authorities feared the Japanese might try to attack with submarines.

Barton continued helping the war effort by working at a couple of
shipyards until the war ended in 1945. He then took on a series of other
jobs, some tapping into his law background, before finally retiring at
the age of 86.

Watching him hop on his unicycle, it's clear Barton may be retired, but
he's still eager to learn new tricks.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
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"Bad art, while often quite bad, is much better than no art at all"
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[Klaas Bil]

Rafael, thanks for continuing to add new material to this thread. The
story about the 94 y.o. unicyclist was gold!


Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
Clearly a system of 1/14 and 1/16 is not decimal - Mikefule on the English weight system

[elmer]

Inspirational! To be learning at 92 would seem to be quite different
from maintaining an old skill to that age! Thanks for the post,
JJuggle.


--
elmer - uniimpaired

"At 40 life begins...to show."
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[JJuggle]

MAYOR'S AMAZING BALANCING ACT!

By DAYLE CRUTCHLOW.
319 words
1 May 2004
Coventry Evening Telegraph
3
English
(c) 2004 Coventry Newspapers Ltd

BEING mayor of two towns can be something of a balancing act and now Ian
Lloyd is set to prove it.

Cllr Lloyd, Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth, is gearing up for a
money-spinning unicycle ride between the two town centres for his
mayor's appeal.

Cllr Lloyd has been training for nine months for the endeavour, which he
hopes will boost his funds for his adopted charity Mencap, for which he
hopes to raise £60,000 to install a lift at its Chetwynd House HQ.

He said: "I was so impressed with the way the people at Mencap overcome
their disabilities that I asked for someone to find me a challenge which
I could try and overcome during my mayoral year.

"I wanted a challenge to show everybody that if you put your mind to
something, you can overcome any disability or difficulty.

"Such a challenge was suggested by Nuneaton Juggling Club who challenged
me to learn how to ride a unicycle!

"It gives me great pleasure to announce that for the past nine months I
have been attempting to master this challenge with the assistance of my
brother-in-law David Powell, who has literally been a shoulder to lean
on!

"I have also been assisted by the experts at Cannons Fitness Centre who
have been trying to improve my stamina and fitness for the long ride
ahead."

Cllr Lloyd hopes to raise £1,000 from his mammoth ride on June 5 and he
is calling on local people, businesses and organisations to sponsor him
on 024 7637 6210.

He said: "Knowing that such generosity will once again be forthcoming
from the people of the borough will help me to keep my mind off the
bruising, cuts and severe cramps I have endured over the last months of
training and no doubt will sustain me on the day."


--
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'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
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[JJuggle]

*Wheelie amazing stunts on show.*

By Joanne Emmerson.
233 words
27 April 2004
Evening Gazette
5
English
(c) 2004 Gazette Media Company Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Hundreds of unicyclists have been having a wheelie good time as a
British convention descended on a Teesside town.

Enthusiasts from as far afield as France, Belgium and America were at St
Michael's RC School in Billingham for the 11th annual event, which ran
from Friday until Sunday.

But it is the first time the three-day convention, which includes hockey
matches, trials and freestyle events, has been held in the North-east -
much to the delight of local lad Simon McAndrew.

The 17-year-old from Church Road, Billingham has been riding a unicycle
for about three years.

Speaking at the event he said: "It's great here.

"It's strange because I'm used to having to travel all over the country
for events and this one is just on the doorstep."

More than 150 riders headed for the event, with many covering hundreds
of miles to make it to Teesside.

One participant, Connie Cotter, even travelled from Minnesota in
America.

Connie runs the largest unicycle club in the world - with more than 300
members - in Minneapolis.

She is a freestyle teacher and describes it as "a bit like ice dancing"
but without the ice.

This was the third British convention the American has been to, and she
says she keeps coming back because "she has made so many friends over
here".


--
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'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
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[GizmoDuck]

JJuggle wrote:
> *UP, UP AND AWAY - ON ONE WHEEL
>
> 292 words
> 2 April 2004
> New Zealand Press Association
> English
> (c) 2004 New Zealand Press Association
>
> Whangarei, April 2 - Skinny, bespectacled and riding about on one
> wheel, Tony Melton is not your classic schoolyard idol.
>
> But at Opua Primary School, 8km south of Russell, where pupils have
> taken up the art of one-wheel cycling with fervour, he has something
> approaching rock-god status.
> *


Yet another notch for Tony! Good stuff.

Ken


--
GizmoDuck - Adventure unicyclist

o-kO


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[GILD]

JJuggle wrote:
> *MAYOR'S AMAZING BALANCING ACT!
> "I wanted a challenge to show everybody that if you put your mind to
> something, you can overcome any disability or difficulty.
>
> "Such a challenge was suggested by Nuneaton Juggling Club who
> challenged me to learn how to ride a unicycle! *


can i still nominate this guy for president?


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible. i think
it's
in my basement...let me go upstairs and check.
~ m. c. escher

'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
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[JJuggle]

GILD wrote:
> *
>
> can i still nominate this guy for president? *
I think Arnold has a better chance. Besides, this British clown is
trying to turn politics into a bloody circus.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
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[JJuggle]

Unicyclists of the world, but particularly Canadians, get your email
fingers ready...

RIDE THESE, AND PEOPLE WILL STARE: MONTREALERS ARE AN UNCONVENTIONAL
LOT, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT THEY'VE WARMED TO A WEALTH OF ALTERNATIVES
TO THE TIRESOME 10-SPEED AND THE HO-HUM HYBRID

JOHN MACFARLANE
Freelance
1,725 words
8 May 2004
Montreal Gazette
Final
G8
English
Copyright © 2004 Montreal Gazette

When the snow melts and weather warms up, Montrealers suddenly
rediscover their bicycles, converging upon kilometres of trails, weaving
in and out of traffic, and decorating lampposts and parking meters with
their two-wheeled rides.

But if Montreal is a city of cyclists, it's also a city of
attention-seekers and unconventional types, and that combination means
strange bicycles: rickety vintage models salvaged from the trash heap
and mutant machines made from assorted cannibalized parts.

The city's European influence produces Tour de France types on flashy
road bikes more expensive than small cars, while the looming presence of
Mount Royal challenges well-padded risk-takers to take it on with their
chunky mountain bikes.

And let's not forget the depanneur-delivery bike, a welded contraption
that ferries beer, toilet paper and potato chips to city residents who
do their shopping by phone.

All of this should make finding a bicycle that cries out "Look at me!" a
difficult task. But Montrealers have made their tastes known, and the
bicycle manufacturers have responded.

On the streets of Montreal, there is a wealth of alternatives to the
tiresome 10-speed, the monotonous mountain bike, and the ho-hum
hybrid......


.....Unicycle: This is a great means of transportation - if you're a
clown. Really though, a unicycle will certainly develop your sense of
balance and get you lots of attention. But, as Hogg of ABC Cycle &
Sports noted, "You can't get from A to B very quick, and it's hard on
the legs, man."

Price: starting at around $200.

Montreal practicality: low.

Cool factor: (without clown suit) low-medium, (with clown suit) low.
=============================================

The Montreal Gazette 'Contact Us' (http://tinyurl.com/3dj73) page.


--
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[TonyMelton]

There are some newspaper articles posted ' in this gallery'
(http://gallery.unicyclist.com/Media-Adulation) from my visit to Opua
Primary School in the Bay of Islands. If you squint your eyes you can
kinda read the text. JJuggle mentioned one of these articles in an
earlier post on this thread.


--
TonyMelton - Up, up and awaaaay!

See some photos of the first 'NZ MUni Weekend'
(http://gallery.unicyclist.com/NZ-MUni-Weekend-2004)
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[harper]

Raphael-

There is an aricle in the Colorado Springs Gazette by Deb Acord
entitled, "MOUNTAIN UNICYCLING, One-wheelers are blazing a new trail,"
which features our own Ed Hansen (RatherBeKayaking) and Aaron Dubois and
a mention of John Foss and his website. I have the print version in the
13 May Seattle PI Getaways section. Can you find it online?


--
harper - Statuesque

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"Stoke your own thread as much as you see fit, no problem." - Klaas
Bil

"Ugh, the Harpers; The worst neighbours in the world" - Tony Micelli
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[JJuggle]

Oh, no, he's a clown, too!

CIRQUE ELOIZE'S ONE-WHEELED WONDER

roberta T. vowell THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
485 words
11 May 2004
The Virginian-Pilot & The Ledger-Star
FINAL
E1
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

HE IS A DANCER, sliding and leaping, pulling his partner close and then
spinning away.

So his partner is a unicycle. When Bartlomiej Soroczynski hits center
stage during a performance of Cirque Eloize, he's still a dancer.

"There's a first time for everything," Soroczynski says of his act.
"It's like a dance. I establish a connection. I perform for a woman, who
sits onstage, so it's a seduction number. There's also a bit of humor.


"It's something you've never seen before. I guarantee."

Cirque Eloize (pronounce it Sirk El-WAHZ) performs tonight and Wednesday
at Norfolk's Chrysler Hall as part of the Virginia Arts Festival.

The show is akin to another Quebec-based, and better-known, show, Cirque
de Soleil. The troupe performs on a theater stage with a live minstrel
band. There's a certain intimacy, reinforced by the plotline of this
tour, "Nomade," which involves a night journey through dreamscapes.

This is familiar ground for Soroczynski, whose parents were also circus
performers.

"They were hand-to-hand acrobats," he said in a telephone interview from
a Pittsburgh tour stop.

"My father gave me a unicycle, and I had my first performance at age 5.
I'd come in at the end of the act with the unicycle, and I'd bow with
them."

Soroczynski is 23. His friends call him "Bart."

He loves dance, particularly the tango, and jazz - Miles Davis, John
Coltrane, Art Tatum, Wynton Marsalis.

His act incorporates all that, plus a huge dose of technical ability on
the unicycle.

"The composer mixed together jazz and tango . I love social dances,
tango, swing, flamenco. I love to observe movement.

"I don't want to show a trick. I'm using the trick to express what I
feel. That's what makes it flow and what makes it seem easy."

Along with his *unicycle act*, Soroczynski pops in and out of the show
as a *clown*.

"You go out and get to speak to the people, see what they think . You're
free. There's structure but a lot of place for improvisation. The
challenge is in trying to move the audience, and they are different
every day.

"You know, sometimes I think they are saying, 'Oh, no, here come the
clowns. Make me laugh.' Because there are a lot of bad clowns. Not
everyone likes the clowns.

"It's kind of like throwing yourself in front of lions every night. I
like that feeling."

Reach Roberta T. Vowell at 446-2327 or roberta.vowell pilotonline.com

Caption: Graphic WANT TO GO? What: "Nomade," by Cirque Eloize When: 7:30
tonight and Wednesday Where: Chrysler Hall, Norfolk Tickets: $15 to $45,
students half price Call: 282-2800 COLOR PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA ARTS
FESTIVAL Bartlomiej Soroczynski of the Cirque Eloize


--
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'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
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[JJuggle]

*ONE-WHEELERS ARE BLAZING A NEW TRAIL*

DEB ACORD Colorado Springs Gazette
827 words
13 May 2004
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
FINAL
12
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.

Extreme mountain biking, extreme snowmobiling. Extreme skateboarding and
in-line skating. Motocross and skiercross and all the other 'crosses.

They're so yesterday.

At least for Aaron Dubois, a teenager who has all those old, tired
extreme sports beat. Dubois has embraced a sport that's so cutting edge,
so new, so X, he appears to be only one of a handful in the state to
master it.

Dubois is a "municyclist," a relatively new word for the relatively new
sport of mountain unicycling.

Several times a week Dubois pedals a shiny but scarred unicycle up and
down rugged trails favored by downhill mountain bikers. On a recent
sunny morning, he took to a rough, rock-strewn hillside dotted with
spiky yucca and withered cacti.

Municycles, like the one Dubois rides, have knobby tires, big saddles
and mountain bike pedals. Like all unicycles, they have no gears and no
way to coast. The rider pedals constantly. One rotation forward takes
him forward the length of one rotation of the wheel. If he stops
pedaling, the municycle stops.

So municycle riders are always pedaling, uphill and down. With one hand
gripping the horn of the oversized seat and the other arm outstretched
for balance, the rider moves in jumps and starts, continually adjusting
for balance.

Speed isn't the issue. At unicycle races, according to the Unicycling
Society of America, 17 mph is a common speed for the 100- meter winner;
14 mph for the 1,600 meter and 11 mph for a 10K. Dubois figures he rides
about 2 mph on trails.

That doesn't mean you can't get anywhere on a municycle. Just ask Ed
Hansen of Florence, Colo. Hansen, 30, is a corrections officer who has
ridden a municycle since February.

He used to explore trails on a mountain bike. Now, he rides a municycle
with his mountain biking friends.

"If it's really smooth and straight and they can use their gears, they
leave me in the dust," he says. "But if it's rough, technical stuff and
we're going downhill, we go the same speed. If we're going uphill, I can
even pass them sometimes."

Like Hansen, Dubois has learned the power of a municycle - but it took a
while. Dubois is 14 and home-schooled. A fan of science fiction, a "true
believer" in aliens and an avid model builder, he has tried
skateboarding and extreme in-line skating and snowboarding, and is
proficient at downhill mountain biking.

On a whim last Christmas he asked for a unicycle. When he got it, he
spent a few weeks in his driveway trying to learn to ride it. "There was
about a week when I gave it up. It was hard to learn," he says.

But he couldn't resist the shiny one-wheeled bike, so he worked on it
until he could ride it.

Dubois left the driveway for a dirt hill near his house, and soon
graduated to trails in his Cheyenne Mountain neighborhood.

He discovered that balance was crucial, and that unicycling, especially
the mountain variety, can take its toll on his legs.

"But in some ways, it's easier than riding a bike. There's only one
wheel to worry about, and it's always a thrill."

Now, Dubois seeks out the perfect day on his municycle: a sunny, warm,
T-shirts-and-shorts kind of day. His regret? "That I don't have somebody
to do it with me."

The hardest part of perfecting the municycle, Dubois says, has been
coping with his peers. Kids called him "circus freak" when they saw him
riding on one wheel.

That's a common reaction to the unicycle, which, for generations, has
been associated with the circus.

But that may be changing. Municycle events and clubs dot California and
elsewhere. Web sites such as the one run by municycle pioneer John Foss,
unicycling.com, detail events and provide news about the exploding
sport. The North American Unicycling Championships last summer in
Minneapolis attracted 350 unicyclists.

Unicycles even have taken on Moab, Utah, considered the mecca of
mountain biking. Ed Hansen met other muni-minded athletes at last year's
Moab MUni Fest, held each summer since 2001 on the slickrock near town.
At MUni Fest, Hansen says, the versatility of the municycle becomes
obvious.

"It's a blast on the slickrock. It's amazing how steep a hill you can go
down or up without slipping."

Hansen believes municycling has a place in the future of outdoor
recreation. "I feel like it's where mountain biking was 20 years ago.
Not many people are doing it, but it's catching on."

MOUNTAIN UNICYCLING

Photo; Caption: MARK REIS/THE GAZETTE: Mountain unicyclist, or
"municyclist," Aaron Dubois, 14, pedals a trail near his home in
Colorado Springs, Colo. "It's always a thrill," he says.


--
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'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
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[zod]

Let me add to the collection, here's an article about me from a few
months ago....

http://www.charlottemag.com/buzz/story.cfm?ID=166

===========================================

ON A WHEEL AND A PRAYER
A local thrill-seeker hits mountain bike trails with only half a bike

By Sam Boykin; Charlotte Magazine

It just doesn't look right. There's this guy, and he's sitting on a
bicycle seat attached to one wheel, and his arms are kind of flailing.
But it can't be a unicycle, can it? This guy is riding on a rough, dirt
path-a mountain bike trail. Who in their right mind would take a
unicycle-with no brakes and a wheel that only spins when you peddle
it-out on a dangerous trail like this?

Josh Taylor would, and he does.

While riding his mountain bike early last year, Josh Taylor aggravated a
case of carpal tunnel syndrome in his wrist. The injury forced Taylor to
park his bike for several months. So what's a sidelined adrenaline
junkie to do without full use of his arms? Simple, take up the new sport
of mountain unicycling. Also known as "mUni," it's just what it sounds
like-riding a unicycle-or "municycle"-on the rugged,
rock-and-root-strewn terrain of mountain bike trails.

The sport originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, and
eventually made its way into the United States, where it's still
relatively unknown. Taylor, thirty, is among just a handful of intrepid
(some might say crazy) folks in the Charlotte area who mUni at local
trails, including Beech Spring (also called Poplar Tent), PeeWee's
Mountain Bike Park in Lincolnton, and North Mecklenburg Park in
Huntersville.

After his wrist injury, Taylor somehow convinced his wife to buy him a
unicycle for Valentine's Day. "It just seemed like something fun to do,"
he says. "Plus, I thought it might help my overall ability in mountain
biking."

Taylor practiced in his driveway, holding on to a chair for balance.
After a few days he was able to go about twenty feet without falling.
"At first it feels so alien when you put your butt up on the seat and
there's no handlebars," says Taylor, who lives in Gaston County. "It is
hard, but anybody can do it. You just have to put in the practice." And
Taylor insists that there's a far greater chance of getting hurt while
riding a mountain bike than a unicycle. "When you fall off a unicycle
you can usually just step off and run away from it," he says.

Taylor became adept at maneuvering his unicycle in the driveway and on
the sidewalk. Then, while surfing the Internet, he discovered mUni, and
he shelled out about $400 for a municycle (they can cost as much as
$1,500). Different from "freestyle" unicycles-the kind typically ridden
by street performers and circus clowns-a municycle is sturdier, with fat
knobby tires, a big saddle, and mountain bike pedals. Once he hit the
trails, Taylor discovered that the bumps and uneven terrain provided a
far different riding experience than his driveway.

"It was almost like starting all over again," Taylor says. "Every trail
is a new learning experience. On a mountain bike it's all about blasting
down the trail and just plowing over everything. mUni, on the other
hand, is like a slow dance on a tightrope. You learn every root and
rock. It's 100 percent concentration at five miles per hour. Plus, I
have to admit, the shock value is kind of fun. Everyone I pass on the
trail is a little freaked out."


--
zod - Icey Hot Stunta(z)
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[JJuggle]

Moab transcript.

MOUNTAIN UNICYCLING

1,241 words
18 May 2004
Voice of America Press Releases and Documents
English
CY Copyright (c) 2004 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc.

Radio Scripts - English Feature 7-38648

Moab, Utah

_

INTRO: The pursuit of the extreme is one of the latest trends in
American sports. Whether it's skiing down slopes you can only get to by
helicopter[degrees] kayaking down waterfalls[degrees] or climbing up
sheer cliffs that have never been scaled before, athletes are constantly
trying to 'push the envelope.' In the new sport of Muni (MEW-nee),
riders must use intense concentration and superb balance as they
navigate up and down steep rocky slopes. Charles Michael Ray takes us
Mountain Unicycling.

TEXT: It's a windy day on the high desert of central Utah... the spring
sun has melted the last bit of winter snow off the smooth sandstone
ridges and the rugged desert terrain rolls on to the horizon in every
direction.

AUDIO: CUT 1 CROWD AMBI Start to fade up and under

TEXT: A large crowd is gathered on one of the steep slopes of crimson
sandstone. Many are wearing helmets and protective body armor. At their
sides, they hold tough-looking beefed-up unicycles. This is the 2004
Moab Muni Fest. With 135 riders, it is the largest mountain unicycle
event in the world to date. And one of the main contests is just
beginning...

AUDIO: CUT 2 EVENT ORGANIZER

The Cliffs of Insanity is next! Any expert riders, come this way if you
want to take part in the Cliffs of Insanity! The Cliffs of Insanity is
starting now.

AUDIO: CUT 3 AMBI pedaling and people walking and talking (use as bed
throughout as needed)

TEXT: Someone would have to be insane to try to ride up this ten-meter
slope. The sandstone is broken by a rough series of steps and
ledges[degrees] the bottom ledge drops off into a sheer twenty-meter
cliff with a patch of cactus and pine trees below. The riders mount
their unicycles.

AUDIO: CUT 4 EVENT AMBI

OOOO!!! AHAAAAA!!! Crunch boink boink boink (unicycle falling down
slope) Applause

TEXT: These unicycles are very different from those typically seen at a
circus. They have extra-wide tires and reinforced frames that have been
designed to take this kind of abuse, even if the riders cannot.

AUDIO: CUT 5 EVENT AMBI

CHINK -- OOOOO Aaaaa

TEXT: Only one contestant makes it up the first series of treacherous
leaps, safely traverses back across the slope and then finally completes
a careful set of hops and pedal strokes to reach the top of the Cliffs
of Insanity.

AUDIO: CUT 6 EVENT AMBI

silence - hop hop hop. UGHHH - HURAHAA!! ALL-RIGHT! HUGE APPLAUSE

TEXT: This is Kris Holm, multi-time world champion, owner of his own
line of specially outfitted mountain unicycles, and one of the pioneers
of the sport known as Muni.

AUDIO: CUT 7 HOLM

Even though it's sloping and it's pretty smooth there's always
irregularities in the rock and you really want to position your tire
precisely in each of them and you can never be to greedy because if
you're greedy you slip. You just incrementally work your way up the
slope.

TEXT: The best Muni riders can jump off 3 meter ledges with ease, leap
over a one and a half meter obstacle, and hop across a 3 meter gap. They
can ride on virtually any terrain -- but they do so rather slowly... at
about the pace of a rapid jog. Kris Holm says Mountain Unicycling is
more like rock climbing than mountain biking, in that it takes intense
concentration to stay on top of the wheel.

AUDIO: CUT 8 HOLM

Because of the precision involved it's a practice-oriented sport. You
can have a great time on an easy trail or you can push yourself
technically on the same hard terrain that mountain bikers use.

TEXT: The sport of Muni got rolling in 1996, when about 35 riders
gathered in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada Range for a
weekend of unicycling through the back country. Since then, the sport
has seen steady growth with the number of participants roughly doubling
each year. California computer programmer John Foss organized that first
Muni-Fest and is recognized as one of the sport's founding fathers. Foss
says it's the challenge that draws many to off-road unicycling.

AUDIO: CUT 9 FOSS

Unicycling seems to attract people who like stuff that is hard. People
who like to work at tough things. If you ask these people what they do
for jobs or what they do in school, you'll find a lot of people who
excel, or work with computers or who invent things and so it attracts an
interesting crowd of people.

TEXT: Even though it's been around for less than a decade, many of the
sport's biggest challenges have already been met -- including riding
through parts of the tallest mountain range in the world. Mountain
Unicycle enthusiast Nathan Hoover spent several weeks in 2002
crisscrossing the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan with world Champion Kris
Holm. They hiked up to remote monasteries in steep mountain passes and
rode down the treacherous and ancient paths into secluded valleys.
Hoover says the chance to travel by unicycle is part of what draws him
to this sport.

AUDIO: CUT 10 HOOVER

I just like the way you can take your unicycle anywhere in the world,
very easily. I like the way it's a little bit different. You get
noticed. When you're traveling in foreign countries or anywhere it's
instant passport to talk with people. And they come flocking up to you,
and that's just a great thing.

TEXT: Hoover, who works for a California software company, says one
reason unicycles are rarely seen is that not many people have learned to
ride them. It takes an average of fifteen hours to master riding a
unicycle just 10 meters without falling off.

AUDIO: CUT 11 HOOVER

You can get on a skateboard and do something right away, you can get on
a bike and do something right away. Whereas a unicycle's gonna take, I
don't know -- how good are you? Hours, weeks, months, to get going at
all and then to do what people are doing here in the mountains. And then
to do what people are doing in the mountains took me months to be able
to go at all.

TEXT: While the learning curve for Mountain Unicycling is fairly steep,
more and more people are taking the challenge. Retailers say the demand
for off-road unicycles has grown dramatically in recent years and
gatherings like the Moab Muni Fest are becoming more popular each year.
World champion Kris Holm says it feels good to be at the top of an
emerging sport.

AUDIO: CUT 12 HOLM

It's a really rare opportunity to be at the beginning of a sport and to
get a chance to develop some of the techniques that even now people are
taking for granted basically. And that's an exciting time. It's always
the coolest part of any sport, I think, when it's really grassroots. You
know everybody that's involved and you see a sport that you believe in
grow and get bigger and bigger.

TEXT: Kris Holm's next adventure is to ride his unicycle down several
peaks in the Andes Mountains of South America. For Main Street, I'm
Charles Michael Ray in Moab Utah


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

Ich bin hier,
Und du bist mein Sofa.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*One wheel, and a lot of faith; Olathe man will roll across Kansas on
his unicycle for a cause*

By NOEMI HERRERA The Kansas City Star
735 words
6 June 2004
The Kansas City Star
1
6
English
Copyright (c) 2004, The Kansas City Star. All rights reserved.

Using only one wheel and good old determination, 33-year-old Troy
Calkins of Olathe plans to roll across Kansas in eight days.

If he succeeds, he will become the first person to unicycle across the
state, he said.

"They think I'm nuts. They really think I'm crazy," Calkins said. "A lot
think it's not possible. But it's very doable."

Calkins will make his 489-mile trip during the 30th Annual Biking Across
Kansas, which began Saturday at the Colorado border near Sharon Springs,
Kan., and ends June 12 at the Missouri River in Leavenworth.

His motivation comes from the desire to raise awareness for esophageal
and breast cancer, and money for research efforts.

His late uncle, Rex Lewellyn, died in 1999 of esophageal cancer, but the
ride is also in celebration of his mother-in-law, Judy Blackburn, who
survived breast cancer after a successful surgery in 2002.

He said much of his family has been affected by cancer.

"My uncle had prostate cancer, my grandmother had lung and brain cancer.
Everybody's been touched by it," he said.

From the doubtful minds of fellow bicyclists to the friendly jibing from
his co-workers, Calkins is aware of the skepticism his one-wheeled feat
has drawn, and he understands. "There's no gears, no coasting on a
unicycle. I have to peddle every bit of the way," said Calkins, a
software developer who learned to ride a unicycle in grade school.
"Yeah, I'll be tired. But that's the neat part of it; people with cancer
can't just quit. For me, the week after I'm done, the fatigue will go
away."

Jeff Nace, Calkins' co-worker, is on the fence about whether Calkins
will complete the course.

"We've been making bets as to whether he'll make it," Nace said. "I've
worked with him for the past few years. He's a positive guy, and he's
determined."

Talk around the office is that Calkins will give up Sunday or Monday.
Sunday is the first 80-mile leg of the race, he said.

He said he started training, swimming and lifting weights every day six
months ago in preparation for the trek. He even purchased a new 36-inch
wheel for the journey, an upgrade from the more common 20-inch unicycle.


Long-distance unicycling is becoming a fad, he said. A couple of people
have done it in other states, including Iowa.

While bicycles can go as fast as 20 miles per hour, Calkins said
unicycles go about 10 miles per hour. Because of that, he expects to
arrive about four to six hours behind the other cyclists as they go from
town to town.

Adding to the skepticism is Calkins' inexperience.

"I've never done something like this before, not even on a bicycle," he
said.

But, according to the Biking Across Kansas Web site,
www.bak.org/index.php, many participants are first-time riders with
varying levels of ability.

Most riders even make stops along the way to shop, tour a museum, enjoy
the vistas or visit historical roadside markers.

Calkins' plan is to stop every 10 miles to give his body a rest.

"My butt will hurt, my legs will hurt," he said. "My legs might fall
asleep and other things may fall asleep, but I can stop after an hour
and get started again. ‘No' is negative. People will cheer us on and
that's what will push me too. I will will it to happen."

To reach Noemi Herrera, Olathe education reporter, call

(816) 234-7729 or send e-mail

to .

To donate

Visit www.unicyclekansas.com.

The donation button is set up so money will deposit directly to the
Kansas City Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

People may also write a check or send money orders to the attention of
Sherry Russell, administrative assistant at the Stowers Institute, 1000
E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110. Write Calkins' name or ‘Unicycle
Kansas' on the memo line.

Troy Calkins of Olathe begins his ride across Kansas this weekend. He
will ride his 36-inch unicycle in the Bike Across Kansas ride. CHRIS
OCHSNER/The Kansas City Star


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

Lies written in ink can never disguise facts written in blood.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*One wheel, and a lot of faith; Olathe man will roll across Kansas on
his unicycle for a cause*

By NOEMI HERRERA The Kansas City Star
735 words
6 June 2004
The Kansas City Star
1
6
English
Copyright (c) 2004, The Kansas City Star. All rights reserved.

Using only one wheel and good old determination, 33-year-old Troy
Calkins of Olathe plans to roll across Kansas in eight days.

If he succeeds, he will become the first person to unicycle across the
state, he said.

"They think I'm nuts. They really think I'm crazy," Calkins said. "A lot
think it's not possible. But it's very doable."

Calkins will make his 489-mile trip during the 30th Annual Biking Across
Kansas, which began Saturday at the Colorado border near Sharon Springs,
Kan., and ends June 12 at the Missouri River in Leavenworth.

His motivation comes from the desire to raise awareness for esophageal
and breast cancer, and money for research efforts.

His late uncle, Rex Lewellyn, died in 1999 of esophageal cancer, but the
ride is also in celebration of his mother-in-law, Judy Blackburn, who
survived breast cancer after a successful surgery in 2002.

He said much of his family has been affected by cancer.

"My uncle had prostate cancer, my grandmother had lung and brain cancer.
Everybody's been touched by it," he said.

From the doubtful minds of fellow bicyclists to the friendly jibing from
his co-workers, Calkins is aware of the skepticism his one-wheeled feat
has drawn, and he understands. "There's no gears, no coasting on a
unicycle. I have to peddle every bit of the way," said Calkins, a
software developer who learned to ride a unicycle in grade school.
"Yeah, I'll be tired. But that's the neat part of it; people with cancer
can't just quit. For me, the week after I'm done, the fatigue will go
away."

Jeff Nace, Calkins' co-worker, is on the fence about whether Calkins
will complete the course.

"We've been making bets as to whether he'll make it," Nace said. "I've
worked with him for the past few years. He's a positive guy, and he's
determined."

Talk around the office is that Calkins will give up Sunday or Monday.
Sunday is the first 80-mile leg of the race, he said.

He said he started training, swimming and lifting weights every day six
months ago in preparation for the trek. He even purchased a new 36-inch
wheel for the journey, an upgrade from the more common 20-inch unicycle.


Long-distance unicycling is becoming a fad, he said. A couple of people
have done it in other states, including Iowa.

While bicycles can go as fast as 20 miles per hour, Calkins said
unicycles go about 10 miles per hour. Because of that, he expects to
arrive about four to six hours behind the other cyclists as they go from
town to town.

Adding to the skepticism is Calkins' inexperience.

"I've never done something like this before, not even on a bicycle," he
said.

But, according to the Biking Across Kansas Web site,
www.bak.org/index.php, many participants are first-time riders with
varying levels of ability.

Most riders even make stops along the way to shop, tour a museum, enjoy
the vistas or visit historical roadside markers.

Calkins' plan is to stop every 10 miles to give his body a rest.

"My butt will hurt, my legs will hurt," he said. "My legs might fall
asleep and other things may fall asleep, but I can stop after an hour
and get started again. ‘No' is negative. People will cheer us on and
that's what will push me too. I will will it to happen."

To reach Noemi Herrera, Olathe education reporter, call

(816) 234-7729 or send e-mail

to .

To donate

Visit www.unicyclekansas.com.

The donation button is set up so money will deposit directly to the
Kansas City Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

People may also write a check or send money orders to the attention of
Sherry Russell, administrative assistant at the Stowers Institute, 1000
E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110. Write Calkins' name or ‘Unicycle
Kansas' on the memo line.

Troy Calkins of Olathe begins his ride across Kansas this weekend. He
will ride his 36-inch unicycle in the Bike Across Kansas ride. CHRIS
OCHSNER/The Kansas City Star


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

Lies written in ink can never disguise facts written in blood.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

NO WOBBLES FOR MAYOR'S BIG WHEEL.

225 words
5 June 2004
Coventry Evening Telegraph
3
English
(c) 2004 Coventry Newspapers Ltd

THE Mayor of Nuneaton and Bedworth is gearing up for tomorrow's
one-wheeled cycle ride from Bedworth town centre to Nuneaton town
centre.

Cllr Ian Lloyd - possibly the country's only unicycling and juggling
mayor - has been in training for months at Cannons Health Club in
preparation for his stunt.

He will be raising cash for his adopted charity Mencap, for which he
hopes to raise £60,000 to install a lift at the Nuneaton HQ at Chetwynd
House.

The ride will begin outside the Tesco store in Leicester Street,
Bedworth at 10am, where Mencap members will be holding an all-day
collection.

It will follow a nine-kilometre route to end at Asda in Newtown Road,
Nuneaton, where Mencap members will be selling prize draw tickets.

The have-a-go mayor will be accompanied on his mission by young members
of Nuneaton Juggling Club, who will be riding unicycles in relays.

Cllr Lloyd said: "The members of Mencap face and overcome big challenges
in their everyday lives and so I decided to beat this challenge and at
the same time raise money for this much-needed lift."

He hopes to bank £1,000 with his ride and he is inviting local people,
businesses and organisations to sponsor him by phoning Trevor Walters on
024 7674 4154


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

Lies written in ink can never disguise facts written in blood.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[andrew_carter]

What a great mayor. Do you think the members of the juggling club are
only doing the 9km ride in relays so the mayor isn't upstaged? :)

Andrew


--
andrew_carter - Gone Cokerin'

HTTP://WWW.UNICYCLIST.COM/GALLERY/ANDREW
andrew_carter (at) mail (dot) com
http://www.unicycles.com.au
New photos added 11/04 - http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albuu61
------------------------------------------------------------------------
andrew_carter's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/1052
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

UNICYCLISTS HEAD NORTH FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE

237 words
7 June 2004
Newsquest Media Group Newspapers
English
© Copyright 2004 Newsquest Digital Media.

the North East

UNICYCLISTS from across Britain came to the region yesterday for their
annual conference.

The three-day event began last night with more than 250 unicyclists
holding a unicycle celeidh dance.

Other events to be held at the convention at St Michael's RC Secondary
School, in Billingham, will include the British Unicycle Hockey
Championships.

The 11th annual convention has been organised by the Stockton Unicycle
and Juggling Club and this is the first time it has come to the
North-East.

Roger Davies, of Stockton, whose Internet-based unicycle supply business
is the largest in Europe, is one of the organisers.

He said: "We've got people coming from the length and breadth of Britain
but I'm disappointed we're not getting more. After all, it's only once a
year.

"We've organised a few things and I'm looking forward to getting them to
cycle over to Guisborough where we can do some mountain riding and have
off-road trials on our unicycles.

"My favourite event, though, is the hockey and it's great just to meet
up with people and have some laughs."

The convention ends tomorrow evening. Previously, it has been held in
Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Edinburgh, North Wales, Kidderminster and
Exeter.

Anyone interested in joining the Stockton Unicycle and Juggling Club can
call Mr Davies on his work number (01642) 361203.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

I'm cold, wet, sore, my crotch hurts and I have gas...but I'm great. -
rider comment during the 6th LBI Unithon
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

UNICYCLISTS HEAD NORTH FOR ANNUAL CONFERENCE

237 words
7 June 2004
Newsquest Media Group Newspapers
English
© Copyright 2004 Newsquest Digital Media.

the North East

UNICYCLISTS from across Britain came to the region yesterday for their
annual conference.

The three-day event began last night with more than 250 unicyclists
holding a unicycle celeidh dance.

Other events to be held at the convention at St Michael's RC Secondary
School, in Billingham, will include the British Unicycle Hockey
Championships.

The 11th annual convention has been organised by the Stockton Unicycle
and Juggling Club and this is the first time it has come to the
North-East.

Roger Davies, of Stockton, whose Internet-based unicycle supply business
is the largest in Europe, is one of the organisers.

He said: "We've got people coming from the length and breadth of Britain
but I'm disappointed we're not getting more. After all, it's only once a
year.

"We've organised a few things and I'm looking forward to getting them to
cycle over to Guisborough where we can do some mountain riding and have
off-road trials on our unicycles.

"My favourite event, though, is the hockey and it's great just to meet
up with people and have some laughs."

The convention ends tomorrow evening. Previously, it has been held in
Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Edinburgh, North Wales, Kidderminster and
Exeter.

Anyone interested in joining the Stockton Unicycle and Juggling Club can
call Mr Davies on his work number (01642) 361203.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

'6th Annual LBI Unithon - Sat, June 5, 2004'
(http://jjuggle.unicyclist.com/lbiunithon)

I'm cold, wet, sore, my crotch hurts and I have gas...but I'm great. -
rider comment during the 6th LBI Unithon
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[Borges]

'Article in the Swedish magazine \"Häst Liv\" (Horse Life)'
(http://www.tv4.se/visa/?ID=312814)


... skipping to the unicycle part ...

<translation>
To ride a unicycle is an exercise out of the ordinary. But for those who
dare, it's a great exercise. You're forced to keep your balance without
holding on to anything, which is great practice for not, by reflex, to
grab e.g. the bridle and thereby tug at the horses mouth. On a unicycle
you even get a good understanding of the way you give the horse signals
by shifting your weight. Even the slightest shifting of the weight from
one sit bone to the other will make the unicycle react. The same is the
case for the horse, tiny, tiny changes are enough to make your signals
reach the horse.

</translation>

Cykla enhjuling är en övning lite utöver det vanliga. Men för den som
vågar är det en bra övning. Du tvingas hålla balansen utan att hålla i
något, vilket är bra träning för att inte reflexmässigt vilja ta tag i
t.ex. tyglarna och rycka hästen i munnen. På en enhjuling får du även en
bra förståelse för vikthjälpernas inverkan. Det minsta du lägger vikten
på ena eller andra sittbenet så förflyttar sig cykeln. Detsamma gäller
ju för hästen, det räcker med små, små hjälper för att dina signaler
till hästen ska nå fram.


--
Borges

"However, I confess that the ultimate wheel lacks the day to day
practicality of the conventional unicycle" -Mikefule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borges's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/925
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[Borges]

'Article in the Swedish magazine \"Häst Liv\" (Horse Life)'
(http://www.tv4.se/visa/?ID=312814)


... skipping to the unicycle part ...

<translation>
To ride a unicycle is an exercise out of the ordinary. But for those who
dare, it's a great exercise. You're forced to keep your balance without
holding on to anything, which is great practice for not, by reflex, to
grab e.g. the bridle and thereby tug at the horses mouth. On a unicycle
you even get a good understanding of the way you give the horse signals
by shifting your weight. Even the slightest shifting of the weight from
one sit bone to the other will make the unicycle react. The same is the
case for the horse, tiny, tiny changes are enough to make your signals
reach the horse.

</translation>

Cykla enhjuling är en övning lite utöver det vanliga. Men för den som
vågar är det en bra övning. Du tvingas hålla balansen utan att hålla i
något, vilket är bra träning för att inte reflexmässigt vilja ta tag i
t.ex. tyglarna och rycka hästen i munnen. På en enhjuling får du även en
bra förståelse för vikthjälpernas inverkan. Det minsta du lägger vikten
på ena eller andra sittbenet så förflyttar sig cykeln. Detsamma gäller
ju för hästen, det räcker med små, små hjälper för att dina signaler
till hästen ska nå fram.


--
Borges

"However, I confess that the ultimate wheel lacks the day to day
practicality of the conventional unicycle" -Mikefule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borges's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/925
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

UNICYCLIST PUTS UP GOOD EFFORT IN TRIP ACROSS STATE

By NOEMI HERRERA The Kansas City Star
549 words
16 June 2004
The Kansas City Star
1
4
English
Copyright (c) 2004, The Kansas City Star. All rights reserved.

"It was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done in
my life."

Though 60 miles short of becoming the first unicyclist to roll across
the width of Kansas, Troy Calkins said the experience was incredible and
worth the sore muscles.

"It was very taxing on the body and a mind game in afternoon," said the
33-year-old Olathe resident who participated in the 30th Annual Biking
Across Kansas last week.

From Sharon Springs, Kan., near the Colorado border, to Leavenworth,
software developer Calkins gave it his all during the 489-mile,
eight-day trip through Kansas in the name of cancer awareness.

He said it was Mother Nature who put a monkey wrench in his goal of
pedaling through the state on one wheel.

"I made it every day except three," he recounted, describing the heat
and winds as unbearable on some days. "We had 100 degree temperatures
and 30- to 40-mile-per-hour winds on some days. They were the most
grueling days we all had."

He wasn't the only one to "SAG out." SAG is a term used for the support
vehicle that drives cyckusts to the next resting point if needed.

On one particular windy day, there was a large majority of bikers who
did not finish the leg, he said.

Nevertheless, while he cannot say he completed the course on his own leg
power, the experience was amazing.

He had a chance to speak about his cause for cancer awareness to all the
cyclists during a gathering.

"Everybody was talking about it," Calkins said. "Every day, 700 people
would pass me on route and say ‘good morning,' or say ‘keep up the good
work.'

But when the faster cyclists passed him, the afternoons turned long and
lonely, making the ride a test of his dedication.

He said, all along the way, it was the encouragement and stories of
cancer he heard along the way that kept him going.

"Some were calling me a hero and that I am an inspiration to them," he
said.

Other cyclists shared their stories with Calkins – some told him about
their loved ones' fight with cancer and some said they themselves were
living with it.

He said he must have heard about 20 or 30 cancer stories, including one
man who approached Calkins with a story of his late wife who died of
cancer. He also thanked Calkins for his effort.

"I was touched by how many people cancer has touched," he said. "It was
more than I ever expected."

He said the journey was an accomplishment, despite the SAG outs.

"The whole experience was a success," he said. "I would most likely not
do it again on a unicycle. It would be so much fun on a bicycle."

To donate

Visit www.unicyclekansas.com and click on the donation button. Money
donated online will deposit directly to the Kansas City Stowers
Institute for Medical Research. People may also write a check or send
money orders to the attention of Sherry Russell, administrative
assistant at the Stowers Institute, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO
64110. Write Calkins' name or ‘Unicycle Kansas' on the memo line.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Whenever we drive, the road feels longer than what we've cycled. - Lars
Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 48
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

UNICYCLIST PUTS UP GOOD EFFORT IN TRIP ACROSS STATE

By NOEMI HERRERA The Kansas City Star
549 words
16 June 2004
The Kansas City Star
1
4
English
Copyright (c) 2004, The Kansas City Star. All rights reserved.

"It was one of the most physically challenging things I've ever done in
my life."

Though 60 miles short of becoming the first unicyclist to roll across
the width of Kansas, Troy Calkins said the experience was incredible and
worth the sore muscles.

"It was very taxing on the body and a mind game in afternoon," said the
33-year-old Olathe resident who participated in the 30th Annual Biking
Across Kansas last week.

From Sharon Springs, Kan., near the Colorado border, to Leavenworth,
software developer Calkins gave it his all during the 489-mile,
eight-day trip through Kansas in the name of cancer awareness.

He said it was Mother Nature who put a monkey wrench in his goal of
pedaling through the state on one wheel.

"I made it every day except three," he recounted, describing the heat
and winds as unbearable on some days. "We had 100 degree temperatures
and 30- to 40-mile-per-hour winds on some days. They were the most
grueling days we all had."

He wasn't the only one to "SAG out." SAG is a term used for the support
vehicle that drives cyckusts to the next resting point if needed.

On one particular windy day, there was a large majority of bikers who
did not finish the leg, he said.

Nevertheless, while he cannot say he completed the course on his own leg
power, the experience was amazing.

He had a chance to speak about his cause for cancer awareness to all the
cyclists during a gathering.

"Everybody was talking about it," Calkins said. "Every day, 700 people
would pass me on route and say ‘good morning,' or say ‘keep up the good
work.'

But when the faster cyclists passed him, the afternoons turned long and
lonely, making the ride a test of his dedication.

He said, all along the way, it was the encouragement and stories of
cancer he heard along the way that kept him going.

"Some were calling me a hero and that I am an inspiration to them," he
said.

Other cyclists shared their stories with Calkins – some told him about
their loved ones' fight with cancer and some said they themselves were
living with it.

He said he must have heard about 20 or 30 cancer stories, including one
man who approached Calkins with a story of his late wife who died of
cancer. He also thanked Calkins for his effort.

"I was touched by how many people cancer has touched," he said. "It was
more than I ever expected."

He said the journey was an accomplishment, despite the SAG outs.

"The whole experience was a success," he said. "I would most likely not
do it again on a unicycle. It would be so much fun on a bicycle."

To donate

Visit www.unicyclekansas.com and click on the donation button. Money
donated online will deposit directly to the Kansas City Stowers
Institute for Medical Research. People may also write a check or send
money orders to the attention of Sherry Russell, administrative
assistant at the Stowers Institute, 1000 E. 50th Street, Kansas City, MO
64110. Write Calkins' name or ‘Unicycle Kansas' on the memo line.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Whenever we drive, the road feels longer than what we've cycled. - Lars
Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 48
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[JJuggle]

*OY!* sorry, can't find the picture.

*Caption only: COMMUTER VEHICLE*

39 words
19 June 2004
Guelph Mercury
Final
C6
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Guelph Mercury.

CAPTION

Photo: TYLER BROWNBRIDGE, GUELPH MERCURY / Dean Graham, 36, owner of
Trend Hair Design at the University of Guelph, gets around campus on a
new unicycle. He calls the bike a "new toy".


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Faith's understanding is first and foremost not achievement, but
sympathy, empathy, care, concern, kindness -- in a word, compassion. -
Lars Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 58
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[GILD]

JJuggle wrote:
> * He calls the bike a "new toy". *
OY! indeed

is that like the worst sentence in the history of english or what?!?
:( :eek: :mad:


;)


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
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[johnfoss]

That's Michigan for ya. A guy rides a bike one mile to work and his
co-workers think he's a crackpot. Another guy rides his unicycle and
seems to get less attention. ??

Notice how reporters seem to keep inventing the word "municycle?" Are we
feeding them this word? I never see it used here. Only the press uses
it. I think they may assume it because we say "muni" and we say
"unicycle" and they must just stick them together. I'll try to remember,
in the future, to remind reporters that "municycle" is not a word. Of
course MUni is...


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"Beer me." -- Scot Cooper, at the end of a group ride all the way up and
all the way down Mt. Diablo (3300'), a 20 mile round trip of road and
trail.
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[JJuggle]

Side note: In no way a reflection on this young person, but I'm getting
*really* tired of the adverb, *wheely*.

LYNDSEY'S LATEST BALANCING ACT

131 words
24 June 2004
Newsquest Media Group Newspapers
English
© Copyright 2004 Newsquest Digital Media.

Stratford_upon_avon

STRATFORD schoolgirl Lyndsey Coldicott has come up with a wheely great
idea to raise money for charity.

Lyndsey, aged 11, from Sackville Close, will be riding on a unicycle
collecting money for the charity Action Unlimited at a garden party in
Billesley next month.

The soon-to-be Stratford High School pupil is something of a serial
fundraiser. Last year she walked along the canal towpaths from
Birmingham to Stratford with her friend, Amanda Keal, to raise money for
the Welcombe Hills School.

And all her good work for charitable causes was recognised earlier this
year when she received a Young Hero award in the Pride of Coventry and
Warwickshire Community Awards.

To make a donation, contact Heather Coldicott on 01789 292290.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Faith's understanding is first and foremost not achievement, but
sympathy, empathy, care, concern, kindness -- in a word, compassion. -
Lars Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 58
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[U-Turn]

JJuggle wrote:
> *Side note: In no way a reflection on this young person, but I'm
> getting really* tired of the adverb, *wheely*.
Yes, but can you do one?


--
U-Turn - Member of Generation XO

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)

-- Dave Stockton
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLIST WINS BICYCLE! :eek: :confused: :(

JACK RIDES OFF WITH BIKE PRIZE.

136 words
24 June 2004
Coventry Evening Telegraph
7
English
(c) 2004 Coventry Newspapers Ltd

A NUNEATON boy has become the lucky winner of a Raleigh Chopper bike in
a county competition.

Jack Challinor won the prize after visiting Warwickshire County
Council's "Pedalling for Nuneaton" event in the Market Place earlier
this month.

The nine-year-old had correctly answered six questions about the
displays on show in the town centre.

Jack, who raised more than £450 by unicycling from Nuneaton to Bedworth
with the former Mayor of Nuneaton Cllr Ian Lloyd, had his entry pulled
out from more than 70 hopefuls.

Nicola Robinson, the TravelWise officer at Warwickshire County Council,
said: "It seems his efforts for all his fundraising have been rewarded!"


Hanif Sheikh also won a bag of goodies for cycling the furthest in two
minutes - 1.26km - on a static bike.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Faith's understanding is first and foremost not achievement, but
sympathy, empathy, care, concern, kindness -- in a word, compassion. -
Lars Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 58
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

Not strictly about unicycles, but scroll down to the bolded section and
read a few paragraphs on.


THE ART OF THE WHEEL ; DIFFERENT SPOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS IS THE THEME
OF THE LOUISIANA BICYCLE FESTIVAL IN ABITA SPRINGS, WHERE VINTAGE
SCHWINNS MINGLE WITH MARDI GRAS-BEADED BIKES AND CHROME-LADEN
LOW-RIDERS.

Chris Bynum Staff writer
1,690 words
26 June 2004
Times-Picayune
01
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Some days he's a Mardi Gras Indian chief. Other days he's just a guy who
loves bikes. On Father's Day last Sunday, Wade Batiste was the latter,
wearing a bandanna in lieu of his feather headdress, as he polished his
freshly painted pearl-green bicycle in an open Abita Springs field while
other bike fans gathered.

Batiste, you see, isn't alone in his passion for the two-wheeled
roadster that marks a rite of passage few children outgrow once they
become adults.

"It's a connection between generations," says Ernie Dopp, a local
collector of bikes and one of the forces behind the blossoming Louisiana
Bicycle Festival, held annually on Father's Day.

As the day unfolded, each passing hour marked a significant rise in
temperature as the summer sun glistened off chrome, glitter, Mardi Gras
beads and anything else that might make a bike stand out in a crowd.

But don't look for Lance Armstrong types at this fest. The event calls
to those who put personality over performance when it comes to one, two
or three sets of wheels. As bike fans from Texas, Alabama and other
nearby states gathered for the fourth annual event, their common bond
was clear. These folks like bikes.

"It's all about self-expression," says Dopp, the originator, with John
Preble, of the event. It was a build-it-and-they-will-come concept, you
might say -- except that basically, the festival requires little
preparation. Registration and fees are not required. Participants bring
their own stools, canopies and picnics, although there is a small
concession stand on the grounds.

Dopp brings a sampling of his personal collection of more than 75
vintage and custom-made bikes.

As Dopp puts it, bikes "are one of the few antiques you can ride." It
was on one of his trips back from the Tammany Trace biking and walking
trail in Abita Springs that he ran into Preble, who was in the midst of
creating his eccentric UCM Museum in an old gas station at the trail
head.

Dopp told Preble he could display a couple of his vintage bikes at the
museum, and during their conversation, the idea for the Louisiana
Bicycle Festival unfolded. Such gatherings had drawn crowds in other
parts of the South (such as Houston and Atlanta), and both men were
convinced that the Abita Springs site offered the potential for a
growing event. And it did, Dopp says, expanding from about 100 people
four years ago to more than 450 participants this year.

"We feel comfortable now saying that it is the largest bike festival in
the South," says Preble.

"I have young guys talk to me, and their eyes get big because I know
what they're talking about with road bikes and mountain bikes and
Italian parts," Dopp said. "It's a good thing."

A festival of this sort, he says, allows everyone "to have his own
style." Whether it's the guy with the 1961 Rollfast or the rider with
the contemporary silver-studded motorcycle-inspired custom bike, the
common denominator is an appreciation for the sentimental value of an
old bike, the novelty of a hand-built bike, the creativity of an art
bike and the individuality of a one-of-a-kind bike.

"I'd rather have a bike than a car," says Troy Warmington, 38, of
Marrero. The bike he sports represents a trend in custom bikes: the
chopper look with long lean lines and a low seat. The 26-inch
stretch-frame bike has a quilted diamond-pattern seat in orange leather,
the shiny chrome wheels have 144 spokes, and the low-to- the-ground look
is complete with fake exhaust pipes.

Warmington, who has been designing bikes for six years, runs his hands
over the 44-inch-high sissy bar. "Exercise?" he repeats the gist of the
question. "This bike isn't about exercise. It's about joy."

It's the same for Shane Delacerda, 16, whose bike comes equipped with
many of man's best accessories: a sound system run by a car battery on
the back wheels and a television positioned in front of the handlebars.
He and his grandfather, Gene Delacerda, built the custom bike, complete
with running lights, in their Kenner garage in a matter of days.

"There are different things out there besides trouble," says the senior
Delacerda, who thinks that bike projects not only close the gap between
generations, but also teach children creativity and responsibility.

Wayne Spring of Albany is not discriminating when it comes to bikes. He
will ride anything -- because he can -- from a contraption so small it
appears to be a bike built for a circus Chihuahua to a *12-foot-high
unicycle for the guy on stilts.*

How Spring rotates a man-sized foot on a toy-sized pedal is amazing
enough, but the towering unicycle is, as he puts it, "like the
four-wheel drive of unicycles." It requires both strength and balance to
operate because three wheels, one on top of the other, propel the
vehicle forward. The first wheel turns the second wheel clockwise, which
rotates the third wheel counter-clockwise.

There's a reason Spring collects such bikes. He is also known as Rocky
the Clown, performing for private parties now and then. One of his
unicycles uses the rubber soles of eight pairs of Converse sneakers for
tire tread. Spring can't help but say "feet don't fail me now" when he
begins to pedal.

But probably the most amazing bike in his collection is an old unicycle
he found in a barn. The rusted contraption called to him. He knew it was
a vintage piece from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, but he
didn't have the money, so he offered the farmer $200 and his watch as
collateral.

"It wasn't an expensive watch, but when I told the fellow it was
sentimental because my mother had given it to me, he knew I would be
good for the money," says Spring. What Spring later learned was just how
far unicycles have come.

The original rectangular seat was far from ergonomic.

"That old seat creates a rash," says Spring, who has a new respect for
the generation of performers who went before him.

Cody McLain, 12, thinks of bikes as showpieces, too. His parents had an
art car, one of those cars that becomes a collage of found pieces and
individual expression, coming together with some powerful glue and some
free thinking.

McLain's art bike sported everything from a Noah's ark procession of
plastic animals moving up the front fender over a trail of sequins and
Mardi Gras beads to Ronald McDonald figurines and a yellow rubber
"devil" duckie, complete with red horns.

How does it ride?

"Not sure," he says. But then again, form doesn't always have to follow
function.

Otherwise, it would seem rather odd for an Electrolux vacuum cleaner
carrier to sit on the back of a JC Higgins Sears bike, or for a bike to
be equipped with leather-fringed saddle bags, accessorized with tucked
velvet upholstery seats, accented with glass doorknobs on the handlebars
or outfitted with a bowling trophy fender ornament -- all the brainchild
of English Craig Jones, a tattoo artist from Kenner, whose riding
entourage arrives outfitted as "riding cowboys."

In some strange way, this bike gathering is like the Westminster Dog
Show, with one obvious exception. While prizes are given out, there are
no winners or losers because there are no perimeters when it comes to
these bikes. Each bike is appreciated for its lines, its color, its
silhouette and its history.

And sometimes for its symbolism, from the nostalgia evoked by a 1935
Schwinn or a 1950s Western Flyer to the patriotic statement of a brand
spanking new custom bike with chrome flame pedals, a Dalmatian kickstand
and a silver-eagle fender ornament honoring the 343 firemen killed in
the line of duty on Sept. 11, 2001.

That was one of the newest bikes in Dopp's collection, along with a bike
styled after the Abita Springs Police Department cars.

But there were reminders that this wasn't just a festival for locals.
John Youens had hauled his TexMex creation all the way from Magnolia,
Texas, the family cat (named Guadeloupe) accompanying him and his wife.


Youens sat on the grass polishing the custom green paint job on the
low-rider.

"It's Volkswagen CyberGreen with a Lamborghini gold overcoat. I wanted
it to have more sparkle that the original Beetle color," says Youens,
whose creation was conceived with the help of computer- aided graphics
and his knack for bending tubing to fit the aerodynamic design.

About the time Youens finished polishing the frame, fest-goers began to
line up for the bike parade through town, women dressed in pink to match
pink bikes and men with hand-tooled cowboy boots to match fringed
saddlebags on bike fenders. It was a short ride; the town has only so
many city blocks winding around cafes, church steeples and the sheriff's
office.

But they all return to the same place: a love for bikes.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Faith's understanding is first and foremost not achievement, but
sympathy, empathy, care, concern, kindness -- in a word, compassion. -
Lars Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 58
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[JJuggle]

I think Cory Farley needs bit of an attitude adjustment.

CORY FARLEY - OPINION

Cory Farley
Staff
489 words
25 June 2004
Reno Gazette-Journal
1
English
(c) Copyright 2004, Reno Gazette-Journal. All Rights Reserved.

Could you pick a worse ride?

This Space never meant to become the Reno Gazette-Journal's
Weird-Vehicle-Across-The-Country Reporter. Yet whenever anybody comes
through town bound for Boston in a birchbark canoe, I wind up with the
story.

Take Patrick Thomas, who stopped this week en route from San Francisco
to New York. Thomas is traveling not on two wings, nor on four wheels,
nor two.

He's on a unicycle. One wheel, and it's even less suited to the task
than you're thinking:

o There are no brakes.

o There are no gears. One turn of the pedals equals one revolution of
the wheel.

o There's no coasting. The foot bone's connected to the pedal bone, the
pedal bone's connected to the wheel. If the unicycle is moving, so are
Thomas' feet.

o The only luggage space is a backpack. Where would you attach a rack?
He set out with four changes of clothing, but has mailed three home to
save weight.

o Whatever water Thomas needs for the desert has to go in the backpack,
too.

o It's slooooow. A reasonably fit bicyclist might average 15 miles per
hour. Thomas can maintain "eight or nine" on a short ride, but on longer
trips he shoots for six.

"It's just something I've always wanted to do," the San Francisco
elementary school teacher said. "A unicycle is my main mode of
transportation around the city."

You can't have an adventure without a cause these days, and Thomas has
two: America's Second Harvest, a Chicago-based organization that feeds
the needy, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, in
honor of his mother, who has survived two bouts with cancer and "is on
her third life."

He isn't accepting donations personally. He intends to make it on his
own, about 3,000 miles in 65 days. His Web site describes how to
contribute to the two organizations.

It also explains his route and tracks his progress, which so far has
been disappointing to him, though impressive to the unicycle-challenged.
As of Monday, he was four days, about 175 miles, behind. But he said he
has no doubt he'll finish.

From Reno, Thomas was scheduled to head for Fallon, then spend the next
six or seven days crossing Nevada. Salt Lake City should come two days
later; he'll continue through Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, reaching New York in late
August.

Along the way, he'll hit up the media for stories. His goal is to
average $1 in donations from everyone who hears about his trip, feed
some hungry children and ease the lives of some people with cancer.
Learn more at pedalthewaves.org.

Cory Farley can be reached at (775) 788-6340 or .


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Faith's understanding is first and foremost not achievement, but
sympathy, empathy, care, concern, kindness -- in a word, compassion. -
Lars Clausen, -One Wheel - Many Spokes-, page 58
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

JJuggle wrote:
> SIDE NOTE: IN NO WAY A REFLECTION ON THIS YOUNG PERSON, BUT I'M
> GETTING *REALLY* TIRED OF THE ADVERB, *WHEELY*.
>
> *LYNDSEY'S LATEST BALANCING ACT
>
> 131 words
> 24 June 2004
> Newsquest Media Group Newspapers
> English
> © Copyright 2004 Newsquest Digital Media.
>
> Stratford_upon_avon
>
> STRATFORD schoolgirl Lyndsey Coldicott has come up with a wheely great
> idea to raise money for charity.
>
> Lyndsey, aged 11, from Sackville Close, will be riding on a unicycle
> collecting money for the charity Action Unlimited at a garden party in
> Billesley next month.
>
> The soon-to-be Stratford High School pupil is something of a serial
> fundraiser. Last year she walked along the canal towpaths from
> Birmingham to Stratford with her friend, Amanda Keal, to raise money
> for the Welcombe Hills School.
>
> And all her good work for charitable causes was recognised earlier
> this year when she received a Young Hero award in the Pride of
> Coventry and Warwickshire Community Awards.
>
> To make a donation, contact Heather Coldicott on 01789 292290. *
More Lyndsey.

LYNDSEY'S FEAT ADDS DAD'S FIVER TO HER BALANCE!

221 words
29 June 2004
Coventry Evening Telegraph
10
English
(c) 2004 Coventry Newspapers Ltd

SCHOOLGIRL Lyndsey Coldicott is not a girl to duck a challenge.

So when her dad Allan bet her £5 that she couldn't learn to ride a
unicycle in two weeks, Lyndsey just had to prove him wrong - and go one
better by even mastering a bit of juggling and swinging a bucket while
wobbling along on the bike!

"I can also climb hills", said 11-year-old Lyndsey, who over the past
few years has raised £3,000 for a range of good causes, earning her the
title of Young Hero in the Evening Telegraph's Pride of Coventry and
Warwickshire Community Awards.

She immediately gave her £250 prize cheque to the Jennifer Trust which
helps children and adults suffering from spinal muscular atrophy.

On Sunday Lyndsey's collecting bucket will be wielded at a garden party
at Billesley, near Stratford, in aid of charity.

She spent last weekend perfecting her unicycling technique at Abbey
Fields, in Kenilworth.

Mum Heather said: "Her dad has already given Lyndsey the fiver he owes
for learning to ride the unicycle so quickly - she just loves a
challenge.

"And we already have about £100 from friends and relatives who want to
support next Sunday's exertions."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways.
You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face.
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[JJuggle]

This 'USA Today article' (http://tinyurl.com/3699k) suggests that ESPN
will be covering "mountain unicycling" in Japan as part of its coverage
of less usual sports during the Olympics. See penultimate paragraph.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways.
You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face.
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[JJuggle]

A mere mention and an imcomplete one at that.

*LIFESTYLE - CRAZES Bizarre sports*

By SAMELA HARRIS
877 words
3 July 2004
The Advertiser
1 - State
S02
English
Copyright 2004 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved

In an age of extreme sports, crazy is never crazy enough. Every day,
outlandish new activities spring up, catering for all ages and
abilities.

Extreme croquet is the biggest thing. Probably because it is such fun.
Extreme croquet clubs are cropping up all over the world and popping up
in parks, on beaches, even on city streets. They play on all surfaces,
including snow and flood. The more difficult, the more fun. As developed
by the Connecticut Extreme Croquet Society, there are a lot of rules - a
lot. They are growing and changing all the time. A few drinks are not
compulsory, but are recommended.

http://www.extremecroquet.org/

The Brits, or at least the Welsh, are into bog snorkelling. Charming
sport though a tad muddy in the shallow drains along the fields. The
boys seem to like it, even though they emerge, draped in weeds and other
unmentionables, and looking like creatures from the bog lagoon.
http://llanwrtyd-wells.powys.org.uk/bog.html

Underwater rugby is as serious a sport and as passionately followed as
land rugby - by those who indulge in it. A really breath-taking sport,
and in the most literal way. Underwater tackles and goals.
http://home.comcast.net/~jtheriault/Photos.htm

Bare-handed rock-climbing. They call themselves "boulderers" and they
tackle some very extreme landscape. This mob does not consider itself
eccentric. It is a world-respected activity. But some of us still think
they are mad. http://www.australianbouldering.com/

Extreme ironing has become perhaps the most famous of all the extreme
sports. The urban vacuum cleaner racers may have achieved video presence
on their website, but they are just not in the popularity race with the
ironers. These ironers go to the farthest reaches of the world -
mountain peaks, islands, caves, skydiving, even surfboards. Just as well
they don't seem to depend on electricity, for that would really press
the limits, so to speak. Extreme ironing is now so popular it is the
stuff of coffee table books - and daredevils trying to think of yet more
far-out locations. As they say: "Extreme ironing is the latest danger
sport that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the
satisfaction of a well pressed shirt." http://www.extremeironing.com/
Aussies are into the extreme ironing thing, too - most particularly out
on Yorke Peninsula where it's a matter of "have ute, will iron". Those
blokes can iron anywhere. http://tinyurl.com/288nm

Wheelbarrow freestyling sounds lyrical but is dangerous. The sport is
only three years old, emerging from a Welsh building site and zooming
off to an urban games competition in London where it turned out to be a
real crowd-pleaser. http://www.wheelbarrowfreestyle.com/main.html

Urban housework is highly extreme. Apocalypse dishwashing alone is not
for the frail or fearful. It is a team sport for the very fit and
dexterous, since it must be done running at high speed with a bucket of
soapy water behind a person who is running and also eating something
from a plate at the same time. The eater passes the plate to the washer
who washes and passes it back to the dryer who dries the utensil and
then, for no known reason, destroys it - thus making superfluous the
whole process of washing it. But I guess that's where the apocalypse
comes in.

Suburban mop jousting, on the other hand, is deemed to be the sport of
gentlemen. Fairly rough gentlemen. It is an outdoor sport and they say
that frying pans make the best shields, considering the weapons.
http://www.urbanhousework.com/

The racing barstool. No kidding. It's a sport. You can have really
powerful bar stools, too. Da Bomb is a motorising barstool with big boom
exhaust. But if you'd rather race offroad, you can take up skating.
All-terrain offroad skates are the new toy - well, there are many on the
Extremetoysforboys website:
http://extremetoysforboys.com/index.php3/welcome.html

Swinging sounds a bit ordinary. We all loved to do it as kids. But the
Estonians have taken it to a new extreme and re-named it Kiiking. They
make huge swings, 6m to 7m high, and the swingers have to achieve the
full 360 deg loop. It's taking on in other countries now, with 7.01m
being the current world record.

http://www.kiiking.ee/

Mud racing is big in the English region of Maldon. Hundreds of people do
it every year. It looks, well, muddy.
http://www.maldonlions.co.uk/mudrace/

The *extreme unicyclists* come from Germany. They lug their unicycles to
the rugged rocky tops of vertiginous mountains where, naturally enough,
they can't ride them anyway. http://www.extremeunicycling.de/

Don't throw away that old lawnmower. It has sports potential. You could
soup it up and race it. Lawnmower racing is a big thing in the US.
Truly. Just have a look - time-keepers, flags, tracks, chicanes and all.
http://www.letsmow.com/

And the Brits are at it, too - getting out and dirty on the lawnmower
racetrack and not a blade of grass to be seen:
http://www.racemower.co.uk/


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways.
You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face.
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[JJuggle]

'One on One: Unicyclists Put Extreme Spin on Their Sport'
(http://tinyurl.com/2hufv) - Sacrmento Bee, July 6, 2004


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways.
You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face.
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[johnfoss]

JJuggle wrote:
> *This 'USA Today article' (http://tinyurl.com/3699k) suggests that
> ESPN will be covering "mountain unicycling" in Japan as part of its
> coverage of less usual sports during the Olympics. See penultimate
> paragraph.*
Yes, this is for real. As always with TV coverage, you can't be sure
it's going to happen until they set definite meeting times, but they
have been in contact with me about the event. A producer contacted me
the other day and asked me to explain about "the race." as I would to a
six-year-old. I told him Unicon is not a race, but the frigging Olympics
of unicycling! Not in those exact words... Waiting now to see if we'll
hear more. If not, someone still may show up there.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Bee just came out with the article you
featured above. Jess Riegel (Jester 2000) and Zack Baldwin (Zack) are
the features, as they practice on the North Shore course they built in
Jess' yard. Interview quotes also from me and John Hooten.

http://tinyurl.com/2hufv


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"Beer me." -- Scot Cooper, at the end of a group ride all the way up and
all the way down Mt. Diablo (3300'), a 20 mile round trip of road and
trail.
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[)----(x)]

hey JJuggle, do your fingers hurt?


--
)----(x) - dazed and confused unicyclist

<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
<Royal.Riders.Rock>Mevs
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[GILD]

FEATURE: (OBITUARY) FRANCIS BRUNN Juggler with a mesmeric act that grew
in simplicity as he grew in craft until it revolved around a single,
gravity-defying ball Created: 06/07/2004 7:02 GMT FRANCIS BRUNN was one
of the greatest jugglers of his day. Whereas many jugglers are judged by
the number of balls they can keep in the air, and how long for, Brunn
was acclaimed for the apparent simplicity of his act, which increasingly
focused on an individual ball, which he would transfer from his toe
upwards in apparent defiance of the forces of gravity until it came to
rest on the highest part of his body. Using a headpiece and mouthpiece
supplied with ball bearings by a cousin who worked for Mercedes-Benz in
Germany, he would then balance the well-travelled ball high above his
head as he tossed one hoop while spinning another on his leg. An
innovator who experimented constantly with new tricks, he claimed that
"with fewer objects there are more possible variations". He was glad of
an audience that did not applaud every trick, but showed their
appreciation by remaining silent until the end of a performance.
Spectators could rarely control their enthusiasm that long, however.
Born in 1922 in the town of Aschaffenburg, near Frankfurt, Francis Brunn
mostly taught himself his trade, though the initial impetus to juggle
came from his father. Brunn Sr had spent a spell in a French prisoner of
war camp during the First World War, and through the barbed wire had
watched a circus juggler warming up. Grabbing what was nearest to hand -
three stones - he imitated what he had seen, and on his release taught
his children how to juggle three oranges. Brunn's skills were honed at
the Performing Arts School in Berlin, where he also studied wrestling
and acrobatics. Yet despite his passion for juggling, he declared in an
interview at the tender age of 19 that he thought he would give it all
up by the age of 25. Instead he went on juggling for more than 50 years.
In the 1940s, assisted by his sister Lottie, a proficient juggler in her
own right, Brunn toured an act around Europe, conventional in its
format, slick with tricks and tumbling, to the accompaniment of music by
Chopin. His dexterity earned comparisons with the maestro Enrico
Rastelli, the first person to bounce-juggle balls, whose films Brunn had
studied for inspiration. Brunn played down suggestions that he was
Rastelli's natural successor, though: juggling was primarily a matter of
fascination for him rather than a vocation. Funded indirectly by the
takings of the three restaurants his father owned, Brunn could afford to
juggle for fun. He shunned competitions and never borrowed another
juggler's tricks, regarding juggling almost as a sacrosanct art form.
Over the years, he simplified his stage persona, appearing in the
costume of a Spanish dancer, moving around the stage with balletic
grace, accompanied by his son Raphael on acoustic guitar and aided by
his partner, Nathalie Enterline. The juggling balls he used were made
especially for him by a Mr Bowman in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who
contacted NBC after a performance by Brunn on the Johnny Carson show
during which the juggler lamented how hard it was to find good rubber
balance balls. After several years as a satisfied customer, Brunn
noticed a slight difference in the feel of the balls and asked Bowman
why. Amazed at the sensitivity of Brunn's touch, Bowman admitted that a
new employee had been hired who was cutting the rubber in a minutely
different way. Brunn's rarefied skills could not thrive beyond the glory
days of the cabaret hall and variety theatre, however, and Brunn was
realistic about the future of juggling. Whereas once it had been a form
of mainstream entertainment, the popularity of television and the demise
of the traditional three-ring circus meant that it was increasingly
marginalised. Certainly, in Greenwich Village, where he spent the last
years of his life, there was little call for jugglers. Like any
performer, he suffered his share of accidents. Perhaps the biggest
disappointment occurred in 1948 when John Ringling, of Ringling Brothers
and Barnum & Bailey Circus, brought Brunn to America as the star
attraction of the new show. As the juggler stepped out into the centre
ring at Madison Square Garden to open the show, his foot fell into a gap
where the stagehands had failed to fit the boards together properly. He
twisted his foot badly and spent several months recuperating before
finally opening with Ringling in Boston. A hip injury from 1970 troubled
him for the rest of his career, and his fingers were as bruised and
battered as those of the boxers he loved to watch in the ring. Over the
years Brunn appeared on various American television shows, before
royalty and politicians. His partner Nathalie Enterline survives him,
along with a son and daughter. Francis Brunn, juggler, was born on
November 15, 1922. He died on May 28, 2004, aged 81.x COPYRIGHT - THE
TIMES, LONDON



"Francis Brunn, juggler, was born on..."

now THAT's an epitaph


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
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[johnfoss]

Francis Brunn was awesome. I saw him the first time I went to the Big
Apple Circus, in 1983. He was worth the entier ticket price.

Okay, way more than the ticket price. That show was only $10.00! Times
have changed.

I took a picture of him at the end of his act where he looked straight
into my lens. Somehow this picture ended up in the current issue of
JUGGLE Magazine, which has an aritlce about his life. I'll have to ask
author Alan Howard how he ended up with that picture...


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com"
www.unicycling.com

"Beer me." -- Scot Cooper, at the end of a group ride all the way up and
all the way down Mt. Diablo (3300'), a 20 mile round trip of road and
trail.
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[JJuggle]

If, as I've heard it said, "rugby players eat their dead", what do
unicycle rugby players do with them?

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

=============================================
YOUNGSTERS PUT THEIR CIRCUS SKILLS TO THE TEST

208 words
9 July 2004
The Northern Echo
06
English
(c) 2004 North of England Newspapers.

FIRE juggling and *rugby on unicycles* are not activities usually
associated with schools, but one group of North Yorkshire youngsters are
preparing to put on a show combining all manner of circus skills.

Thirty pupils at Richmond School are taking part in a circus performance
next week.

Gymnasts and members of the school's circus club have been rehearsing
every week since the start of the year.

Among the performances will be a display of unicycle riding, including
unicycle rugby and hockey, as well as knife, fire and diabolo juggling.


Maths teacher Andrew Mollitt, who is also the circus club leader, said:


"We have been working on it all year so it will be the culmination of a
lot of hard work.

"We have done little performances before in assemblies and village
fetes, but this is the first time we have tried to put on a big circus
show.

"We went to watch the circus in York early in the school year and we
fancied trying it ourselves."

Performances take place at the school on July 14, 15 and 16.

Tickets cost £3.50 for adults and £2 for children and are available from
the school or on the door.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways.
You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face.
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[KcTheAcy]

"Bike Magazine June 2004 v11 i3 p82(1)


Here's one for the MUNI Militia. Head to Spearfish Canyon in South
Dakota on June 26-27 for the Black Hills Mountain Unicycle Weekend.
Organizer David Maxfield is promising some "very technical singletrack
downhill [with] 10- to 15-mile courses." Shuttles will be provided.
World Wide Web it to www.blackhills.unicyclist.com, or contact Maxfield
at for all the answers to your one wheeled questions.
Keep sending the dirt to: ."


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

--Kaycee[image: http://home.maine.rr.com/kaycees/sbemail101aaa[2].gif]
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[KcTheAcy]

Sports Illustrated Dec 3, 2001 v95 i22 p1(1)


The One And Only: Unicyclist Kris Holm is taking his sport out of the
big top and up to the mountaintop. (SI Adventure/Air--Land--Water)(Brief
Article) Ballard, Chris



Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2001 Time, Inc.



Riding a unicycle is an activity that, like bullriding or doing
handstands, would seem to be an end in itself. Just staying upright is
impressive. So the idea of mountain unicycling might seem about as
practical as swamp surfing and as intelligent as nude fencing. Even
after you've watched Kris Holm, the sport's foremost practitioner,
career down a boulder-strewn hillside like a human avalanche, legs
spinning and arms windmilling as he negotiates roots, stumps and rocks,
it's still hard to comprehend how he does it. "It's really not that
different from mountain biking," says Holm, 28. "It's a perception
thing. Riding on one wheel seems intimidating, but it's not that hard."


At least it's not that hard for Holm, who took up mountain
unicycling--or MUni for short--within months of getting a unicycle for
his 12th birthday. Since then he has ridden his custom-made $1,500
one-wheeler most every place he has traveled. He has cruised atop the
Great Wall of China, landed drops of 15 feet in Squamish, just north of
his hometown of Vancouver and, last April, sped down 18,555-foot Pico de
Orizaba, the third-highest peak in North America. Last year he rode 50
feet along the six-inch-wide concrete guardrail of Vancouver's Burrard
Street Bridge, which is about 200 feet above False Creek, during rush
hour. "That was one of my more high-consequence rides," Holm says with a
laugh. "I just looked at it and decided I could do it."

A seven-time U.S. unicycling champion, Holm has also appeared in
numerous films, including the adrenaline-addict favorite Unizaba, which
follows him as he cycles through Mexico and ultimately descends the side
of a volcano. He admits that he falls--a lot. "I'm actually pretty good
at it," says Holm, who, remarkably, has suffered nothing worse than a
sprained ankle. "It's an easier fall than on a bike because you can
throw the unicycle out of the way and jump in any direction you want."


After he completes his master's thesis at the University of British
Columbia, where he's enrolled in the physical geography graduate
program, he plans to go to Nepal. There he hopes to make even more
madcap descents. "That'll be really cool," he says. "The bigger the ride
and the crazier the experiment, the better."

--Chris Ballard


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

--Kaycee[image: http://home.maine.rr.com/kaycees/sbemail101aaa[2].gif]
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[KcTheAcy]

COPYRIGHT 2001 National Geographic Society



Worldwide Participants: 3,500

Price per Unicycle: $150 to $1,500

Highest Descent: Pico de Orizaba, 18,855 feet

This hybrid pursuit seemingly falls into the same category as
blindfolded lion taming: probably impossible, and why would you do it
anyway? Unicycling has been around for a century; mountain unicycling,
or MUni, is a more recent invention--the first bike wasn't manufactured
until 1997. But today, there are a thousand riders in the United States
alone. Fat-tired, thick-axled models that can take the hammering of an
off-road ride are sold online at Unicycle.com, and competitive
events--including cross-country races and technical trials--have sprung
up in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. The sport even has its own
Michael Jordan, a 28-year-old Vancouver grad student named Kris Holm,
who fides some of mountain biking's toughest terrain, the singletracks
of southwestern British Columbia. "The simplicity of mountain unicycles
is attractive," Holm says. "It's a sport for riders, not gearheads." In
Telluride, Colorado, local freestyle skiers spend summers increasing
their strength and balance by riding dirt on one wheel, a training
method used 30 years ago by champion Swedish racer Ingemar Stenmark.
"People are pushing the limit in all sports," says Hugh Sawyer,
Telluride's junior-ski-team coach. "It's happening in unicycling, too."
In April, Holm descended two Mexican volcanoes on his uni: 14,800-foot
La Malinche and 18,855-foot Pico de Orizaba (where he is shown above, at
left, with cyclist Nathan Hoover). "It's cool to be at the beginning of
a sport," Holm says. "This is the stage Gary Fisher was at in mountain
biking 20 years ago."


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

--Kaycee[image: http://home.maine.rr.com/kaycees/sbemail101aaa[2].gif]
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[KcTheAcy]

Hockey Digest March 2001 v29 i5 p58


Wheel's On Fire. (unicycle hockey) O'DONNELL, CHUCK



Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2001 Century Publishing



Unicycle hockey players all over the world are having a wheel good time,
and wish you were, too


They converge every Thursday night in the fall and winter on the
Cordella public school in Toronto. It's the highlight of the week for
these movie camera repairmen, students, Website designers, teachers, and
others who put the world on hold, put the nets in place, pick up the
sticks, and throw down the ball.


Sounds like another pickup game of deck hockey or floor hockey? Well,
yes and no.


It is floor hockey, but the Toronto Unicyclists hockey team puts a
unique spin on a sport in which "cycling" is a term that isn't usually
meant in a literal sense. Perched precariously atop one wheel, trying to
negotiate a street hockey ball or a tennis ball across a gym floor, the
action is non-stop.


Having trouble visualizing this? Think of it as the X Games meets Wayne
Gretzky. The Ringling Brothers meet the Hanson Brothers. The high-wire
act meets the leftwing lock. BMX meets the NHI.



Think of it fast and furious fun played with some real gusto. "It's
really fast-paced," says Darren Bedford, a member of the club since it
was founded in 1987 by unicyclists who were looking to try something a
little different. "There are a lot of collisions. You may turn to look
for the ball, not see where you're going, and run into someone. You
can't always instantly stop on a unicycle. The maneuverability [on
unicycles] is harder [than on ice skates]."


In the beginning, Bedford's crew, believed to be the longest-running
club in North America, would play on the playground outside. They would
spend a few hours just shoveling off the snow until "we were almost too
tired to play," he says. Surprised people would stop and ogle. "Most of
the feedback we have had has been very positive," says Bedford, whose
club has about a dozen members between the ages of 10 and 60. "People
would stop and see what we were up to. They were a bit curious. A lot of
them couldn't believe it was possible to do all that [while riding a
unicycle]." They've since found it easier, and a lot less strenuous, to
rent space in the school's gym.


And although the Toronto townspeople can't wander by and watch, they
would probably be shocked to learn that unicycle hockey has been played
in several countries across the globe for several years.


For instance, at the 2000 world championships held in August in Beijing,
China, 20 teams from nine countries--Denmark, France, China, Great
Britain, Japan, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, the United States, and
Germany--competed.


Unicycle hockey may be most popular in England and Germany, the only two
countries to have national leagues. The sport seems to be taking off in
Germany, in particular, where 26 teams compete in the national league.
It is also home to the world champs, LAHIMO, which crushed the Twin City
Unicycle Club of Minnesota, 23-2, in the tournament final.


"LAHIMO started playing in 1985, so they have a lot of experience," says
Rolf Sander, a former LAHIMO member who now plays for RADLOS of
Frankfurt. "They have been by far the strongest team for quite a while
but now there are some other very good teams in Germany. I have to admit
that LAHIMO was quite lucky that these other clubs did not send their
complete teams to the world championships in China this year."


Sander has gone from just a unicycle hockey player to an amateur
historian of the sport. The earliest mention of the sport he has been
able to uncover dates back to 1925, when a silent German movie called
"Variete" shows "a short scene with two unicyclists performing on a
stage. One has a hockey stick, the other is swinging a walking stick.
They have tiny goals and they use something like a crumpled towel as a
ball."


The first reference he has found to unicycle hockey in the United States
goes back to 1960, when an article in The Bicycle Journal mentioned the
Albuquerque Unicycle Club of New Mexico had taken up the sport.


Sander says, however, that the grandfather of the unicycle clubs was
Wheel People, a group that formed in California in 1976. Playing under
the golden sunshine, they were trailblazers in the sport, forming many
of the rules by which the game is played today. The club disbanded in
the mid-1980s, but not before it was joined by other major clubs in
North America such as Harvey Mudd College Gonzo Unicycle Madness in
California and Association de Monocycle de Quebec in Quebec City.


Many of the rules seem to be enforced universally. You can't take part
in the play unless you're on top of your unicycle. So if you fall off,
you have to get back on before continuing. At the beginning of the game
and after each goal, all players go to their own half of the surface
where play resumes as soon as a player of the team in possession crosses
the center line. And if you knock the ball out of the playing surface, a
player from the other team brings it back in from the point of exit.


But other rules differ from club to club. For instance, the German teams
play with goalies, using a larger net. The Toronto Unicyclists don't use
a goalie, per se, although one of the four or five players on a side can
go back and defend the net. Consequently, they use a smaller net, about
12 inches high by 18 inches wide. The Germans use your average ice
hockey stick, while the Toronto crew uses street hockey sticks with
plastic blades.


Finding a stick isn't a problem, since players don't play using one of
those tall unicycles you may have seen in a circus. They sit about four
or five inches above the ground. "Actually, the proper length [of a
stick] is more or less a matter of taste," says Sander. "People who are
good hockey players but only mediocre unicyclists seem to prefer longer
sticks. This gives them a larger action radius. Good unicyclists, on the
other hand, often have short sticks because they are fast and they
prefer to ride quickly to wherever the ball is."


What makes a good unicycle hockey player isn't much different from what
makes a good ice hockey player. Sander suggests that, like hockey
players who first learn to skate before learning to stick handle and
shoot, the basis for a good unicycle hockey player is the ability to
ride well.


"A good balance between hockey and unicycling skills is necessary to
become a good player," says Sander. "But you won't become a good player
as long as you don't unicycle properly. However, even the best
unicyclists are not good players unless they practice shooting the ball
and team strategy."


And of course, it doesn't hurt your chances of success if you're willing
to stick your nose into the action like a Claude Lemieux or a Matthew
Barnaby.


"Since you're moving as fast as guys on ice skates, there's less
maneuverability," says Bedford. "This leads to collisions and spills.
You might get a little road rash on you arms. A few of the players wear
elbow pads or gloves. No one really wears helmets."

Says Sander: "Although bruises are quite normal, not many serious
accidents have happened in the 15 years that I've been playing. Yes, we
had to go to the hospital a few times to stitch a wound. However, if you
compare it to other sports such as soccer I think the danger is below
average."


The next world championships are scheduled for Washington state in 2002.
People inside the sport are hoping flint by bringing the world
championships to the biggest stage in the world, the United States, that
word of their new, exciting sport will get out in a big way.


And as the players continue to improve and their numbers grow, players
such as Bedford dare to harbor golden dreams. "The International
Unicycling Federation is hoping that unicycle hockey will be an Olympic
sport someday," he says. "That's their dream. They're always adding
games to the Olympics. You need to have 16 countries playing the sport
to get the Olympic committee's attention. Maybe someday, that will
happen. I hope so."


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

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[KcTheAcy]

The Atlantic Monthly April 1997 v279 i4 p109-10,112


Rough terrain unicycling: Riding a unicycle up and down mountains
requires the balance of a gymnast and the temperment of a teenager.
Finkel, Michael



Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1997 The Atlantic Monthly Magazine



WHY the red unicycle was left in the Seward, Alaska, dump and what
inspired George Peck's wife, Carol, to bring it home are both unclear.
"I'm a salvager and recycler," is all she will say. "She's a dump rat,"
Peck says. Carol put the unicycle in the garage, and Peck found it
there. This was almost fourteen years ago. His life hasn't been the same
since.

"I glom on to things," Peck says. "He gets obsessed," Carol says. Peck
taught himself to ride the red unicycle--no books, no instructors. He
practiced daily for more than a month before he could wobble up and down
his driveway. Then he attempted to take the unicycle onto the roads.
Riding a unicycle is as precarious as it looks--the "cone of balance,"
as Peck calls it, is extraordinarily precise. A pebble can be enough to
put you on your back. So can a patch of sand or a gust of wind or a
crack in the pavement. This may be why the red cycle was tossed into the
dump: Seward is possibly the worst spot on the planet in which to ride a
unicycle. The place is all sand and gusts and cracks, not to mention ice
and snow and logs and boulders and mountains.

Peck learned to ride his unicycle under all conditions. He discovered
how to make the cycle hop, and he honed the skill until he could pop
over logs two feet in diameter. He figured out how to power through
boulder fields, how to jump up and over picnic tables, how to turn in
ankle-deep mud. He became skilled at riding in dried-out riverbeds,
across frozen lakes, up mountain trails, and through wind-crusted snow.
This is clearly not what unicycles were designed to do. When the red
unicycle fell apart, Peck drove to Anchorage and bought a new one. When
that broke, he ordered another. After a dozen more were destroyed, he
began designing his own.

For almost a decade and a half, no matter the weather, Peck has gone
mountain unicycling nearly every day--twice a day most weekends--in and
around Seward. People in town are used to seeing him. He has ridden the
shoreline so many times that he notices if a rock has been moved. Seward
sits on Resurrection Bay, on the eastern edge of the Kenai Peninsula. It
is separated from Anchorage by 125 miles of glaciated mountains and
sprawling icefields. The town is so remote--a Galapagos island of
sorts--that something odd or fantastic can develop there and never be
discovered by anyone beyond the city limits.

Until three years ago, when he attended the International Unicycle
Convention in Minneapolis, Peck was completely unknown in the unicycling
community. At the meet he learned of a handful of other mountain
unicyclists. He found out that his sport had not only other participants
but also a name--"muni," short for "mountain unicycling" (a name, Peck
feels, that is a little too cute; he prefers "rough-terrain cycling").
Later, through a unicycling newsletter, he read of plans for an
inaugural muni convention. Last October he flew to Sacramento for the
first annual California Mountain Unicycle Weekend. Thirty-five of the
best rough-terrain unicyclists in North America came to show off their
skills. No one was half as good as Peck. He is now widely viewed as the
best mountain unicyclist in the world. He is credited with helping to
invent the sport, and the cycles he has designed are probably the
sturdiest and lightest unicycles ever built. He is riding rougher
terrain every month. And he is almost certainly the world's oldest
mountain unicyclist: Peck is fifty-six.

CAROL and George Peck and their two children, Kristopher, twelve, and
Katy, seven, live in a small brown house two blocks from the center of
town. Attracted to Alaska's frontier image, Peck moved to the state in
1974, after a stint in Nepal with the Peace Corps and almost ten years
in the University of Idaho's graduate schools, where he earned degrees
in physics, law, and teaching. He came to Seward to take the job of
magistrate, a position he still holds. He met Carol Griswold in 1981.

The inside of their house, especially during the long Alaska winter, is
a scene of unmitigated chaos. Peaches and Boomer, a pair of parakeets,
like to divebomb visitors' heads. Berry and Jessie, two Labrador
retrievers, wrestle in the kitchen. Katy prefers roller skates to
sneakers, and Kristopher wouldn't be caught dead without his skateboard.
The living room contains three unicycles, a small trampoline, a
basketball net, an electric keyboard, two acoustic guitars, two fiddles
(Carol and George play in a local folk band), an indoor garden, an
eclectic library (one shelf devoted to entomology, another to dog
training), a general scattering of children's toys, several of Carol's
junkyard furniture discoveries, a hamster cage, a fish tank, and a
midden of unicycle parts.


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[KcTheAcy]

The Atlantic Monthly April 1997 v279 i4 p109-10,112


Rough terrain unicycling: Riding a unicycle up and down mountains
requires the balance of a gymnast and the temperment of a teenager.
Finkel, Michael



Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1997 The Atlantic Monthly Magazine



WHY the red unicycle was left in the Seward, Alaska, dump and what
inspired George Peck's wife, Carol, to bring it home are both unclear.
"I'm a salvager and recycler," is all she will say. "She's a dump rat,"
Peck says. Carol put the unicycle in the garage, and Peck found it
there. This was almost fourteen years ago. His life hasn't been the same
since.

"I glom on to things," Peck says. "He gets obsessed," Carol says. Peck
taught himself to ride the red unicycle--no books, no instructors. He
practiced daily for more than a month before he could wobble up and down
his driveway. Then he attempted to take the unicycle onto the roads.
Riding a unicycle is as precarious as it looks--the "cone of balance,"
as Peck calls it, is extraordinarily precise. A pebble can be enough to
put you on your back. So can a patch of sand or a gust of wind or a
crack in the pavement. This may be why the red cycle was tossed into the
dump: Seward is possibly the worst spot on the planet in which to ride a
unicycle. The place is all sand and gusts and cracks, not to mention ice
and snow and logs and boulders and mountains.

Peck learned to ride his unicycle under all conditions. He discovered
how to make the cycle hop, and he honed the skill until he could pop
over logs two feet in diameter. He figured out how to power through
boulder fields, how to jump up and over picnic tables, how to turn in
ankle-deep mud. He became skilled at riding in dried-out riverbeds,
across frozen lakes, up mountain trails, and through wind-crusted snow.
This is clearly not what unicycles were designed to do. When the red
unicycle fell apart, Peck drove to Anchorage and bought a new one. When
that broke, he ordered another. After a dozen more were destroyed, he
began designing his own.

For almost a decade and a half, no matter the weather, Peck has gone
mountain unicycling nearly every day--twice a day most weekends--in and
around Seward. People in town are used to seeing him. He has ridden the
shoreline so many times that he notices if a rock has been moved. Seward
sits on Resurrection Bay, on the eastern edge of the Kenai Peninsula. It
is separated from Anchorage by 125 miles of glaciated mountains and
sprawling icefields. The town is so remote--a Galapagos island of
sorts--that something odd or fantastic can develop there and never be
discovered by anyone beyond the city limits.

Until three years ago, when he attended the International Unicycle
Convention in Minneapolis, Peck was completely unknown in the unicycling
community. At the meet he learned of a handful of other mountain
unicyclists. He found out that his sport had not only other participants
but also a name--"muni," short for "mountain unicycling" (a name, Peck
feels, that is a little too cute; he prefers "rough-terrain cycling").
Later, through a unicycling newsletter, he read of plans for an
inaugural muni convention. Last October he flew to Sacramento for the
first annual California Mountain Unicycle Weekend. Thirty-five of the
best rough-terrain unicyclists in North America came to show off their
skills. No one was half as good as Peck. He is now widely viewed as the
best mountain unicyclist in the world. He is credited with helping to
invent the sport, and the cycles he has designed are probably the
sturdiest and lightest unicycles ever built. He is riding rougher
terrain every month. And he is almost certainly the world's oldest
mountain unicyclist: Peck is fifty-six.

CAROL and George Peck and their two children, Kristopher, twelve, and
Katy, seven, live in a small brown house two blocks from the center of
town. Attracted to Alaska's frontier image, Peck moved to the state in
1974, after a stint in Nepal with the Peace Corps and almost ten years
in the University of Idaho's graduate schools, where he earned degrees
in physics, law, and teaching. He came to Seward to take the job of
magistrate, a position he still holds. He met Carol Griswold in 1981.

The inside of their house, especially during the long Alaska winter, is
a scene of unmitigated chaos. Peaches and Boomer, a pair of parakeets,
like to divebomb visitors' heads. Berry and Jessie, two Labrador
retrievers, wrestle in the kitchen. Katy prefers roller skates to
sneakers, and Kristopher wouldn't be caught dead without his skateboard.
The living room contains three unicycles, a small trampoline, a
basketball net, an electric keyboard, two acoustic guitars, two fiddles
(Carol and George play in a local folk band), an indoor garden, an
eclectic library (one shelf devoted to entomology, another to dog
training), a general scattering of children's toys, several of Carol's
junkyard furniture discoveries, a hamster cage, a fish tank, and a
midden of unicycle parts.(...Next Post)


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[KcTheAcy]

Continued...

"George has been a teenager for forty years," Carol says. This is only
partly true. When Peck is in his courtroom, facing the daily litany of
drunk-driving and domestic-violence cases, he is fifty-six years old.
When he is awake at two in the morning, mulling over the physics of
wheel diameter and axle size he is fifty-six. When he is riding, he is
seventeen--though he doesn't use swearwords. When he falls, he says
things like "Gargle!" and "Yug!" and "These shoes are explosively
decoupling with the pedals, and that's disconcerting."

Peck is a little over six feet tall and about as thin as a fence post.
He has the air of a mad scientist. His hair appears to be an assemblage
of cowlicks. He is profoundly nearsighted, and wears round gold-framed
glasses. A housewide search for his car keys is almost a daily event. He
eats dinner as if a cash prize were to be awarded to the first finisher.
His unicycle is built of top-quality titanium and tempered aluminum
parts, special-ordered from a custom manufacturer, but Peck often rides
wearing faded jeans, a stained sweatshirt, and leather work boots. On
the front of the family's washing machine, using word magnets, Katy has
assembled a succinct ode to her father: DAD IS FUNNY.

On weekend days Peck takes his first ride soon after sunrise, usually
with the dogs. He rides along Resurrection Bay, the sharp summits of the
Chugach Mountains forming a backdrop. He pedals in fits and starts: a
powerful flurry to ascend a flat-topped rock, an immediate ninety-degree
turn on the top, a momentary pause to consider the drop-off, and a
careful hop down to the sand. His arms provide counterbalance, waving in
controlled, tai-chi-style movements. The tip of his tongue flits in and
out. In roughterrain cycling, top speed, even going downhill, is about
six miles an hour. "It's not exhilarating," Peck says, "but a series of
little joys." He cuts through a puddle, cracking a thin film of ice, and
chugs up a dirty snowbank. He falls twice, gracefully, and climbs back
on.

AUNICYCLE is both more and less than half a bicycle. It has a solid hub
and lacks any gears, meaning that one rotation of the pedals produces
one rotation of the wheel. This is called direct drive, and is the
reason a unicycle is limited to low speeds. You can't coast, but you can
ride backward.

"Unicycling is intrinsically a slow-motion event," Peck says. "It is
more about rhythm and mental dexterity than about strength--it has more
in common, I feel, with a chess match or a Bach concerto than with any
extreme sport. And it's actually very safe--far safer than bicycling.
I've never had an injury so bad I couldn't ride the next day. Much of
the thrill, really, is in pondering the ergonomical conundrums. Torque.
Pedal separation. Crank-arm length. Spokes. You need the cycle to be
sturdy, and you need it to be light and maneuverable. And everything has
to be balanced on one tiny axle. It's nearly insolvable. The five best
riders I met at the California weekend were a physicist, a
mathematician, a neurophysiologist, a computer analyst, and an Intel
executive."

He says this as he rides. If a visitor jogs alongside him (the pace is
perfect), Peck will furnish an hour-long disquisition. He will expound
on Alaskan geology. He will talk about unicycling up street curbs, and
about the appropriate pedal positions for optimum torque, and about the
time he beat a pair of bicyclists up the steep Crown Point Mine trail.
He will insist that it is possible to unicycle nearly any surface that
can be walked, provided one has the right unicycle.

Peck estimates that he has spent $2,000 on his current unicycle--but he
is still unsatisfied. About once a week he visits Ron Henderlong, who
helps to improve his unicycles. Henderlong Enterprises is a welding shop
located in a garage not far from Peck's house. Henderlong is shorter
than Peck but probably twice his weight. The lower half of Henderlong's
face is devoted to a terrific beard and moustache, between which is
inserted a steady stream of Marlboros. He wears a patch over his right
eye. On the floor of his garage is a masking-tape outline of a body,
with a wrenchlike shape stenciled in the body's right hand. "That's the
last guy who went into my toolbox without asking," he says. According to
Peck, Henderlong is a genius with hot-rod engines and cuttingedge
unicycles. He customized Peck's shock-absorbing seat post. The two men
can talk shop for hours; Peck always leaves with a new idea or two. "I'm
tired of giving him six-packs of beer," Peck says, "but he won't take
any money."

If you really want to make Peck mad, ask him if he is a clown. "That
word makes my teeth set right at the top," he says. The image of
unicycling, Peck fears, automatically brings clowns to mind. He has been
asked more than once if he works for a circus. Some have wondered if he
entertains at birthday parties. One person questioned whether riding a
unicycle is an appropriate activity for a judge. "Unicycling is at the
very bottom of the respectability curve," Peck says. "Nobody would
accuse me of being irresponsible if I were a skier or a rollerblader.
I'm trying to get as far away from clowns as I possibly can." He tries
not to use the term "unicycle" anymore: too circusy. He prefers to call
what he rides a cycle.

SOMETIMES Peck thinks that if he can only free his sport from the clown
associations, nothing will stop rough-terrain cycling from becoming the
next big thing. He likes to point out that unicycling has been around
longer than bicycling: one of the original cycles, the "penny-farthing"
with the giant front rim, was little more than a unicycle with a
training wheel. Combine modern materials with the old idea, toss in a
few log jumps, and rough-terrain cycling should be Olympics-bound:
"Bored teenagers in California will be hopping their cycles over their
Volkswagens."

Then he thinks better of it. "Cycling is safe and slow," he says, "and
safe and slow are unhip. People want sports that are like video games.
Maybe that's why there are so few riders." Peck estimates that there are
perhaps 200 muni participants worldwide, including a club based in
England and a Frenchman, Thierry Bouche, who has unicycled down a
20,000-foot peak in South America. No company in the United States sells
mountain unicycles (with so few riders, there's no incentive to
manufacture them), and without good cycles available there won't be many
more converts.

The sport is nearly certain to stay tiny. And in Seward, at least, it is
likely to remain a solitary pursuit. Peck hasn't let this discourage
him. Recently his cycling entered an entirely new phase. He acquired a
contraption called an ultimate wheel, which is a unicycle without a
seat--just a wheel and two pedals. It looks impossible to ride, even
when Peck is riding it. It took a month of intense ultimate-wheel
training, combined with the skills of years of unicycling, for him to
balance on the thing. He says he's glommed on to it. Carol says it's a
new level of obsession. He and Henderlong are sure to re-equip it with
sturdier parts. And Peck is already riding it up and down Alaska's
mountains.


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

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[KcTheAcy]

I Hope all these havent been posted b4.


People Weekly Nov 13, 1995 v44 n20 p111(1)


His clowning glory: thanks to Mr. Twister, it's now legal to feed
parking meters in Santa Cruz. (Santa Cruz, CA, clown)(Brief Article)



Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1995 Time, Inc.



RED NOSE. YARN HAIR. PURPLE high-top sneakers. This perp didn't fit the
usual profile. Neither did his crime.

Mr. Twister, a clown in Santa Cruz, Calif., spends his days performing
magic, riding a unicycle and making balloon animals. Okay, nothing
suspicious--so far. Now the weird part: Mr. Twister takes some of the
change donated by passersby and drops it in parking meters. Other
people's parking meters. This saves them from getting tickets. "When I
leave the house in a clown suit," says Mr. Twister--Cory McDonald,
26--of his philosophy, "I want to see 100 smiles every day."

In Santa Cruz, though, the law frowned on anyone--including Mr.
Twister--putting coins in other people's meters, a fact of which he was
apprised in September when a traffic enforcement agent spotted him, told
him he was breaking the law and ticketed the car anyway. Irked, Mr.
Twister went up and down the street feeding expired meters. The agent
followed, ticketing cars.

A week later, McDonald hit the pavement again, this time in mufti. As he
was doling out coins, a meter maid called the police, who gave him a $13
ticket. McDonald, who lives with his mother and stepfather in a trailer
in nearby Capitola and supports himself performing at parties, was
determined to test the law. So he enlisted the help of Ben Rice, a local
criminal defense attorney, who took the case on what he called a pro
Bozo basis. When the council met on Oct. 24, Mr. Twister appeared in
full regalia, along with his friend Sprinkles, a lady clown, his lawyer
and about 40 boosters. "I urge you to vote this unfriendly law out of
Santa Cruz," exhorted Rice. "Mr. Twister is a gift to all of us, a
genuine human being." In the face of such eloquence--and petitions from
Mr. Twister supporters--council members voted to repeal the law, enacted
eight years ago to increase business turnover. Then, in a show of
solidarity with Mr. Twister, they all donned red plastic noses. McDonald
couldn't have orchestrated it better. "When you find someone being
nice," he says, "you should support them."


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[KcTheAcy]

Entertainment Weekly Jan 27, 1995 n259 p55(1)


Uniracers. (video game)(Evaluation) (Software Review) (Brief Article)
Strauss, Bob



Full Text: COPYRIGHT 1995 Time, Inc.



The first unicycle racing game is both maximalist and
minimalist--maximalist because it was programmed with the same Silicon
Graphics workstations that contributed those stunning 3-D effects to
Donkey Kong Country, minimalist because its small, riderless wheels
execute high-speed flips and loop-de-loops against abstract backgrounds.
Uniracers has its unique charms, I suppose, and I'm sure some younger
players will find it absorbing, but the whole concept seems excessively
twee --which, come to think of it, is my reaction whenever I see anyone
riding a unicycle.


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[KcTheAcy]

Ill post the rest that I’ve found once these ones have some time to
"soak it".


--
KcTheAcy - Ohh Baby

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[zod]

Ah ha, found a new one....nice article Jess and Zack!!

http://tinyurl.com/2hufv


--
zod - Southern Fried mUni
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[JJuggle]

Montgomery Extra
RECKLESS SKATEBOARDERS TARGETED

Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Staff Writer
558 words
15 July 2004
The Washington Post
FINAL
T03
English
Copyright 2004, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved

Rockville officials are considering a proposed ban on reckless
skateboarding, a move to increase public safety and reduce damage to
private and public property.

"Skateboarders -- when they skate on marble, concrete and benches -- are
just chipping away the material on public- and privately owned
property," said city spokesman Neil H. Greenberger. "It's damaging and
very hard to repair."

The proposal would ban the use of skateboards, roller skates, scooters,
bicycles and *unicycles* in a "careless, inattentive or imprudent manner
that endangers persons or property." Officials expect the measure to
come before the City Council by the end of the summer.

Violators would be fined $400, and repeat offenders could have to pay as
much as $1,000, Police Chief Terry Treschuk said. Police could also
confiscate skateboards or bikes.

City officials say the cost of repairing the damage is significant,
though they do not have exact figures. "Damage by skateboards is just
not a line item in the budget," Greenberger said. Treschuk said that
damage to private property is also extensive, resulting recently in
$10,000 worth of repairs for one company that he declined to name.

Police say the majority of complaints are of skateboarders in front of
the Regal Cinema on East Montgomery Avenue and the fountain at
Courthouse Square in downtown Rockville. In addition to wearing away
benches and steps, Treschuk said, the skaters often put wax or oil on
public surfaces to help improve sliding.

City officials recently installed metal skating stops on the marble
benches in Courthouse Square to make it impossible to smoothly skate
across them. The next day, police said, the stops were gone.

"The skaters came with tools and removed them," said Burt Hall, the
city's director of recreation and parks.

City officials say the property damage bothers Rockville residents.
"When they start chipping off things and a person sits on a wooden bench
that has been splintered, it's dangerous," Greenberger said.

Reckless bike riders also flummox passersby. Hall said cyclists
sometimes frighten crowds on East Montgomery Avenue by riding fast. "We
have kids going down that sidewalk cafe with tons of people at 20 miles
an hour," he said. "That's nuts."

Hall said skateboarders should stay off public streets and head instead
to designated skating parks. The city built a 10,300-square-foot skating
area at Welsh Park, but older skaters tend to avoid it.

"Little kids go to the skate park, but no one I know goes," said avid
skateboarder Jared Parr as two of his friends nodded in agreement.

Some Rockville teenagers say police have their priorities misplaced. "I
think they should be going after real criminals instead of picking on
kids," said Amanda McCullough, 16, who has friends who are skaters but
is not one herself.

Parr, 17, said the proposed measure shows the city is more concerned
with the appearance of public areas than the happiness of its teenagers.


"It's not going to work, and it's just going to make people more upset,"
he said. "Nobody is getting hurt by having people skate here."

He does concede, however, that a new ordinance would probably have some
effect on skateboarding in Rockville.

"Skaters will probably run faster when they see cops," he said.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Beware of the devil my child. Beware of his charming ways.
You'll fall under an evil spell just looking at his beautiful face.
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[GILD]

JJuggle wrote:
> *"Skaters will probably run faster when they see cops," he said. *
it's very seldom that i find a single sentence as jointly distressing
and pleasing as that one
just call me yin-yang-man
:p


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
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[GizmoDuck]

Sorry for posting such an old article- I'm just doing a clean-up off all
the files on my computer.

This is from New Zealand Mountainbiker Magazine, Feb/Mar 2004.
Reporting on last Novembers NZUNI Weekend.

Enjoy!


+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Attachment filename: nzuni magazine article.jpg |
|Download attachment: http://www.unicyclist.com/attachment/223922|
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

--
GizmoDuck - Spin Doctor K

o-kO

"Give man dead fish, and he feed himself for lunch, teach man to catch
fish, and he feed himself for life. Teach man to wheel ride, and he
make friends everywhere, anywhere, and even have lunch at their
place."
Old Chinese saying

'Cambodia Unicycle Photos' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuv31)
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[dforbes]

There was a good article in today's "Times-Colonist" (Victoria, BC,
Canada) - here's a link to most of the piece. There was a large
half-page photo, and the article spread over two pages. It was a pretty
good write-up - somebody obviously did their homework.

http://tinyurl.com/5jdo3


Doug


--
dforbes - Unicycling Newfie
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[JJuggle]

Here's a 'link' (http://tinyurl.com/4ycsj) to a thread for coverage of
the 2004 NAUCC. It's to be hoped that additional articles will be added
there.

Cheers,
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Well, they gotta tell you something.
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[TheBadger587]

wow, that article on george peck was really well written and
interesting.


--
TheBadger587 - Level 4

MUni every day.
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[JJuggle]

ONE-WHEEL WONDER WOWS BIKER CROWD

186 words
19 July 2004
Evening Gazette
5
English
(c) 2004 Gazette Media Company Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Hundreds of bikers gathered this weekend for one of the country"s
biggest motorbiking events.

Ridewell 2004 at Preston Park, Eaglescliffe, yesterday played host to
everything bike-related.

Motorbikers from far and wide enjoyed the classic bikes on show, stunt
displays and crash reconstructions.

John and June Bolton from Port Clarence brought their two sons Sean, 13,
and Jack, nine, to the event.

John, who rides a Suzuki JSX 1400, said: "It"s a really nice crowd. You
can walk around and people have got time for you."

June said: "Bikers are just happy people. No matter what you look like
or what you are dressed like they accept you for what you are."

Simon McAndrew, 17, from Billingham Old Green, Billingham, entertained
the crowds with his trials unicycling.

Simon"s stunts involved jumping from high stacks of crates to ramps on a
unicycle.

He said: "It"s good fun. I am getting good crowds watching me and am
getting a good response.

"I like coming to events like this and getting myself known.

"It"s just something different."


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Well, they gotta tell you something.
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[JJuggle]

Here's a 'link' (http://tinyurl.com/5w9uk) to a thread for coverage of
the 2004 UNICON. It's to be hoped that additional articles will be added
there.

Cheers,
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Well, they gotta tell you something.
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[JJuggle]

Not a unicycling article, but an interesting analogy. Does anyone think
this guy is aware of moutain unicycling and chose the image for that
reason? Or is it just another random choice of words?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FXANALYTICS FOCUS: GREENSPAN GROWTH STORY UNSTABLE

1,284 words
29 July 2004
06:55
Dow Jones Capital Markets Report
English
(c) 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.



By David Gilmore
Foreign Exchange Analytics


.....Oil prices, too, pose a growing risk. The change (higher) is not
proving to be transitory. Sure in 1970 dollars the cost of gasoline is
very low and household consumption of petroleum is down. But with the
economy running like a *unicyclist along a mountain footpath*, it does
not take much to knock it off course. Between risks to consumption
through higher rates (impacting asset prices, debt service and
refinancing), sustained high in oil prices pose a significant risk to
the Greenspan growth story. .....


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no tress passin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

- The other verses of "This Land Is Your Land"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

JJuggle wrote:
> NOT A UNICYCLING ARTICLE, BUT AN INTERESTING ANALOGY. DOES ANYONE
> THINK THIS GUY IS AWARE OF MOUTAIN UNICYCLING AND CHOSE THE IMAGE FOR
> THAT REASON? OR IS IT JUST ANOTHER RANDOM CHOICE OF WORDS?
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *FXANALYTICS FOCUS: GREENSPAN GROWTH STORY UNSTABLE
>
> 1,284 words
> 29 July 2004
> 06:55
> Dow Jones Capital Markets Report
> English
> (c) 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
>
>
>
> By David Gilmore
> Foreign Exchange Analytics
>
>
> .....Oil prices, too, pose a growing risk. The change (higher) is not
> proving to be transitory. Sure in 1970 dollars the cost of gasoline is
> very low and household consumption of petroleum is down. But with the
> economy running like a unicyclist along a mountain footpath*, it
> does not take much to knock it off course. Between risks to
> consumption through higher rates (impacting asset prices, debt service
> and refinancing), sustained high in oil prices pose a significant risk
> to the Greenspan growth story. .....
I emailed David Gilmore to ask about this. Below is the exchange.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION:
Mr Gilmore,

I'm a unicyclist and came across your article with the line:

"But with the economy running like a unicyclist along a mountain
footpath, it does not take much to knock it off course."

Out of curiousity are you aware of the growning sport of mountain
unicycling (google it if you're not) or was this just a randomly
chosen analogy?

Thanks,
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

RESPONSE:
As a matter of fact I saw it on OLN last week for the first time...hence
the reference.
Dave Gilmore


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no tress passin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

- The other verses of "This Land Is Your Land"

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[GILD]

i can just imagine the reaction of a 'i get paid to take myself
seriously' financial analyst at being emailed and asked about his
similes
:D :D :D

and so the word spreads

should we all email him and thank him for the publicity he gave the
sport?


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[mazem]

My college's unicycle club gets some attention from NYT

http://tinyurl.com/5fvsy


--
mazem - Department of Redundancy Dept.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

More on Lars...

UNICYCLING MINISTER TAKES SHOW ON THE ROAD

By Sophia Kazmi
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
580 words
30 July 2004
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
4
English
(c) Copyright 2004, Contra Costa Times. All Rights Reserved.

Lars Clausen is one for the record books.

The Lutheran minister from Washington state is the world champion of
distance unicycle riding.

He has toured all 50 states by unicycle, and in 2002, he made it into
the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most miles traveled by unicycle
-- a 9,134-mile journey that took him six-and-a-half months.

Now, he's on another unicycle tour, this time promoting his book on his
one-wheeled adventure through America -- "One Wheel Many Spokes: USA by
Unicycle."

He biked into Pleasanton on Wednesday for a stop at Towne Center Books,
one stop on a 51-day book tour that will take him 1,800 miles from
Canada to Mexico.

"On a unicycle, you're essentially in a vulnerable state, and that's
when you learn about the incredible sense of hospitality of other
people," said Clausen, who said he learned much about the human spirit
on his cross-country ride.

Clausen embarked on that first tour to help raise money for the Inupiat
Eskimo Ministry in Nome, Ala., where he once served as a pastor.

Clausen is pedaling about 30 to 50 miles a day. He expects to reach the
Mexican border Aug. 20. But it's not all about the book tour; he manages
to still find time to deliver Sunday sermons at Lutheran churches along
the way.

Judy Wheeler-Ditter, owner of Towne Center Books, requested the book to
see what it was about. When Clausen's publicist asked if she would like
to have him give a talk in Pleasanton, she thought it would be fun to
host the unicycling minister-turned-author.

"Anyone on a unicycle will create a little excitement," she said.

Clausen says he gets varied reactions while on his unicycle, from
strange looks on the highway to a parade thrown in his honor by the city
of Sultan, Wash. During one part of the parade, fellow unicyclists rode
with him, he said.

'They closed down the highway, and we pedaled together for four blocks,"
he said. "It was awesome."

Still, others just think he's crazy, he said.

In his book, published by his own Soulscapers venture, he describes part
of his reason for riding:

"Spurring this whole venture is the mid-life recognition that I will not
live forever, no matter what I do. Although the unicycle is an unusual
vehicle, the journey is a common one."

Unicycling is something just runs in his family, he said. Clausen's
father unicycled. Clausen learned how to ride one when he was 10, after
two harrowing weeks of trying to balance himself on one wheel.

He has taught his daughter, KariAnna, 10 and son, Kai, 8, to unicycle.
His children and his wife, Ann, travel with him by car. They all meet up
at the end of each day.

Unicycling is not the most popular hobby, but there are clubs and
organizations made for the riders, he said. There is a Unicycling
Society of America, of which he is a member.

Reach Sophia Kazmi at 925-847-2122 or .

UNICYCLE TOUR OF BAY AREA

Today: 7:30 p.m., Avid Reader Bookstore, 617 Second St., Davis

Sunday: 7:30 p.m., Books, Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco

Wednesday: 7:30 p.m., Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Ave., Capitola

Information: Visit www.onewheel.org


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

...the next morning the Berkowitzes wake up in the woods in a moose
suit. Mr Berkowitz is shot, stuffed, and mounted at the New York
Athletic Club. But the jokes on them, because it's restricted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

So has anybody done this or at least put it on their CV?

*An interviewer's guide*

239 words
2 August 2004
The Daily Telegraph
19
English
(c) 2004 Telegraph Group Limited, London

As a new study demonstrates, grade inflation is no longer just a problem
for universities. With more than a fifth of A-levels awarded now
receiving A grades (more than double the proportion in 1989), over half
of all graduates gaining at least a 2:1, and a government policy of
squeezing 50 per cent of school leavers into further education,
employers are increasingly filtering candidates according to
non-academic criteria. Students, wise to this fact, are decorating their
CVs with a wealth of extra-curricular activities, to the extent that
exotic travel, internships and voluntary work are now almost a sine qua
non for the successful candidate. While no one should discourage them
from such strenuous self-improvement, we are rapidly approaching the
logical conclusion of such demands: in 10 years' time, employers will be
hard pressed to find an applicant who does not claim *to have retraced
the Silk Road on a unicycle*, or helped to found El Salvador's space
prog....


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

...the next morning the Berkowitzes wake up in the woods in a moose
suit. Mr Berkowitz is shot, stuffed, and mounted at the New York
Athletic Club. But the jokes on them, because it's restricted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

UNICYCLING MINISTER TAKES SHOW ON THE ROAD

By Sophia Kazmi
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
580 words
30 July 2004
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
4
English
(c) Copyright 2004, Contra Costa Times. All Rights Reserved.

Lars Clausen is one for the record books.

The Lutheran minister from Washington state is the world champion of
distance unicycle riding.

He has toured all 50 states by unicycle, and in 2002, he made it into
the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most miles traveled by unicycle
-- a 9,134-mile journey that took him six-and-a-half months.

Now, he's on another unicycle tour, this time promoting his book on his
one-wheeled adventure through America -- "One Wheel Many Spokes: USA by
Unicycle."

He biked into Pleasanton on Wednesday for a stop at Towne Center Books,
one stop on a 51-day book tour that will take him 1,800 miles from
Canada to Mexico.

"On a unicycle, you're essentially in a vulnerable state, and that's
when you learn about the incredible sense of hospitality of other
people," said Clausen, who said he learned much about the human spirit
on his cross-country ride.

Clausen embarked on that first tour to help raise money for the Inupiat
Eskimo Ministry in Nome, Ala., where he once served as a pastor.

Clausen is pedaling about 30 to 50 miles a day. He expects to reach the
Mexican border Aug. 20. But it's not all about the book tour; he manages
to still find time to deliver Sunday sermons at Lutheran churches along
the way.

Judy Wheeler-Ditter, owner of Towne Center Books, requested the book to
see what it was about. When Clausen's publicist asked if she would like
to have him give a talk in Pleasanton, she thought it would be fun to
host the unicycling minister-turned-author.

"Anyone on a unicycle will create a little excitement," she said.

Clausen says he gets varied reactions while on his unicycle, from
strange looks on the highway to a parade thrown in his honor by the city
of Sultan, Wash. During one part of the parade, fellow unicyclists rode
with him, he said.

'They closed down the highway, and we pedaled together for four blocks,"
he said. "It was awesome."

Still, others just think he's crazy, he said.

In his book, published by his own Soulscapers venture, he describes part
of his reason for riding:

"Spurring this whole venture is the mid-life recognition that I will not
live forever, no matter what I do. Although the unicycle is an unusual
vehicle, the journey is a common one."

Unicycling is something just runs in his family, he said. Clausen's
father unicycled. Clausen learned how to ride one when he was 10, after
two harrowing weeks of trying to balance himself on one wheel.

He has taught his daughter, KariAnna, 10 and son, Kai, 8, to unicycle.
His children and his wife, Ann, travel with him by car. They all meet up
at the end of each day.

Unicycling is not the most popular hobby, but there are clubs and
organizations made for the riders, he said. There is a Unicycling
Society of America, of which he is a member.

Reach Sophia Kazmi at 925-847-2122 or .

UNICYCLE TOUR OF BAY AREA

Today: 7:30 p.m., Avid Reader Bookstore, 617 Second St., Davis

Sunday: 7:30 p.m., Books, Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco

Wednesday: 7:30 p.m., Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Ave., Capitola

Information: Visit www.onewheel.org


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

...the next morning the Berkowitzes wake up in the woods in a moose
suit. Mr Berkowitz is shot, stuffed, and mounted at the New York
Athletic Club. But the jokes on them, because it's restricted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[UniBrier]

Better late than never.

From the front page of the Local section. Rapid City Journal Sunday June
27, 2004.

[image: http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albums/BHMUNI/PICT7263.sized.jpg]


--
UniBrier - Its Time to Ride

Steve De Cuckoo

"Only an idiot would try to ride a pointed stick with a wheel on the
bottom." - ‘tiped again’ on the early stages of mastering the uni.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

UNICYCLING YOUNGSTER WINS TOP CIRCUS COMPETITION

286 words
5 August 2004
Bath Chronicle
default
24
English
(c) 2004 Bath Newspapers Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

A Ten-year-old with aspirations to join the circus has had his wish
granted.

Rory Clark has been named as a winner of the national talent search by
one of Britain's most popular circuses.

The Trowbridge schoolboy competed against eight other acts in the
world-famous ring at Blackpool Tower and Circus.

His unicycling skills, which he has been perfecting for the past three
years, impressed judges so much that he won the overall prize and will
appear in front of a sell-out crowd at the circus later in the season.


Geoff Sage, Blackpool Tower and Circus general manager, said: "Rory was
absolutely outstanding at his audition.

"He presented himself with the composure and flair of someone much older
than his ten years. I strongly believe he will be a circus performer in
the future."

Rory was the youngest competitor chosen to go through to the finals.

He was nominated by his mother Amanda, and his father Shaun helped Rory
in his performance.

Rory was told of his success while on holiday in France, and is now
looking forward to meeting the other circus performers when he travels
to Blackpool to rehearse before the big day.

After rehearsals, he will join more than 60 world-class circus artistes
in a spell-binding performance.

Rory's performance was a 15-minute display of his skills, which he has
been practising on his way to school in Staverton.

The judging panel, which included circus director Laci Endresz, said:
"Rory proved that age is no barrier when it comes to unicycling.

"There is plenty of potential in his act and he performed while grinning
and frantically cycling around the ring."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Here's one for GILD! ;)

CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONS

66 words
16 August 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A2
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

SOME JESTERS in a British competition described in an Aug. 9 page-one
article ride on unicycles. The article incorrectly said they ride on
unicorns.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO LAUGHING MATTER: KEEP THOSE BALLS IN THE AIR, LOSE THE FRENCH TO WIN
THIS JOB --- MOST HOPEFULS FOR NEW BRITISH JESTER PRATFALL FLAT; `IT'S
NOT A BLADDER DAY'

By Anita Raghavan
997 words
9 August 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A1
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

STONELEIGH PARK, Warwickshire, England -- Oliver Cromwell, England's
puritan ruler, abolished the post of court jester 350 years ago. He
apparently knew what he was doing.

A competition here Saturday to select an unofficial British state jester
turned into a bit of a joke. Six candidates showed up. A group of
working jesters boycotted the event. A French contestant managed to
insult British royalty. Buckingham Palace disavowed the contest. And
some said the winner was nothing more than a juggler in a joker outfit.


"There's more to being a jester than juggling -- it's really about using
humor to make sharp points," says Beatrice K. Otto, who wrote a book on
jesters. "There are some good jesters in England," she adds. "It sounds
like they didn't turn up" Saturday.

The match, sponsored by English Heritage, an organization devoted to
preserving British history, showed that being a jester isn't what it
used to be. No kidding.

Jesters were an essential part of court life before Mr. Cromwell purged
them following the English Civil War. Beholden to the monarch, jesters
amused the king by making fun of people at court. They also played a
serious role -- "the only person who could stand up at court and speak
his mind," says Alex Burghart, a historian at London's Kings College.

Modern-day jesters play a far less lofty role. *They walk on fire, stand
on stilts, ride on unicorns and juggle.* While Medieval jesters
typically were beholden to one ruler, jesters these days serve a
community, often helping to raise money for charity through street
performances and cabarets in local halls or holding circus workshops for
children with disabilities...


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Here's one for GILD! ;)

CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONS

66 words
16 August 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A2
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

SOME JESTERS in a British competition described in an Aug. 9 page-one
article ride on unicycles. The article incorrectly said they ride on
unicorns.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO LAUGHING MATTER: KEEP THOSE BALLS IN THE AIR, LOSE THE FRENCH TO WIN
THIS JOB --- MOST HOPEFULS FOR NEW BRITISH JESTER PRATFALL FLAT; `IT'S
NOT A BLADDER DAY'

By Anita Raghavan
997 words
9 August 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A1
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

STONELEIGH PARK, Warwickshire, England -- Oliver Cromwell, England's
puritan ruler, abolished the post of court jester 350 years ago. He
apparently knew what he was doing.

A competition here Saturday to select an unofficial British state jester
turned into a bit of a joke. Six candidates showed up. A group of
working jesters boycotted the event. A French contestant managed to
insult British royalty. Buckingham Palace disavowed the contest. And
some said the winner was nothing more than a juggler in a joker outfit.


"There's more to being a jester than juggling -- it's really about using
humor to make sharp points," says Beatrice K. Otto, who wrote a book on
jesters. "There are some good jesters in England," she adds. "It sounds
like they didn't turn up" Saturday.

The match, sponsored by English Heritage, an organization devoted to
preserving British history, showed that being a jester isn't what it
used to be. No kidding.

Jesters were an essential part of court life before Mr. Cromwell purged
them following the English Civil War. Beholden to the monarch, jesters
amused the king by making fun of people at court. They also played a
serious role -- "the only person who could stand up at court and speak
his mind," says Alex Burghart, a historian at London's Kings College.

Modern-day jesters play a far less lofty role. *They walk on fire, stand
on stilts, ride on unicorns and juggle.* While Medieval jesters
typically were beholden to one ruler, jesters these days serve a
community, often helping to raise money for charity through street
performances and cabarets in local halls or holding circus workshops for
children with disabilities...


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Here's one for GILD! ;)

CORRECTIONS & AMPLIFICATIONS

66 words
16 August 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A2
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

SOME JESTERS in a British competition described in an Aug. 9 page-one
article ride on unicycles. The article incorrectly said they ride on
unicorns.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO LAUGHING MATTER: KEEP THOSE BALLS IN THE AIR, LOSE THE FRENCH TO WIN
THIS JOB --- MOST HOPEFULS FOR NEW BRITISH JESTER PRATFALL FLAT; `IT'S
NOT A BLADDER DAY'

By Anita Raghavan
997 words
9 August 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A1
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

STONELEIGH PARK, Warwickshire, England -- Oliver Cromwell, England's
puritan ruler, abolished the post of court jester 350 years ago. He
apparently knew what he was doing.

A competition here Saturday to select an unofficial British state jester
turned into a bit of a joke. Six candidates showed up. A group of
working jesters boycotted the event. A French contestant managed to
insult British royalty. Buckingham Palace disavowed the contest. And
some said the winner was nothing more than a juggler in a joker outfit.


"There's more to being a jester than juggling -- it's really about using
humor to make sharp points," says Beatrice K. Otto, who wrote a book on
jesters. "There are some good jesters in England," she adds. "It sounds
like they didn't turn up" Saturday.

The match, sponsored by English Heritage, an organization devoted to
preserving British history, showed that being a jester isn't what it
used to be. No kidding.

Jesters were an essential part of court life before Mr. Cromwell purged
them following the English Civil War. Beholden to the monarch, jesters
amused the king by making fun of people at court. They also played a
serious role -- "the only person who could stand up at court and speak
his mind," says Alex Burghart, a historian at London's Kings College.

Modern-day jesters play a far less lofty role. *They walk on fire, stand
on stilts, ride on unicorns and juggle.* While Medieval jesters
typically were beholden to one ruler, jesters these days serve a
community, often helping to raise money for charity through street
performances and cabarets in local halls or holding circus workshops for
children with disabilities...


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

JJuggle wrote:
> *I think Cory Farley needs bit of an attitude adjustment.*
This was about Patrick Thomas, who is hopefully finished, or nearly so,
with his ride across the U.S. Does anybody know what his web site is, or
how he's doing?

Anyway, Cory starts off his article by pointing out how preposterous it
is to conceive of riding across the country on a unicycle. It is.
Especially on the small wheel I believe Patrick to be using. I don't
think he was being so harsh.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

JJuggle wrote:
> *I think Cory Farley needs bit of an attitude adjustment.*
This was about Patrick Thomas, who is hopefully finished, or nearly so,
with his ride across the U.S. Does anybody know what his web site is, or
how he's doing?

Anyway, Cory starts off his article by pointing out how preposterous it
is to conceive of riding across the country on a unicycle. It is.
Especially on the small wheel I believe Patrick to be using. I don't
think he was being so harsh.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

JJuggle wrote:
> *I think Cory Farley needs bit of an attitude adjustment.*
This was about Patrick Thomas, who is hopefully finished, or nearly so,
with his ride across the U.S. Does anybody know what his web site is, or
how he's doing?

Anyway, Cory starts off his article by pointing out how preposterous it
is to conceive of riding across the country on a unicycle. It is.
Especially on the small wheel I believe Patrick to be using. I don't
think he was being so harsh.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

Sacramento Bee, after my return from Unicon. This was put up by my
company's PR person:
http://tinyurl.com/6nzds

[NOTE: This is not the complete article, which had three other
non-related sections]

By Bob Shallit -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Monday, August 9, 2004

Cyclical business: It's not about the bike. It's about the unicycle.

At least when you're dealing with John Foss, a talented Web designer
with Anderson Solone Inc., a Rancho Cordova communications firm.

Foss is a unicycle fanatic. He commutes to work most days, eight miles
each way, on his one-wheeler. He's the founder of a California mountain
unicycle race. And he's a 12-time competitor in Unicon, the olympics of
the sport, which just concluded in Japan.

Foss, 42, captured a half-dozen golds this time in events such as
mountain climbing and an obstacle-course race. And, he tells us in an
e-mail from Japan, he had a great time despite muggy weather and, on one
day, a typhoon that forced riders to take shelter in a bathroom.

Co-workers are planning welcome-back festivities for Foss today. Account
service manager Tamara Kaestner says Foss is one of the more popular
people in the office. "You'd think a guy who rides a unicycle to work
would be quirky and fun," she says. "And he's all that."


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

Sacramento Bee, after my return from Unicon. This was put up by my
company's PR person:
http://tinyurl.com/6nzds

[NOTE: This is not the complete article, which had three other
non-related sections]

By Bob Shallit -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Monday, August 9, 2004

Cyclical business: It's not about the bike. It's about the unicycle.

At least when you're dealing with John Foss, a talented Web designer
with Anderson Solone Inc., a Rancho Cordova communications firm.

Foss is a unicycle fanatic. He commutes to work most days, eight miles
each way, on his one-wheeler. He's the founder of a California mountain
unicycle race. And he's a 12-time competitor in Unicon, the olympics of
the sport, which just concluded in Japan.

Foss, 42, captured a half-dozen golds this time in events such as
mountain climbing and an obstacle-course race. And, he tells us in an
e-mail from Japan, he had a great time despite muggy weather and, on one
day, a typhoon that forced riders to take shelter in a bathroom.

Co-workers are planning welcome-back festivities for Foss today. Account
service manager Tamara Kaestner says Foss is one of the more popular
people in the office. "You'd think a guy who rides a unicycle to work
would be quirky and fun," she says. "And he's all that."


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

Sacramento Bee, after my return from Unicon. This was put up by my
company's PR person:
http://tinyurl.com/6nzds

[NOTE: This is not the complete article, which had three other
non-related sections]

By Bob Shallit -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Monday, August 9, 2004

Cyclical business: It's not about the bike. It's about the unicycle.

At least when you're dealing with John Foss, a talented Web designer
with Anderson Solone Inc., a Rancho Cordova communications firm.

Foss is a unicycle fanatic. He commutes to work most days, eight miles
each way, on his one-wheeler. He's the founder of a California mountain
unicycle race. And he's a 12-time competitor in Unicon, the olympics of
the sport, which just concluded in Japan.

Foss, 42, captured a half-dozen golds this time in events such as
mountain climbing and an obstacle-course race. And, he tells us in an
e-mail from Japan, he had a great time despite muggy weather and, on one
day, a typhoon that forced riders to take shelter in a bathroom.

Co-workers are planning welcome-back festivities for Foss today. Account
service manager Tamara Kaestner says Foss is one of the more popular
people in the office. "You'd think a guy who rides a unicycle to work
would be quirky and fun," she says. "And he's all that."


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

NOTE TO ALL:
If you post an article, please don't just post a link to the newspaper!
Most papers don't keep their articles online for very long. The New York
Times requires you to sign up to see anything at all on their web site.
Please copy and paste the articles onto the newsgroup so they are
preserved for us to see in the future (which may start as early as next
week).

Even the George Peck article from the Atlantic Monthly (April 1997) is
finally unavailable to read anymore. It was still there the last time I
looked! Now I have to take down my link to it...


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

NOTE TO ALL:
If you post an article, please don't just post a link to the newspaper!
Most papers don't keep their articles online for very long. The New York
Times requires you to sign up to see anything at all on their web site.
Please copy and paste the articles onto the newsgroup so they are
preserved for us to see in the future (which may start as early as next
week).

Even the George Peck article from the Atlantic Monthly (April 1997) is
finally unavailable to read anymore. It was still there the last time I
looked! Now I have to take down my link to it...


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

NOTE TO ALL:
If you post an article, please don't just post a link to the newspaper!
Most papers don't keep their articles online for very long. The New York
Times requires you to sign up to see anything at all on their web site.
Please copy and paste the articles onto the newsgroup so they are
preserved for us to see in the future (which may start as early as next
week).

Even the George Peck article from the Atlantic Monthly (April 1997) is
finally unavailable to read anymore. It was still there the last time I
looked! Now I have to take down my link to it...


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GizmoDuck]

JJuggle wrote:
> *So has anybody done this or at least put it on their CV?
>
> An interviewer's guide*
>
> 239 words
> 2 August 2004
> The Daily Telegraph
> 19
> English
> (c) 2004 Telegraph Group Limited, London
>
> As a new study demonstrates, grade inflation is no longer just a
> problem for universities. With more than a fifth of A-levels awarded
> now receiving A grades (more than double the proportion in 1989), over
> half of all graduates gaining at least a 2:1, and a government policy
> of squeezing 50 per cent of school leavers into further education,
> employers are increasingly filtering candidates according to
> non-academic criteria. Students, wise to this fact, are decorating
> their CVs with a wealth of extra-curricular activities, to the extent
> that exotic travel, internships and voluntary work are now almost a
> sine qua non for the successful candidate. While no one should
> discourage them from such strenuous self-improvement, we are rapidly
> approaching the logical conclusion of such demands: in 10 years' time,
> employers will be hard pressed to find an applicant who does not claim
> *to have retraced the Silk Road on a unicycle*, or helped to found El
> Salvador's space prog....


I briefly contemplated that last year- even emailed a few other
unicyclists to see if they were interested. In the end I decided to do
a charity unitour through Vietnam/Cambodia instead. I am still keen to
do the Silk Road one day. But not within the next four years- too many
other epics to complete. Unless someone else is doing the organising ;)


Ken


--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO

"Give man dead fish, and he feed himself for lunch, teach man to catch
fish, and he feed himself for life. Teach man to wheel ride, and he
make friends everywhere, anywhere, and even have lunch at their
place."
Old Chinese saying

'Cambodia Unicycle Photos' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuv31)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GizmoDuck's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/794
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GizmoDuck]

JJuggle wrote:
> *So has anybody done this or at least put it on their CV?
>
> An interviewer's guide*
>
> 239 words
> 2 August 2004
> The Daily Telegraph
> 19
> English
> (c) 2004 Telegraph Group Limited, London
>
> As a new study demonstrates, grade inflation is no longer just a
> problem for universities. With more than a fifth of A-levels awarded
> now receiving A grades (more than double the proportion in 1989), over
> half of all graduates gaining at least a 2:1, and a government policy
> of squeezing 50 per cent of school leavers into further education,
> employers are increasingly filtering candidates according to
> non-academic criteria. Students, wise to this fact, are decorating
> their CVs with a wealth of extra-curricular activities, to the extent
> that exotic travel, internships and voluntary work are now almost a
> sine qua non for the successful candidate. While no one should
> discourage them from such strenuous self-improvement, we are rapidly
> approaching the logical conclusion of such demands: in 10 years' time,
> employers will be hard pressed to find an applicant who does not claim
> *to have retraced the Silk Road on a unicycle*, or helped to found El
> Salvador's space prog....


I briefly contemplated that last year- even emailed a few other
unicyclists to see if they were interested. In the end I decided to do
a charity unitour through Vietnam/Cambodia instead. I am still keen to
do the Silk Road one day. But not within the next four years- too many
other epics to complete. Unless someone else is doing the organising ;)


Ken


--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO

"Give man dead fish, and he feed himself for lunch, teach man to catch
fish, and he feed himself for life. Teach man to wheel ride, and he
make friends everywhere, anywhere, and even have lunch at their
place."
Old Chinese saying

'Cambodia Unicycle Photos' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuv31)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GizmoDuck's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/794
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GizmoDuck]

JJuggle wrote:
> *So has anybody done this or at least put it on their CV?
>
> An interviewer's guide*
>
> 239 words
> 2 August 2004
> The Daily Telegraph
> 19
> English
> (c) 2004 Telegraph Group Limited, London
>
> As a new study demonstrates, grade inflation is no longer just a
> problem for universities. With more than a fifth of A-levels awarded
> now receiving A grades (more than double the proportion in 1989), over
> half of all graduates gaining at least a 2:1, and a government policy
> of squeezing 50 per cent of school leavers into further education,
> employers are increasingly filtering candidates according to
> non-academic criteria. Students, wise to this fact, are decorating
> their CVs with a wealth of extra-curricular activities, to the extent
> that exotic travel, internships and voluntary work are now almost a
> sine qua non for the successful candidate. While no one should
> discourage them from such strenuous self-improvement, we are rapidly
> approaching the logical conclusion of such demands: in 10 years' time,
> employers will be hard pressed to find an applicant who does not claim
> *to have retraced the Silk Road on a unicycle*, or helped to found El
> Salvador's space prog....


I briefly contemplated that last year- even emailed a few other
unicyclists to see if they were interested. In the end I decided to do
a charity unitour through Vietnam/Cambodia instead. I am still keen to
do the Silk Road one day. But not within the next four years- too many
other epics to complete. Unless someone else is doing the organising ;)


Ken


--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO

"Give man dead fish, and he feed himself for lunch, teach man to catch
fish, and he feed himself for life. Teach man to wheel ride, and he
make friends everywhere, anywhere, and even have lunch at their
place."
Old Chinese saying

'Cambodia Unicycle Photos' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuv31)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GizmoDuck's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/794
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[tomblackwood]

...for me to be front page news.

I was in CDA this weekend for their fantastic juggling festival, and was
riding my coker down one of the bike paths around the lake when I was
flagged down by a local reporter. The result was the front page article
below (including both the link for those reading soon, and the article
itself per John Foss's advice in case the link goes dead).

What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is the
degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the piece.
Maybe it was my fault for being a boring subject, but she kept fishing
for an angle that I couldn't give her. First it was the "attention"
angle...she wanted to know if I rode for attention, but I told her most
of my riding was either solo or with a few friends, usually in the woods
or other places where people are not. Then she tried for the "danger"
angle...she wanted to know if my wife was scared about our son learning
to ride. I told her "No, it's not dangerous and she did most of the work
in helping him get started." So all by herself, after we parted
company, she came up with the "respectability" angle, which makes no
sense at all. I fail to see the connection between unicycling and not
holding down a day job.

Also during the interview, I kept trying to steer the conversation back
to the Juggling Festival, which was the big news. She dismissed this by
saying "we have someone there covering it", but then it turned out the
only coverage was the content she dropped into the middle of the story,
with no segue into or out of.

At least, thank God, there is no mention of circus...

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/3nwhd

Here is the story text:

Coeur d'Alene Press - August 16, 2004

Juggling childhood dreams of unicycles
By LYNN BERK
Staff writer

Festival a celebration of hobbies that are becoming more popular as
sports

COEUR d'ALENE -- Tom Blackwood has a respectable career as a customer
service representative with Microsoft Corp. in Washington State.

He also has a wife, Marie, and a son, 10-year-old Miles.

But behind all that respectability and tradition, Blackwood secretly
nursed a childhood dream. He wanted to ride a unicycle.

And now he does.

Now he stands beside the gleaming red custom 36-inch touring unicycle
propped against a bench at Independence Point, one more participant in
the weekend's Juggling & Unicycle Festival, and says, "It's just
something I've always wanted to do."

He wanted to learn how to ride a unicycle when he was a little boy but
his efforts then were stymied by one very salient fact: He didn't have
one.

Then four years ago, the old dream resurfaced.

"My wife, she probably thought I was middle-aged crazy," Blackwood says.
"I'm sure she never thought it would become such a serious hobby."

He even took the cycle, designed specifically for speed and distance, on
a 33-mile, one-day ride -- not an easy jaunt with a machine that has no
gears. Since he's been riding, Blackwood, who said he was in "reasonable
shape" before, has dropped 15 pounds because the concentration on a
unicycle is in the abdominal muscles.

"It's a good challenge and a way to stay in shape," says Blackwood. "And
the people I've met are really great. Unicyclists are a pretty fun
group."

About 150 jugglers and unicycle enthusiasts participated in the weekend
festival, which also included a juggling performance at the bandshell in
City Park Saturday night.

"This has been our biggest year yet," said David Groth, co-director of
the juggling festival. "It was a high caliber show."

Travis Hennon, Coeur d'Alene, has been juggling for four years and
participated in the event.

"It's really cool to be able to juggle locally," Hennon said. "This is
really great."

Blackwood says it takes about 10 hours of concentrated practice just to
get the basics down, but even if you fall, unicyclists tend to take it
in the feet rather than the head ... maybe in the butt and the hands.
Because there are no gears, he adds, you can't coast downhill.

"You have to work as hard going downhill as you do going uphill to keep
from going too fast," he says.

The cycle gives him a lot of attention, but he says he's more in it for
the sport itself and not the curious looks.

"It's a pretty serious sport now," he says. "I know people who are
riding all around the U.S., around Europe, around Norway. Long-distance
unicycling is increasingly becoming a proper sport. It's good to see it
expanding."

Now his son is unicycling, too. In fact, Blackwood points to someone
just wheeling past him. "Look, there goes another one," he says with a
grin. "They're everywhere."
-30-

All I can say is, she writes with the same level of care she devotes to
the application of her makeup... TB


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
tomblackwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3762
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[tomblackwood]

...for me to be front page news.

I was in CDA this weekend for their fantastic juggling festival, and was
riding my coker down one of the bike paths around the lake when I was
flagged down by a local reporter. The result was the front page article
below (including both the link for those reading soon, and the article
itself per John Foss's advice in case the link goes dead).

What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is the
degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the piece.
Maybe it was my fault for being a boring subject, but she kept fishing
for an angle that I couldn't give her. First it was the "attention"
angle...she wanted to know if I rode for attention, but I told her most
of my riding was either solo or with a few friends, usually in the woods
or other places where people are not. Then she tried for the "danger"
angle...she wanted to know if my wife was scared about our son learning
to ride. I told her "No, it's not dangerous and she did most of the work
in helping him get started." So all by herself, after we parted
company, she came up with the "respectability" angle, which makes no
sense at all. I fail to see the connection between unicycling and not
holding down a day job.

Also during the interview, I kept trying to steer the conversation back
to the Juggling Festival, which was the big news. She dismissed this by
saying "we have someone there covering it", but then it turned out the
only coverage was the content she dropped into the middle of the story,
with no segue into or out of.

At least, thank God, there is no mention of circus...

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/3nwhd

Here is the story text:

Coeur d'Alene Press - August 16, 2004

Juggling childhood dreams of unicycles
By LYNN BERK
Staff writer

Festival a celebration of hobbies that are becoming more popular as
sports

COEUR d'ALENE -- Tom Blackwood has a respectable career as a customer
service representative with Microsoft Corp. in Washington State.

He also has a wife, Marie, and a son, 10-year-old Miles.

But behind all that respectability and tradition, Blackwood secretly
nursed a childhood dream. He wanted to ride a unicycle.

And now he does.

Now he stands beside the gleaming red custom 36-inch touring unicycle
propped against a bench at Independence Point, one more participant in
the weekend's Juggling & Unicycle Festival, and says, "It's just
something I've always wanted to do."

He wanted to learn how to ride a unicycle when he was a little boy but
his efforts then were stymied by one very salient fact: He didn't have
one.

Then four years ago, the old dream resurfaced.

"My wife, she probably thought I was middle-aged crazy," Blackwood says.
"I'm sure she never thought it would become such a serious hobby."

He even took the cycle, designed specifically for speed and distance, on
a 33-mile, one-day ride -- not an easy jaunt with a machine that has no
gears. Since he's been riding, Blackwood, who said he was in "reasonable
shape" before, has dropped 15 pounds because the concentration on a
unicycle is in the abdominal muscles.

"It's a good challenge and a way to stay in shape," says Blackwood. "And
the people I've met are really great. Unicyclists are a pretty fun
group."

About 150 jugglers and unicycle enthusiasts participated in the weekend
festival, which also included a juggling performance at the bandshell in
City Park Saturday night.

"This has been our biggest year yet," said David Groth, co-director of
the juggling festival. "It was a high caliber show."

Travis Hennon, Coeur d'Alene, has been juggling for four years and
participated in the event.

"It's really cool to be able to juggle locally," Hennon said. "This is
really great."

Blackwood says it takes about 10 hours of concentrated practice just to
get the basics down, but even if you fall, unicyclists tend to take it
in the feet rather than the head ... maybe in the butt and the hands.
Because there are no gears, he adds, you can't coast downhill.

"You have to work as hard going downhill as you do going uphill to keep
from going too fast," he says.

The cycle gives him a lot of attention, but he says he's more in it for
the sport itself and not the curious looks.

"It's a pretty serious sport now," he says. "I know people who are
riding all around the U.S., around Europe, around Norway. Long-distance
unicycling is increasingly becoming a proper sport. It's good to see it
expanding."

Now his son is unicycling, too. In fact, Blackwood points to someone
just wheeling past him. "Look, there goes another one," he says with a
grin. "They're everywhere."
-30-

All I can say is, she writes with the same level of care she devotes to
the application of her makeup... TB


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
tomblackwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3762
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[tomblackwood]

...for me to be front page news.

I was in CDA this weekend for their fantastic juggling festival, and was
riding my coker down one of the bike paths around the lake when I was
flagged down by a local reporter. The result was the front page article
below (including both the link for those reading soon, and the article
itself per John Foss's advice in case the link goes dead).

What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is the
degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the piece.
Maybe it was my fault for being a boring subject, but she kept fishing
for an angle that I couldn't give her. First it was the "attention"
angle...she wanted to know if I rode for attention, but I told her most
of my riding was either solo or with a few friends, usually in the woods
or other places where people are not. Then she tried for the "danger"
angle...she wanted to know if my wife was scared about our son learning
to ride. I told her "No, it's not dangerous and she did most of the work
in helping him get started." So all by herself, after we parted
company, she came up with the "respectability" angle, which makes no
sense at all. I fail to see the connection between unicycling and not
holding down a day job.

Also during the interview, I kept trying to steer the conversation back
to the Juggling Festival, which was the big news. She dismissed this by
saying "we have someone there covering it", but then it turned out the
only coverage was the content she dropped into the middle of the story,
with no segue into or out of.

At least, thank God, there is no mention of circus...

Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/3nwhd

Here is the story text:

Coeur d'Alene Press - August 16, 2004

Juggling childhood dreams of unicycles
By LYNN BERK
Staff writer

Festival a celebration of hobbies that are becoming more popular as
sports

COEUR d'ALENE -- Tom Blackwood has a respectable career as a customer
service representative with Microsoft Corp. in Washington State.

He also has a wife, Marie, and a son, 10-year-old Miles.

But behind all that respectability and tradition, Blackwood secretly
nursed a childhood dream. He wanted to ride a unicycle.

And now he does.

Now he stands beside the gleaming red custom 36-inch touring unicycle
propped against a bench at Independence Point, one more participant in
the weekend's Juggling & Unicycle Festival, and says, "It's just
something I've always wanted to do."

He wanted to learn how to ride a unicycle when he was a little boy but
his efforts then were stymied by one very salient fact: He didn't have
one.

Then four years ago, the old dream resurfaced.

"My wife, she probably thought I was middle-aged crazy," Blackwood says.
"I'm sure she never thought it would become such a serious hobby."

He even took the cycle, designed specifically for speed and distance, on
a 33-mile, one-day ride -- not an easy jaunt with a machine that has no
gears. Since he's been riding, Blackwood, who said he was in "reasonable
shape" before, has dropped 15 pounds because the concentration on a
unicycle is in the abdominal muscles.

"It's a good challenge and a way to stay in shape," says Blackwood. "And
the people I've met are really great. Unicyclists are a pretty fun
group."

About 150 jugglers and unicycle enthusiasts participated in the weekend
festival, which also included a juggling performance at the bandshell in
City Park Saturday night.

"This has been our biggest year yet," said David Groth, co-director of
the juggling festival. "It was a high caliber show."

Travis Hennon, Coeur d'Alene, has been juggling for four years and
participated in the event.

"It's really cool to be able to juggle locally," Hennon said. "This is
really great."

Blackwood says it takes about 10 hours of concentrated practice just to
get the basics down, but even if you fall, unicyclists tend to take it
in the feet rather than the head ... maybe in the butt and the hands.
Because there are no gears, he adds, you can't coast downhill.

"You have to work as hard going downhill as you do going uphill to keep
from going too fast," he says.

The cycle gives him a lot of attention, but he says he's more in it for
the sport itself and not the curious looks.

"It's a pretty serious sport now," he says. "I know people who are
riding all around the U.S., around Europe, around Norway. Long-distance
unicycling is increasingly becoming a proper sport. It's good to see it
expanding."

Now his son is unicycling, too. In fact, Blackwood points to someone
just wheeling past him. "Look, there goes another one," he says with a
grin. "They're everywhere."
-30-

All I can say is, she writes with the same level of care she devotes to
the application of her makeup... TB


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
tomblackwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3762
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

johnfoss wrote:
> *This was about Patrick Thomas, who is hopefully finished, or nearly
> so, with his ride across the U.S. Does anybody know what his web site
> is, or how he's doing? *
Patrick's website is 'Pedal the Waves' (http://www.pedalthewaves.org/).
As of the end of July he was in Nebraska.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

johnfoss wrote:
> *This was about Patrick Thomas, who is hopefully finished, or nearly
> so, with his ride across the U.S. Does anybody know what his web site
> is, or how he's doing? *
Patrick's website is 'Pedal the Waves' (http://www.pedalthewaves.org/).
As of the end of July he was in Nebraska.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

johnfoss wrote:
> *This was about Patrick Thomas, who is hopefully finished, or nearly
> so, with his ride across the U.S. Does anybody know what his web site
> is, or how he's doing? *
Patrick's website is 'Pedal the Waves' (http://www.pedalthewaves.org/).
As of the end of July he was in Nebraska.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is
> the degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the
> piece.*
I think you're being too hard on yourself and the reporter. It sounded
like a good, solid little story to me, making you as a unicyclist sound
like someone who took on this difficult skill at a later age, and are
enjoying the health benefits of doing it!

Believe me, I've read much, much worse.

Yes, some reporters definitely seem to have a story already written in
their heads, regardless of whatever goes on in the real world. If you
see this creeping in, sometimes it's best to pull it out in the open and
help them come up with a better (or more accurate) angle. I used to play
up the safety aspect of unicycling. "It's really a lot less dangerous
than it looks!" But this doesn't drive peoples' interest. So even though
I know MUni is a lot safer than mountain biking, I generally don't bring
it up unless they ask. Let them believe we're super risk-takers!


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is
> the degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the
> piece.*
I think you're being too hard on yourself and the reporter. It sounded
like a good, solid little story to me, making you as a unicyclist sound
like someone who took on this difficult skill at a later age, and are
enjoying the health benefits of doing it!

Believe me, I've read much, much worse.

Yes, some reporters definitely seem to have a story already written in
their heads, regardless of whatever goes on in the real world. If you
see this creeping in, sometimes it's best to pull it out in the open and
help them come up with a better (or more accurate) angle. I used to play
up the safety aspect of unicycling. "It's really a lot less dangerous
than it looks!" But this doesn't drive peoples' interest. So even though
I know MUni is a lot safer than mountain biking, I generally don't bring
it up unless they ask. Let them believe we're super risk-takers!


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is
> the degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the
> piece.*
I think you're being too hard on yourself and the reporter. It sounded
like a good, solid little story to me, making you as a unicyclist sound
like someone who took on this difficult skill at a later age, and are
enjoying the health benefits of doing it!

Believe me, I've read much, much worse.

Yes, some reporters definitely seem to have a story already written in
their heads, regardless of whatever goes on in the real world. If you
see this creeping in, sometimes it's best to pull it out in the open and
help them come up with a better (or more accurate) angle. I used to play
up the safety aspect of unicycling. "It's really a lot less dangerous
than it looks!" But this doesn't drive peoples' interest. So even though
I know MUni is a lot safer than mountain biking, I generally don't bring
it up unless they ask. Let them believe we're super risk-takers!


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[harper]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *
> All I can say is, she writes with the same level of care she devotes
> to the application of her makeup... TB *


Oh, is that her photo in your avatar?


--
harper - Fountainhead

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[harper]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *
> All I can say is, she writes with the same level of care she devotes
> to the application of her makeup... TB *


Oh, is that her photo in your avatar?


--
harper - Fountainhead

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[harper]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *
> All I can say is, she writes with the same level of care she devotes
> to the application of her makeup... TB *


Oh, is that her photo in your avatar?


--
harper - Fountainhead

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[markw]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is
> the degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the
> piece. Maybe it was my fault for being a boring subject, but she kept
> fishing for an angle that I couldn't give her. First it was the
> "attention" angle...she wanted to know if I rode for attention, but I
> told her most of my riding was either solo or with a few friends,
> usually in the woods or other places where people are not. Then she
> tried for the "danger" angle...she wanted to know if my wife was
> scared about our son learning to ride. I told her "No, it's not
> dangerous and she did most of the work in helping him get started."
> So all by herself, after we parted company, she came up with the
> "respectability" angle, which makes no sense at all. I fail to see the
> connection between unicycling and not holding down a day job. *

I'm confused. Where's the sign of prejudice?

The questions she asked seem reasonable for a non-unicyclist. We've all
heard them plenty of times. When you explain the situation (it's not for
attention, it's not dangerous), she includes your views rather than hers
in the article.

Oh, and plenty of people are surprised to discover that unicyclists are
"normal" people with normal lives.

Regards,
Mark.


--
markw - Frustrated RSU Emailer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
markw's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5704
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[markw]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is
> the degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the
> piece. Maybe it was my fault for being a boring subject, but she kept
> fishing for an angle that I couldn't give her. First it was the
> "attention" angle...she wanted to know if I rode for attention, but I
> told her most of my riding was either solo or with a few friends,
> usually in the woods or other places where people are not. Then she
> tried for the "danger" angle...she wanted to know if my wife was
> scared about our son learning to ride. I told her "No, it's not
> dangerous and she did most of the work in helping him get started."
> So all by herself, after we parted company, she came up with the
> "respectability" angle, which makes no sense at all. I fail to see the
> connection between unicycling and not holding down a day job. *

I'm confused. Where's the sign of prejudice?

The questions she asked seem reasonable for a non-unicyclist. We've all
heard them plenty of times. When you explain the situation (it's not for
attention, it's not dangerous), she includes your views rather than hers
in the article.

Oh, and plenty of people are surprised to discover that unicyclists are
"normal" people with normal lives.

Regards,
Mark.


--
markw - Frustrated RSU Emailer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
markw's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5704
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[markw]

tomblackwood wrote:
> *What is amazing to me, besides how poorly this story is written, is
> the degree to which the reporter brought her own prejudice into the
> piece. Maybe it was my fault for being a boring subject, but she kept
> fishing for an angle that I couldn't give her. First it was the
> "attention" angle...she wanted to know if I rode for attention, but I
> told her most of my riding was either solo or with a few friends,
> usually in the woods or other places where people are not. Then she
> tried for the "danger" angle...she wanted to know if my wife was
> scared about our son learning to ride. I told her "No, it's not
> dangerous and she did most of the work in helping him get started."
> So all by herself, after we parted company, she came up with the
> "respectability" angle, which makes no sense at all. I fail to see the
> connection between unicycling and not holding down a day job. *

I'm confused. Where's the sign of prejudice?

The questions she asked seem reasonable for a non-unicyclist. We've all
heard them plenty of times. When you explain the situation (it's not for
attention, it's not dangerous), she includes your views rather than hers
in the article.

Oh, and plenty of people are surprised to discover that unicyclists are
"normal" people with normal lives.

Regards,
Mark.


--
markw - Frustrated RSU Emailer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
markw's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5704
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[tomblackwood]

markw wrote:
> *
> I'm confused. Where's the sign of prejudice?
> *

Maybe not the best word to have used. My point was she had an angle she
wanted to take...needs attention...then switched to danger when that
didn't pan out. When that too fell short, she just made up an angle
(respectability vs. this choice of activity) that had nothing to do with
anything we had talked about.


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
tomblackwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3762
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[tomblackwood]

markw wrote:
> *
> I'm confused. Where's the sign of prejudice?
> *

Maybe not the best word to have used. My point was she had an angle she
wanted to take...needs attention...then switched to danger when that
didn't pan out. When that too fell short, she just made up an angle
(respectability vs. this choice of activity) that had nothing to do with
anything we had talked about.


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
tomblackwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3762
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[tomblackwood]

markw wrote:
> *
> I'm confused. Where's the sign of prejudice?
> *

Maybe not the best word to have used. My point was she had an angle she
wanted to take...needs attention...then switched to danger when that
didn't pan out. When that too fell short, she just made up an angle
(respectability vs. this choice of activity) that had nothing to do with
anything we had talked about.


--
tomblackwood - Registered Nurtz

Tailgate at your own risk.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------
tomblackwood's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/3762
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[reidj]

Tom,
I have to agree with the rest of the gallery. This article seemed just
fine... and no circus or clown references. Any press we can get for
unicycling is good. It's fine if the reporter puts in a wise-ass comment
or two, since the general tone of the article is usually "wow, isn't it
amazing what these guys and girls can do and how dedicated to the sport
they are".


--
reidj - Looking for a uni-basketball game
------------------------------------------------------------------------
reidj's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5755
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[reidj]

Tom,
I have to agree with the rest of the gallery. This article seemed just
fine... and no circus or clown references. Any press we can get for
unicycling is good. It's fine if the reporter puts in a wise-ass comment
or two, since the general tone of the article is usually "wow, isn't it
amazing what these guys and girls can do and how dedicated to the sport
they are".


--
reidj - Looking for a uni-basketball game
------------------------------------------------------------------------
reidj's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5755
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[reidj]

Tom,
I have to agree with the rest of the gallery. This article seemed just
fine... and no circus or clown references. Any press we can get for
unicycling is good. It's fine if the reporter puts in a wise-ass comment
or two, since the general tone of the article is usually "wow, isn't it
amazing what these guys and girls can do and how dedicated to the sport
they are".


--
reidj - Looking for a uni-basketball game
------------------------------------------------------------------------
reidj's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5755
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[reidj]

Tom,
I have to agree with the rest of the gallery. This article seemed just
fine... and no circus or clown references. Any press we can get for
unicycling is good. It's fine if the reporter puts in a wise-ass comment
or two, since the general tone of the article is usually "wow, isn't it
amazing what these guys and girls can do and how dedicated to the sport
they are".


--
reidj - Looking for a uni-basketball game
------------------------------------------------------------------------
reidj's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/5755
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

I tend to agree with those who think the article is perfectly fine. It
is. However, it is also easy to see that Tom, as the subject of the
article who was invested in trying to present unicycling in the way he
thinks puts it in its best light, would be frustrated by the fact that
the journalist, who should be first and foremost a listener, failed to
reflect his vision.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

I tend to agree with those who think the article is perfectly fine. It
is. However, it is also easy to see that Tom, as the subject of the
article who was invested in trying to present unicycling in the way he
thinks puts it in its best light, would be frustrated by the fact that
the journalist, who should be first and foremost a listener, failed to
reflect his vision.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

I tend to agree with those who think the article is perfectly fine. It
is. However, it is also easy to see that Tom, as the subject of the
article who was invested in trying to present unicycling in the way he
thinks puts it in its best light, would be frustrated by the fact that
the journalist, who should be first and foremost a listener, failed to
reflect his vision.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

I tend to agree with those who think the article is perfectly fine. It
is. However, it is also easy to see that Tom, as the subject of the
article who was invested in trying to present unicycling in the way he
thinks puts it in its best light, would be frustrated by the fact that
the journalist, who should be first and foremost a listener, failed to
reflect his vision.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Or a freakin' bicycle for that matter. Who thinks this stuff up?

R

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Say "non" to August work*

By DAVID WILLIAMSON
1,140 words
19 August 2004
The Western Mail
12
English
(c) 2004 Western Mail and Echo Ltd

Wales is the work house of Europe but is there a growing sense that
August is gradually becoming a shutdown month? David Williamson takes a
sideways look at whether the nation should admit defeat and follow the
French

WORKING during the month of August is almost as silly as buying your cat
a unicycle.


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Or a freakin' bicycle for that matter. Who thinks this stuff up?

R

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Say "non" to August work*

By DAVID WILLIAMSON
1,140 words
19 August 2004
The Western Mail
12
English
(c) 2004 Western Mail and Echo Ltd

Wales is the work house of Europe but is there a growing sense that
August is gradually becoming a shutdown month? David Williamson takes a
sideways look at whether the nation should admit defeat and follow the
French

WORKING during the month of August is almost as silly as buying your cat
a unicycle.


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Or a freakin' bicycle for that matter. Who thinks this stuff up?

R

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Say "non" to August work*

By DAVID WILLIAMSON
1,140 words
19 August 2004
The Western Mail
12
English
(c) 2004 Western Mail and Echo Ltd

Wales is the work house of Europe but is there a growing sense that
August is gradually becoming a shutdown month? David Williamson takes a
sideways look at whether the nation should admit defeat and follow the
French

WORKING during the month of August is almost as silly as buying your cat
a unicycle.


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

Or a freakin' bicycle for that matter. Who thinks this stuff up?

R

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Say "non" to August work*

By DAVID WILLIAMSON
1,140 words
19 August 2004
The Western Mail
12
English
(c) 2004 Western Mail and Echo Ltd

Wales is the work house of Europe but is there a growing sense that
August is gradually becoming a shutdown month? David Williamson takes a
sideways look at whether the nation should admit defeat and follow the
French

WORKING during the month of August is almost as silly as buying your cat
a unicycle.


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is much
funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.

Actually, I tend to like anything that makes cats look awkward, becaue I
know it embarrasses them.

Back to Tom and his article, look on the bright side. She didnt' bring
in a bunch of black & white footage of clowns from Ringling Bros. to
point out the differences between clown unicyclists and the ones you see
today... :p

Consider this story, of a reporter with an agenda:

In 1986 a girl from Japan, Atsuko Koga, rode her unicycle the length of
Long Island. She wanted to start from Manhattan, but we talked her out
of riding through the icky areas on the way out to the burbs. So she
started from my house in Wantagh (also the home at the time of Ken Fuchs
and Bradley Bradley). Riding acros the countryside was to her a great
way to really get to see a place. Kind of the opposite of taking a bus
tour to Mt. Fuji in Japan, where you only get to really see what the bus
stops for.

So a reporter from Newsday came out to do a story. This turned out to be
a big one, which appeared on page 2. We met Atsuko at about the halfway
point on her ride, and she took us to lunch at a nice restaurant in Port
Jefferson. The conversation was about unicycling, Atsuko, and the
upcoming Unicon to be held on Long Island. A lot of "Why are you doing
this," the answers to which she never seemed satisfied with. The
reporter kept bringing up the subject of drugs as well. For some reason
she just seemed to think we must do drugs. It was three guys from the
National Circus Project, who were working at a nearby school, and
Atsuko. "So c'mon. Don't you at least smoke some pot?"

Atsuko was upset afterward and cried because she didn't understand the
reporter's incessant digging and questions we'd already answered. I
guess that's what you get if you want to be in the main section of a
major newspaper. If that interview had happened to me in more recent
years, I'm sure I would have given her a slightly uglier piece of my
mind.

But the story came out very nice, as I recall, and was a good depiction
of a foreigner traveling slowly, by unicycle, across the local
landscape.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is much
funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.

Actually, I tend to like anything that makes cats look awkward, becaue I
know it embarrasses them.

Back to Tom and his article, look on the bright side. She didnt' bring
in a bunch of black & white footage of clowns from Ringling Bros. to
point out the differences between clown unicyclists and the ones you see
today... :p

Consider this story, of a reporter with an agenda:

In 1986 a girl from Japan, Atsuko Koga, rode her unicycle the length of
Long Island. She wanted to start from Manhattan, but we talked her out
of riding through the icky areas on the way out to the burbs. So she
started from my house in Wantagh (also the home at the time of Ken Fuchs
and Bradley Bradley). Riding acros the countryside was to her a great
way to really get to see a place. Kind of the opposite of taking a bus
tour to Mt. Fuji in Japan, where you only get to really see what the bus
stops for.

So a reporter from Newsday came out to do a story. This turned out to be
a big one, which appeared on page 2. We met Atsuko at about the halfway
point on her ride, and she took us to lunch at a nice restaurant in Port
Jefferson. The conversation was about unicycling, Atsuko, and the
upcoming Unicon to be held on Long Island. A lot of "Why are you doing
this," the answers to which she never seemed satisfied with. The
reporter kept bringing up the subject of drugs as well. For some reason
she just seemed to think we must do drugs. It was three guys from the
National Circus Project, who were working at a nearby school, and
Atsuko. "So c'mon. Don't you at least smoke some pot?"

Atsuko was upset afterward and cried because she didn't understand the
reporter's incessant digging and questions we'd already answered. I
guess that's what you get if you want to be in the main section of a
major newspaper. If that interview had happened to me in more recent
years, I'm sure I would have given her a slightly uglier piece of my
mind.

But the story came out very nice, as I recall, and was a good depiction
of a foreigner traveling slowly, by unicycle, across the local
landscape.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is much
funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.

Actually, I tend to like anything that makes cats look awkward, becaue I
know it embarrasses them.

Back to Tom and his article, look on the bright side. She didnt' bring
in a bunch of black & white footage of clowns from Ringling Bros. to
point out the differences between clown unicyclists and the ones you see
today... :p

Consider this story, of a reporter with an agenda:

In 1986 a girl from Japan, Atsuko Koga, rode her unicycle the length of
Long Island. She wanted to start from Manhattan, but we talked her out
of riding through the icky areas on the way out to the burbs. So she
started from my house in Wantagh (also the home at the time of Ken Fuchs
and Bradley Bradley). Riding acros the countryside was to her a great
way to really get to see a place. Kind of the opposite of taking a bus
tour to Mt. Fuji in Japan, where you only get to really see what the bus
stops for.

So a reporter from Newsday came out to do a story. This turned out to be
a big one, which appeared on page 2. We met Atsuko at about the halfway
point on her ride, and she took us to lunch at a nice restaurant in Port
Jefferson. The conversation was about unicycling, Atsuko, and the
upcoming Unicon to be held on Long Island. A lot of "Why are you doing
this," the answers to which she never seemed satisfied with. The
reporter kept bringing up the subject of drugs as well. For some reason
she just seemed to think we must do drugs. It was three guys from the
National Circus Project, who were working at a nearby school, and
Atsuko. "So c'mon. Don't you at least smoke some pot?"

Atsuko was upset afterward and cried because she didn't understand the
reporter's incessant digging and questions we'd already answered. I
guess that's what you get if you want to be in the main section of a
major newspaper. If that interview had happened to me in more recent
years, I'm sure I would have given her a slightly uglier piece of my
mind.

But the story came out very nice, as I recall, and was a good depiction
of a foreigner traveling slowly, by unicycle, across the local
landscape.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is much
funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.

Actually, I tend to like anything that makes cats look awkward, becaue I
know it embarrasses them.

Back to Tom and his article, look on the bright side. She didnt' bring
in a bunch of black & white footage of clowns from Ringling Bros. to
point out the differences between clown unicyclists and the ones you see
today... :p

Consider this story, of a reporter with an agenda:

In 1986 a girl from Japan, Atsuko Koga, rode her unicycle the length of
Long Island. She wanted to start from Manhattan, but we talked her out
of riding through the icky areas on the way out to the burbs. So she
started from my house in Wantagh (also the home at the time of Ken Fuchs
and Bradley Bradley). Riding acros the countryside was to her a great
way to really get to see a place. Kind of the opposite of taking a bus
tour to Mt. Fuji in Japan, where you only get to really see what the bus
stops for.

So a reporter from Newsday came out to do a story. This turned out to be
a big one, which appeared on page 2. We met Atsuko at about the halfway
point on her ride, and she took us to lunch at a nice restaurant in Port
Jefferson. The conversation was about unicycling, Atsuko, and the
upcoming Unicon to be held on Long Island. A lot of "Why are you doing
this," the answers to which she never seemed satisfied with. The
reporter kept bringing up the subject of drugs as well. For some reason
she just seemed to think we must do drugs. It was three guys from the
National Circus Project, who were working at a nearby school, and
Atsuko. "So c'mon. Don't you at least smoke some pot?"

Atsuko was upset afterward and cried because she didn't understand the
reporter's incessant digging and questions we'd already answered. I
guess that's what you get if you want to be in the main section of a
major newspaper. If that interview had happened to me in more recent
years, I'm sure I would have given her a slightly uglier piece of my
mind.

But the story came out very nice, as I recall, and was a good depiction
of a foreigner traveling slowly, by unicycle, across the local
landscape.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[unijuggler]

djm wrote:
> *
>
> I agree with you there Dave. I agree.
>
> David.;) *



Those who can,do
Those who can't,teach
And
Those who can't teach, teach gym


--
unijuggler

i should have eaten my wheaties

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[unijuggler]

djm wrote:
> *
>
> I agree with you there Dave. I agree.
>
> David.;) *



Those who can,do
Those who can't,teach
And
Those who can't teach, teach gym


--
unijuggler

i should have eaten my wheaties

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[unijuggler]

djm wrote:
> *
>
> I agree with you there Dave. I agree.
>
> David.;) *



Those who can,do
Those who can't,teach
And
Those who can't teach, teach gym


--
unijuggler

i should have eaten my wheaties

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[unijuggler]

djm wrote:
> *
>
> I agree with you there Dave. I agree.
>
> David.;) *



Those who can,do
Those who can't,teach
And
Those who can't teach, teach gym


--
unijuggler

i should have eaten my wheaties

------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GILD]

johnfoss wrote:
> *I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is
> much funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.
> *
i think buying your cat a cambodian unicycle for Xmas is even funnier
:p


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GILD]

johnfoss wrote:
> *I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is
> much funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.
> *
i think buying your cat a cambodian unicycle for Xmas is even funnier
:p


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GILD]

johnfoss wrote:
> *I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is
> much funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.
> *
i think buying your cat a cambodian unicycle for Xmas is even funnier
:p


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[GILD]

johnfoss wrote:
> *I don't know about you, but I think buying your cat a unicycle is
> much funnier than buying your cat a bicycle.
> *
i think buying your cat a cambodian unicycle for Xmas is even funnier
:p


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser (ocfopgm)

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*COMMENTARY LETTERS
Unicycling in Olympics*

168 words
20 August 2004
Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal/Sunday News
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Editor, New Era:

Unicycling is not yet in the Olympic Games, but there is a good
possibility that it will be included as an exhibition game in the 2008
Olympics.

For now, we will be participating in the World Unicycling Championship
and Convention held every two years. This year, UNICON XII was held in
Japan during the last week of July and first week of August.

As a participant, I received a total of three medals, two silver and one
gold. Gold for basketball, one silver for racing and a silver for the
obstacle course.

As a Lancaster resident, I am very interested in letting the residents
of Lancaster County know about the sport of unicycling. It is growing in
popularity in Lancaster and many schools have unicycling as part of the
school program.

If you are interested in this and want more information, please contact
me: 290-7766 or 951-9151, or e-mail to .

David Ramos

Lancaster


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*COMMENTARY LETTERS
Unicycling in Olympics*

168 words
20 August 2004
Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal/Sunday News
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Editor, New Era:

Unicycling is not yet in the Olympic Games, but there is a good
possibility that it will be included as an exhibition game in the 2008
Olympics.

For now, we will be participating in the World Unicycling Championship
and Convention held every two years. This year, UNICON XII was held in
Japan during the last week of July and first week of August.

As a participant, I received a total of three medals, two silver and one
gold. Gold for basketball, one silver for racing and a silver for the
obstacle course.

As a Lancaster resident, I am very interested in letting the residents
of Lancaster County know about the sport of unicycling. It is growing in
popularity in Lancaster and many schools have unicycling as part of the
school program.

If you are interested in this and want more information, please contact
me: 290-7766 or 951-9151, or e-mail to .

David Ramos

Lancaster


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*COMMENTARY LETTERS
Unicycling in Olympics*

168 words
20 August 2004
Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal/Sunday News
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Editor, New Era:

Unicycling is not yet in the Olympic Games, but there is a good
possibility that it will be included as an exhibition game in the 2008
Olympics.

For now, we will be participating in the World Unicycling Championship
and Convention held every two years. This year, UNICON XII was held in
Japan during the last week of July and first week of August.

As a participant, I received a total of three medals, two silver and one
gold. Gold for basketball, one silver for racing and a silver for the
obstacle course.

As a Lancaster resident, I am very interested in letting the residents
of Lancaster County know about the sport of unicycling. It is growing in
popularity in Lancaster and many schools have unicycling as part of the
school program.

If you are interested in this and want more information, please contact
me: 290-7766 or 951-9151, or e-mail to .

David Ramos

Lancaster


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
JJuggle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/24
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

*COMMENTARY LETTERS
Unicycling in Olympics*

168 words
20 August 2004
Lancaster New Era/Intelligencer Journal/Sunday News
English
Copyright (c) 2004 Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All
rights reserved.

Editor, New Era:

Unicycling is not yet in the Olympic Games, but there is a good
possibility that it will be included as an exhibition game in the 2008
Olympics.

For now, we will be participating in the World Unicycling Championship
and Convention held every two years. This year, UNICON XII was held in
Japan during the last week of July and first week of August.

As a participant, I received a total of three medals, two silver and one
gold. Gold for basketball, one silver for racing and a silver for the
obstacle course.

As a Lancaster resident, I am very interested in letting the residents
of Lancaster County know about the sport of unicycling. It is growing in
popularity in Lancaster and many schools have unicycling as part of the
school program.

If you are interested in this and want more information, please contact
me: 290-7766 or 951-9151, or e-mail to .

David Ramos

Lancaster


--
JJuggle - Goo Goo, G'Joob

Love, work, and knowledge are the wellsprings of life. They should also
govern it. - Wilhelm Reich
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[Mike Rojas]

Yea,after looking back over our comments his and mine I should not have
been so offended. I do ride for fun and always have,why else would you
learn to unicycle when your 12? There are many ways to stay fit,I
figured why not do it while doing something I enjoy. So to clear things
up,here I go. I ride unicycles because I enjoy it and it also provides
cardio excersise. Even though I have made it a point to ride 5 days a
week on my lunch hour,I still ride around the neighborhood for kicks.
When I said that I "I'm always glad I rode when I return,I just meant
that sometimes I don't necessarily feel like riding my 5 miles that I
have commited to. I am an auto technician,and I work in a non
airconditioned shop. Here in the area is is common place to have a 90+
degree with 100 % humidity,so when 1:00 pm rolls around and my shirt is
like a wet bath towel,I don't necessarily feel like riding,but I do
beacuse I am committed to staying healthy. I could go to a gym,ride a
bike,etc,etc,but unicycling is what I decided to do. I ride at lunch
time for two reasons,1 it keeps me from eating fast food with my
friends,2-I have two boys 7&9 who play every sport the the playground
has to offer plus Karate 2 times a week,so my evenings are pretty full.
I simply told the interviewer that "I" don't coast and pedal
constantly,unfortunatley that's not the way it came out in the
article.

So,Klass,I'm sorry for my quick judgement,and that should about clear
things up.
Mike


--
Mike Rojas
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[johnfoss]

sarah.miller wrote:
> *Jugding rears its ugly head again.*
I think this is a worthy discussion, but we're in the wrong place. I'm
going to start a new thread about judging and copy our two posts there.


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[jsm]

My comment did not just aply to this latest article. I just looked back
through page ten of this thread and found the same comment about seven
times. It irritates me because I like accuracy. Of course no one
regularly uses coasting while getting from point A to point B by
unicycle, but in a few months I will probably regularly glide down hills
instead of riding. I think some people may already do this.


--
jsm - unicyclist, violinist, and juggler

The teenage nerds of today are the eccentric adults of tomorrow!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

There is a simple reason why many articles about unicyclists mention
that they cannot coast. The reason is that most people don't know this
unless you tell them. They do not understand that (other) major
difference between us and bikes. A unicyclist riding over a big hill
pedals twice as much as a bicyclist. Non-riders need to know this to
comprehend what the unicyclist is up against.

Please excuse the unicyclists here, sometimes they are a way-too-literal
bunch, but they mean well. It appeared that your article was focused on
exercise and fitness, so your explanationa made perfect sense. If it's
any help, you ride a lot more than I do!


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
johnfoss's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/832
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[johnfoss]

There is a simple reason why many articles about unicyclists mention
that they cannot coast. The reason is that most people don't know this
unless you tell them. They do not understand that (other) major
difference between us and bikes. A unicyclist riding over a big hill
pedals twice as much as a bicyclist. Non-riders need to know this to
comprehend what the unicyclist is up against.

Please excuse the unicyclists here, sometimes they are a way-too-literal
bunch, but they mean well. It appeared that your article was focused on
exercise and fitness, so your explanationa made perfect sense. If it's
any help, you ride a lot more than I do!


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"Read the rules!"
'IUF Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/)
'USA Rulebook' (http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

This place has been mentioned here a few times, but always bears
repeating.

*CITY OF SURPRISES A NEW SLANT ON BANGKOK*

JOHN BORTHWICK
951 words
5 September 2004
Sunday Herald Sun
1 - FIRST
V10
English
Copyright 2004 News Ltd. All Rights Reserved

1 Flying Chicken Restaurant

Seeing is believing: your cooked chook can still fly. You are sitting in
the garden restaurant Suan Arahan Kratorn. A bell rings. A waiter loads
a flambe chicken on to a hefty metal catapult. From the other side of
the restaurant another waiter enters, pedalling furiously on a unicycle
and wearing a helmet topped with a spike. The chicken sails into orbit.
The helmeted waiter stabs it in mid-flight with his spike. Voila! One
flying chicken is delivered to your table.

Details: 99/1 Bangna-Trad Rd, Bangna


--
JJuggle - The Plight of the Undecided Voter

Too many OB-GYNS aren't able to practice their love with women all
across this country. - Pres. Bush, September 6, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[JJuggle]

This is somewhat overdue for a variety of reasons, but Greg Harpers'
VeloVision article on geared hubs, 'Hope for a Hub'
(http://staff.washington.edu/gharper/VeloVision), is now available on
this forum.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


--
JJuggle - The Plight of the Undecided Voter

Too many OB-GYNS aren't able to practice their love with women all
across this country. - Pres. Bush, September 6, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[harper]

JJuggle wrote:
> *This is somewhat overdue for a variety of reasons, but Greg Harpers'
> VeloVision article on geared hubs, 'Hope for a Hub'
> (http://staff.washington.edu/gharper/VeloVision), is now available on
> this forum.
>
> Raphael Lasar
> Matawan, NJ *


Raphael-

Thanks for posting the link here. (Hope we don't get arrested.) I would
like to mention that the article covers Frank Bonsch's design as well.

You look GREAT in red!


--
harper - Fountainhead

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[Klaas Bil]

JJuggle wrote:
> *Greg Harpers' VeloVision article on geared hubs, 'Hope for a Hub'
> (http://staff.washington.edu/gharper/VeloVision), is now available on
> this forum.*

Did you also have trouble reading the fine print? I did some graphical
trickery to help my old eyes. Could make it even better but felt
constricted by filesize and image size considerations.

Hey, how to attach multiple images in one post?

Klaas Bil


+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Attachment filename: hub1_dce.jpg |
|Download attachment: http://www.unicyclist.com/attachment/233909|
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[Klaas Bil]

Second page of fine print.


+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Attachment filename: hub2_dce.jpg |
|Download attachment: http://www.unicyclist.com/attachment/233911|
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[Klaas Bil]

Third and last page of fine print, well not so fine anymore. Sorry that
you'll probably have to scroll.

Klaas Bil


+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Attachment filename: hub3_dce.jpg |
|Download attachment: http://www.unicyclist.com/attachment/233914|
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

A FREE-WHEELING FUND-RAISER; THE 520-MILE, EIGHT-DAY EVENT ENTERED SLO
COUNTY THIS WEEK; SOME 160 PARTICIPANTS EXPECT TO RAISE MORE THAN
$650,000

Nathan Welton
The Tribune
538 words
7 October 2004
The San Luis Obispo Tribune
English
(c) Copyright 2004, The San Luis Obispo Tribune. All Rights Reserved.

SAN LUIS OBISPO

When distance cyclist Jeff Bass visited a Big Sur gallery Tuesday en
route to San Luis Obispo, he wanted to look at art.

But he soon found himself pouring self-serve lattes for a busload of
elderly tourists, talking about the unicyclists riding along with him
from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a ride to raise money for the
Arthritis Foundation.

"Darned if these elder gentlemen took off their hats and wandered
through the audience and in the end they collected $130," explained the
Thousand Oaks native. "When I told this exact story at a gas station
later on, another woman came up and gave in $20 -- so we passed the $150
mark."

That's exactly the type of enthusiasm organizers hoped to capture during
the fourth annual Amgen California Coast Classic, a 520-mile, eight-day
event that entered the county this week.

This year, about 160 participants expect to raise more than $650,000 for
arthritis-related efforts. Bass has been the most prolific; he'll pull
in nearly $30,000 alone.

But all participants have to come up with at least $2,900 -- including
unicyclists Scot Cooper of Capitola and Mike Scalisi of Oakland, the
subjects of much attention through their journey.

"Yesterday about 100 people stopped to take my picture," Scalisi said.


Along with cyclists and tandem riders of all ages, they're averaging 65
miles a day -- but they're on one wheel, and a big one at that.

Each man pedals away above a 3-foot tire -- the same kind used on
antique autos --around 12 mph. They both arrive at camp hours behind
everyone else.

"I've done about 10,000 miles in the last four years," Cooper said, "and
this is still the hardest tour."

But they're making an effort to make life more comfortable. Cooper's
decked out his rig with a water mister -- to keep him cool -- and
aerobars.

"And this is totally key," said Scalisi, pointing to his seat. "Inside
it (hidden beneath the seat cover) is a 36-inch inner tube folded in
half."

That added padding has come in handy during the trip, but it's not what
keeps them going.

"I'm drawn to the arthritis ride for personal reasons and the fact that
it's a challenging and beautiful ride," said Cooper, who has family
suffering from the condition.

According to experts, around 70 million Americans have arthritis,
including 300,000 children who suffer from problems related not only to
joints, but to internal organs.

"The biggest thing we ride for are the children -- it's particularly
devastating for them," said four-time ride veteran Darren Gonser of
Glendora, whose mother has rheumatoid arthritis and whose sister has
lupus.

He said two years ago he cycled with the mother of a child who had
recently been diagnosed with a form of arthritis that left him legally
blind.

Once people begin the ride, they see other participants and realize the
condition affects more than just seniors, event organizers said.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

If you want me to, I will.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

TEN QUESTIONS; 1ST-PLACE UNICYCLIST IS NO CLOWN

Shruti L. Mathur; Staff Writer
388 words
6 October 2004
Star-Tribune
METRO
3W
English
Copyright 2004. Star-Tribune. All Rights Reserved.

When most people think of unicycles, they think clowns and juggling. But
present that image to Christy Grider of Hopkins, and she is likely to
laugh in your face. Grider, 16, took first place recently in the
Individual Artistic category for 15 to 18 year olds at the International
Unicycling Competition in Tokyo. Grider said an artistic routine for
unicyclists is similar to figure-skating routines performed to music.
She currently is working on skill level nine out of 10 for unicycling.




Why is one wheel better than two?

Because with the unicycle it's like a sport. You just practice tricks,
and it's all about challenging yourself and makes you more of an
individual.



What is people's first reaction when they hear that you unicycle?

They're like, ``Oh, can you go off a jump? Oh, can you go backwards? Are
you a clown? Or do you juggle too?'' And I'm thinking, you have no idea
how hard a trick I can do compared to going backwards.



What is your hardest trick?

Stand up backwards. It's where you put your feet on the frame, not on
the pedals, above the wheel. You then stand with your right foot on the
frame, hold the seat between your legs and push the wheel backwards with
your foot, so you're moving while standing on the frame.



What was your favorite part about Tokyo?

The squatty toilets. They were fun.



What book are you reading right now?

``Christy,'' the book I was named after.



Quote that guides you?

Deuteronomy 31:6 - ``Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, for the
Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you.''




Favorite store?

I make a lot of my clothes, so I guess I would be my favorite store. I
like buying cheap, used things in thrift stores and making them cool.



Worst smell?

If you've left your unicycles in a car all day after they've been baking
in the heat - burnt rubber.



Favorite restaurant?

Kinhdo in Uptown.



If I had a million dollars, I would ...

Buy a bunch of unicycles and then buy a car



Shruti L. Mathur is at


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[JJuggle]

*FUND-RAISING: One-wheeled way to say a uni-que thank-you*

376 words
5 October 2004
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
English
© Johnston Publishing Limited

A FUN-loving father has come up with a "wheelie" great idea to thank the
medical staff who saved his son's life.

Richard Gedney has set himself a marathon challenge - to ride a unicycle
26 miles for a cause that is very close to his heart.

Richard's son Ricky was born 25 weeks premature in June 1996, and was
cared for at Peterborough's Special Care Baby Unit.

Ricky was delivered by emergency ceasarean section after his mother
Serena Reed (28) contracted pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. He was at
the unit for nearly four months, and is now a very healthy
eight-year-old.

The couple previously held two charity auctions in aid of the baby unit
at the Norfolk Pub, which has now closed.

Richard (32), said: "The first auction was while Ricky was in hospital
and raised £1,500. We repeated it the following year and raised £2,000.
It was a way of saying thank you to the staff, who were absolutely
brilliant."

Richard, who had never ridden a unicycle until a month ago, said: "It's
like riding a bike but a bit harder on the legs.

I've been putting in plenty of physical training.

Although I haven't mastered it yet, I will be ready by the time I set
off."

"I'm going to start at 6am in the morning, as it could take a while. I
expect to be saddle sore for a few days, but I'm going to take my time.
I'm not out to kill myself!"

The intrepid engineer, who works for Geest in Spalding, has planned his
route to start near his home in Pinchbeck, near Spalding.

He will unicycle through Market Deeping and along the city's Bourges
Boulevard before arriving at the baby unit, based in Peterborough
District Hospital, although he has yet to finalise the route.

Richard, who has since separated from Ricky's mother, plans to
distribute sponsorship forms this week, and hopes to raise hundreds of
pounds.

He will set off on his epic self-styled "unithon" on Sunday, November 7.


>>If you would like to sponsor Richard, call him direct on 07791 574759.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

If you want me to, I will.
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[GILD]

JJuggle wrote:
> *Each man pedals away above a 3-foot tire -- the same kind used on
> antique autos *
i know it's made by the same *company*...JJuggle wrote:
> *Cooper's decked out his rig with a water mister -- to keep him cool
> -- and aerobars.*
a water mister? what next? a butler to operate said mister? bad eighties
music joke coming on... JJuggle wrote:*"Inside it (hidden beneath the seat
> cover) is a 36-inch inner tube folded in half."*
allrighty then, just call it an airhead seat and the journalist should
be happy


;)


--
GILD - Waffle-tosser and Time-bider

If you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.
-- Alice 'Roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) Longworth
I'm going to memorize your name and throw my head away.
-- Oscar Levant

'[image: http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/sp/84255.gif]'
(http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
Namaste!
Dave
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[JJuggle]

MOVING ALONG ON ONE WHEEL: VANCOUVER UNICYCLIST ROLLS INTO FILMS

Trent Edwards
Calgary Herald
758 words
16 October 2004
Calgary Herald
Final
C1 / FRONT
English
Copyright © 2004 Calgary Herald

Kris Holm hopped and rolled through a Calgary outdoors store on a
unicycle Friday morning to launch the latest edition of the film
festival that made him famous in mountain sports circles around the
world.

Holm, a 31-year-old pioneer of mountain and trials unicycling from
Vancouver, has made films about his feats of balance and daring on a
unicycle in mountains around the world since 1998. He's been filmed
unicycling some of British Columbia's hardest mountain biking trails,
riding up Mexico's tallest mountain, wheeling across Bhutan's Himalayas
and unicycling along the Great Wall of China.

It was the Banff Mountain Film Festival, which celebrates its 29th year
Oct. 30 to Nov. 7, that brought worldwide credibility to him and his
sport, though.

Skilletto, a short film compilation of Holm's exploits on the infamous
raised ramps and wooden contraptions of Vancouver's North Shore, was
screened at the 2000 festival, exposing thousands of outdoor enthusiasts
to Holm's unique talent. The festival's world tour took Skilletto to two
dozen countries on six continents.

"It's really hard to get a film screened at Banff. It has a lot of
credibility," said Holm. "The opportunity to film Skilletto gave me a
lot of opportunities to travel and work on mountain unicycling around
the world."

The next year, Holm's film Unizaba, about unicycling Mexico's
5,550-metre volcano El Pico de Orizaba, was featured at the festival.

Holm will return to the festival at the Banff Centre on Nov. 2 to
introduce its Tuesday night Radical Reels films. Holm and Ryan Leech,
his teammate on the Norco factory bike trials team who has awed film
audiences for years with his mountain biking balance feats, will bounce
and roll their way over a course of two-by-fours on end and obstacles
for 20 minutes. An audience of adrenaline junkies and armchair wannabes
will then see a series of short films showing some of the world's
wildest thrill-seekers and most skilled outdoor athletes perform
death-defying stunts in exotic settings.

Holm, who began unicycling as a 12-year-old after seeing a street
performer, had never heard of the small groups of mountain unicyclists
that had been riding since the 1940s. Yet he immediately started riding
his first unicycle on the trails around his home in Victoria, B.C.

"Because I was outside a lot with my family, I just automatically
thought of riding it on trails," says Holm.

The outgoing young man took his unicycle on regular rock-climbing trips
to hone his skills for a dozen years before turning professional as a
mountain and trials unicyclist in 1998. Now, he's the world's best-known
unicyclist, appearing in a dozen adventure films and videos. Holm was
even featured on the television show Ripley's Believe It Or Not. He's
also one of the best unicyclists on the planet, winning the 2002 World
Unicycling Championships and seven North American titles.

In 18 years of hopping between obstacles high above the ground and
rolling along the edges of cliffs on one wheel, Holm, who wears a
cycling helmet and plastic armour to protect his lower legs, has yet to
suffer a serious injury.

"You can choose to put yourself in situations of risk, just like in
climbing," says Holm. "But there's a lot of evaluation and practice near
the ground before you do that."

Holm now splits his time between working as a geologist four days a
week, film-making and designing his own line of unicycles.

"I still get out to ride almost every day," says Holm. "I really like
the simplicity of the sport and that it's so technically demanding."

Quizzing a small audience of media at the festival launch in The Hostel
Shop, Holm assumed none of the scribes and cameramen had heard of
mountain unicycling. He was right on most counts, but he was surprised
to hear that the Herald was familiar with his exploits. He credits the
Banff festival for that.

"Prior to the exposure from the Banff festival, if you walked into a
bike shop and said you ride a mountain unicycle, they'd look at you like
you were crazy," says Holm.

"Now there's tens of thousands of riders worldwide."



Colour Photo: Mikael Kjellstrom, Calgary Herald / Unicyclist Kris Holm
helps launch the Banff Mountain Film Festival on Friday.


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[JJuggle]

Ooh, them's fighting words! :D

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO... ROSS NOBLE

491 words
21 October 2004
The Independent
2
English
(c) 2004 Independent Newspapers (UK) Limited . All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, distributed or exploited in any way.

Ross Noble, 27, was born in Northumberland and first performed stand-up
at his local comedy club at the age of 15. He has appeared on Have I Got
News for You and can regularly be heard on BBC Radio 4

...

Do you have any hidden talents?

Yes, I"m actually a proficient unicyclist. But it"s a pointless talent,
because unless, say, you"re at the circus and a performer dies, and they
need someone from the audience with unicycling experience, it"s not in
great demand.

...


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Let me be your Salty Dog,
or I wont be your man at all.
Honey, let me be your Salty Dog.
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[JJuggle]

Yes, but what size wheel unicycle?

LUCKY 13; WE SPENT 13 DAYS OF HORROR TO GIVE YOU A GUIDE THE BEST AREA
HAUNTS

By Catey Sullivan, Special to the Tribune.
2,111 words
22 October 2004
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Final
1
English
Copyright 2004, Chicago Tribune. All Rights Reserved.

You can have your 12 days of Christmas. For many of us, to he best
festivities come with Halloween. So in the spirit (no pun intended) of
the season, we embarked on a 13-day odyssey of fearsome fun (13 being
the scariest number, of course). Follow our journey and figure out one
of your own. Hours and costs vary; call for specifics.

...

THE HAUNTED FRONT YARD

4904 W. Nagle; www.hauntedfrontyard.tk

The Haunted Front Yard has been growing for 15 years, says Thomas Nava,
17, who with his brother Anthony, 14, is charged with ghouling up the
property each autumn. "Every year, we add something new. My favorite
this year is the 6-foot-4 Frankenstein," he said. New this year is an
archway deeming the residence an official Haunted House. Guarding the
archway is Dracula, surrounded by all manner of pumpkins, ghosts,
witches and a warlock stirring up some sort of brew on the south side of
the lawn. "We've got a fog machine going this year too," Nava said. See
it while you can: The whole display comes down Nov. 1, so the Novas can
start decorating for Christmas.

*What's unique: A spider the size of a unicycle is crawling on the front
window.*

.....


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Deaf Gabe bagged beef.
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[JJuggle]

Please note that this article actually came out tomorrow. And that they
haven't posted it in it's entirety. (I'll update if and when the rest
appears in the database).

*Doing a world of good; Most of us couldn't ride a unicycle even two
metres, but Ken Looi rode his across two countries for a good cause. Jim
Eagles is full of admiration.*

837 words
26 October 2004
New Zealand Herald
D01
English
(c) 2004 The New Zealand Herald

NEWLY qualified doctor Ken Looi spent his holidays riding a unicycle
500km from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Thailand, in the
process helping to raise $70,000 for charity and having ``a really cool
trip''.

He is one of a growing number of people who want to feel that when they
go on holiday they are not only having a good time but also doing good.


Of course, not everyone goes to the extent of riding a unicycle in a
country where foreigners on ordinary bicycles are still a source of
fascination. But the trend is growing and it is one that charities such
as Oxfam New Zealand, which organised the Vietnam to Cambodia Cycle
Challenge, are happy to encourage.

Lisa Robson, Oxfam NZ's challenge co- ordinator, says the idea of
combining a holiday with support for a good cause is catching on around
the world.

``They're quite common in the UK, and in Australia as well they're
starting to get a bit of popularity, but I think we're the first charity
in New Zealand to use them.''

The cycle challenge Looi went on was Oxfam's first foray into tourism
but it went so well that a repeat was organised for February next year
and, says Robson, ``that's sold out already so we've organised a third
and that one is almost full as well''.

Oxfam NZ is also planning a Borneo Bushwacka Challenge in June next year
which will involve walking and mountain climbing in some fairly rugged
national parks.

The challenge for these trips is not merely doing them but also raising
the money.

For the cycle challenge, for instance, participants had to raise $5500
which was split between travel company Intrepid, which organised the
trip, and Oxfam.

``People did a range of things to get the money,'' Robson says. ``Some
raised the whole amount, some paid the whole amount themselves, and
there were a whole lot in between.

``A couple of businessmen basically called in favours from suppliers and
other people ran sausage sizzles, darts competitions, ice-skating
parties and wine and cheese evenings.

``One woman baked 100 cakes, sold them for $30 each, and there was
$3000.''

Looi, who now works at Masterton Hospital, paid half the cost of the
trip himself and used his skill as a unicyclist to raise the rest for
Oxfam by doing demonstrations, getting sponsorships and helping at
unicycling events.

``I read about the trip on a mountainbiking website,'' he says, ``and
followed it up because I'd always wanted to get into cycle touring and I
thought it would be a bonus to be able to help a charity at the same
time.''

It was, he says, well worth the effort.

``It was unbelievable. Cycle tours are the best way to see a country
because you see a lot of things that you'd miss if you went through in a
car or a bus.

``The back roads we used mostly weren't very well-travelled so a lot of
the people hadn't seen foreigners on bikes before.

``They'd all rush out and wave at everybody and then I'd go past on the
unicycle and they would go crazy.

``All the way from Vietnam to Cambodia it was just people laughing and
waving and giggling as I went past. It was just amazing.''

Former Oxfam marketing manager Paul Easton, who went on the first trip
himself - training by riding a bike into the Oxfam office in Auckland -
also felt the highlight was the chance to go off the beaten track and
meet people.

``They're not used to seeing tourists, so when you went through the
villages the kids would smile and wave and hold their hands out for a
high five.

``By the time you got to the end of the village word would have got
around and there'd be crowds of people, like the Tour de France or
something, all very friendly, all wanting to chat - as far as the
language would allow.''

Another highlight for Easton was the chance to visit an Oxfam project at
Prey Toteng in Cambodia which focuses on educating girls.

``One of the ways we achieve that is to give families a scholarship of
$8 a year to ease the financial burden of keeping the girls at school,''
he says.

``When you tell people it costs only $8 a year to make that difference
and then they see the kids - lovely girls, all smiling and in uniforms,
and their parents proudly with them - you can see it sinking in. While
we were there the people in our group had a whip-round and put the money
into sponsoring some more girls.''

Neither Looi nor Easton found the cycling Continued on D3


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Deaf Gabe bagged beef.
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[JJuggle]

'Doing a world of good' (http://tinyurl.com/54xmj).

This is a direct link to the article on Ken's trip.

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ


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[harper]

Thanks for pre-posting another excellent, positive article, Raphael.
Ken, you rule.


--
harper - Fountainhead

-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
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[JJuggle]

I seem to have missed this one and if it's already been posted, please
forgive.

*WHEEL TRICKY*

125 words
26 October 2004
Dominion Post
5
English
(c) 2004 Independent Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved.

IT MAY have only one wheel, but unicyclist Tony Melton is not letting
that get in the way of getting airborne in a downhill event during the
New Zealand Unicycle Weekend at Karori, Wellington. More than 25
unicyclists took part in the event, which included long jump and high
jump competitions and speed events. Organiser Ken Looi said unicycling
can be easier than riding a bicycle. Downhill speeds could reach up to
25kmh. "Once you get the hang of it, it's easy. You can get around
corners quicker." But unicycling does produce its share of injuries.

"You get a few bruises and sprains."

Mr Looi said unicycling was a growing sport overseas and he hoped to
involve more people in New Zealand.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

The new electronic voting machines are complicated. But don't worry:
Octogenarians will be on hand to troubleshoot any technological problems
that might arise. - from The Onion
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[GizmoDuck]

JJuggle wrote:
> *'Doing a world of good' (http://tinyurl.com/54xmj).
>
> This is a direct link to the article on Ken's trip.
>
> Raphael Lasar
> Matawan, NJ *


Thanks for posting that Raphael, I missed this thread last week. I was
really surprised to see the article- they interviewed us months and
months ago. It was nicely written and well researched. And it made a
full page in the travel section of NZ's biggest Newspaper; so hopefully
will be good publicity for OXFAM and Unicycling in general. More on my
website (below).

That second article you posted relates to the NZ Unicycle Weekend. I
don't have my scanner here at work- but it had a nice photo and was in
the local Wellington Newpaper.
'Relates to this thread' (http://tinyurl.com/6fagr)

Cheers,

Ken


--
GizmoDuck - NZUNI

o-kO
'www.adventureunicyclist.com' (http://www.adventureunicyclist.com/)

'NZ Herald Article' (http://tinyurl.com/54xmj)
'Vietnam/Cambodia Unitour pics' (http://gallery.unicyclist.com/albuv31)
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[JJuggle]

WEEKEND JOURNAL
The Home Front

*details: Big Wheels Head For the Hills*

By Conor Dougherty
485 words
5 November 2004
The Wall Street Journal
W14
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)

WHY RIDE A MOUNTAIN BIKE with two wheels when one will do? Mountain
unicycling, or "MUni," an off-road version of unicycling practiced on
rough trails, is climbing in popularity among people who like the
compactness and portability of the one-wheeled vehicles, the challenge
they offer -- and the fun of mastering a skill very much on the fringe
of mainstream sports.

"Circus clowns paved the way for us, but unicycling has gone so much
further," says John Drummond, co-owner of Unicycle.com, a Marietta, Ga.,
retailer where sales of mountain unicycles rose to 700 last year from
200 four years earlier. Mr. Drummond started riding a unicycle several
years ago as a weight-loss measure, and because he had fond memories of
riding one as a kid. Today, he says, he keeps pedaling just for fun.

Infinite Illusions, a Tallahassee, Fla., retailer of juggling equipment,
yo-yos and unicycles, saw its cycle sales double last year to about
2,100 cycles, both standard and mountaineer models. Gregory Cohen, the
company's owner, says most sales have been to first-time cyclists
attracted by the extreme-sports tricks being tried by mountain
unicyclers.

A decade ago, most mountain unicycles were jerry-rigged together with
tires from mountain bikes, but, today, about 10 companies manufacture
the vehicles. Prices range from $200 to $1,500 for models with names
like Nimbus or Sun. Mountain unicycles are just one among the dozens of
varieties of unicycles -- from street unicycles to extra-tall models,
called "giraffes."

Peter Perron, 46, an attorney in the Seattle area, recently took up
unicycling with his wife, Suzanne Ross. They started on standard
unicycles in tennis courts, holding onto the fence for support. Later,
they used ski poles to keep balance and added mountain unicycling, on
trails, to their repertoire. It's "a funny, inexpensive way to have
fun," says Mr. Perron, who adds that he's lost 10 pounds. Plus, it's
"not something that everybody does."

The first unicycles were descendants of the Penny Farthing, the 1870s
bicycle with one large wheel in front and one small wheel in back. Those
bikes had a tendency to flip the rider forward. Unicycling was born when
a crop of dexterous riders learned how to ride the Penny Farthing on the
front wheel. The rare skill was showcased in vaudeville, and has been
billed as entertainment ever since.

In 1996, John Foss, a 25-year unicyclist, organized an event called the
"California Mountain Unicycling Weekend" that lured 35 cyclists;
attendance at the annual event has more than doubled since and a
half-dozen similar events have sprung up around the country.
Nonetheless, Mr. Foss says he has come to accept that wherever he rides,
the one question he's likely to hear is, "Dude, are you in the circus?"


--
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Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

Given a choice between two generic candidates, one who would steal your
money and use it to cater gay weddings, and one who was a strong
resolute leader, who would you choose? - from The Onion's Election
Opinion Polls questions
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[JJuggle]

*FUND-RAISING: Father's unicycle marathon*

415 words
8 November 2004
Peterborough Evening Telegraph
English
© Johnston Publishing Limited

A FATHER completed a marathon challenge and rode a unicycle 26 miles to
support the baby unit that saved his son's life.

Despite the rain, Richard Gedney set off for his epic "Unithon" from
near his home in Pinchbeck, near Spalding, at 6am yesterday.

Five gruelling hours later, the proud dad arrived at the special care
baby unit at Peterborough District Hospital.

Richard's son, Ricky, was born 25 weeks premature in June 1996, and was
cared for at Peterborough's Special Care Baby Unit.

Ricky was delivered by emergency caesarean section after his mother,
Serena Reed (28), contracted pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. He was at
the unit for nearly four months, and is now a healthy eight year-old.

Richard, who had never ridden a unicycle until two months ago, said: "I
finished quicker than I thought. The adrenaline was really pumping, and
I was stocking up on cans of Red Bull."

Richard (32) had previously raised £400 from a street collection in
Spalding, and says he eventually hopes to rake in thousands.

He said: "I still have to collect all the sponsorship forms, but I hope
to raise £2,600 - £100 for every mile."

"People have been very supportive and a lot were beeping their car horns
in support as they drove past."

Richard and Serena previously held two charity auctions in aid of the
baby unit, at the Norfolk pub, and raised about £3,500.

Lesley Hibbert, an outreach nursery nurse at the unit said: "It's an
absolutely brilliant achievement. I was here when Ricky was born and
it's lovely to see him again. The money will go into the trust fund and
help more babies like Ricky."

Richard's route took him from Pinchbeck towards Market Deeping, and
along Bourges Boulevard before arriving at the hospital.

He added: "My knees are really hurting, but I'm delighted."

Staff expert in dealing with small babies and their problems

The Special Care Baby Unit is in the Maternity Unit of Peterborough
District Hospital.

Babies born prematurely, those with breathing difficulties or feeding
problems, and babies with birth injuries or infection are cared for
there.

The unit is staffed by a team experienced in the care of sick and small
babies. There are five paediatric consultants, plus registrars and
senior house doctors.

The nursing staff consist of midwives, registered sick children's nurses
and those with qualifications in special and intensive care of newborn
babies.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

Given a choice between two generic candidates, one who would steal your
money and use it to cater gay weddings, and one who was a strong
resolute leader, who would you choose? - from The Onion's Election
Opinion Polls questions
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[Klaas Bil]

On Fri, 3 Sep 2004 13:18:03 -0500, "Mike Rojas" wrote:

>Geeze,talk about taking something literally. I do enjoy unicycling very
>much,or else I wouldn't do it!! I know it is possible to coast and
>freestyle and mountain etc. Although I have been riding alot of years,my
>skills are not as advanced as most of you. I don't know anyone else who
>rides unicycles so I have always been on my own, I would love to learn
>more stuff,but it's kinda hard on your own,besides I'll be 40 next
>week,stuff hurts alot more than it used too. I live in the New Orleans
>area where we have storm levee's, and I routinely ride up and down
>them,not quit Mountain like,but have you ever seen a mountain in New
>Orleans,I didn't think so. I am very proud of my acomplishment in just
>riding and the health benefits I have recieved. Yes I do feel great when
>I am done,and I am always glad that I went. As I said I do enjoy riding
>just to ride,but would it be such a crime if I only rode for health
>benefits?? Am I not allowed to be part of the unicycle crowd because I
>dont mountain ride,or freestyle? I am looking very much forward to
>learning more of that stuff. No,unicyling is not my life and I don't
>"live to ride",I do however "ride to live".I am pretty dissapointed in
>your response,so much for the family friendly welcome to our hobby I
>thought I might get. I hope your response is not what I can expect from
>this forum. JJuggle,thanks for your support. It's luch time now so I'm
>for my daily Fitness routine,5 miles of healthy unicycling!!
>BTW,I don't hhave a weight problem,and my cholestrol is way in the
>normal range. I am 5'9" and weight 170lbs. If the picture that was in
>the paper had posted you could see.
>Mike

Only today (14 Nov 2004) I read this. At the time, the gateway somehow
functioned badly and recently it did again. Therefore, just today I
connected to another usenet server to get posts I missed the first
time around. This I tell only to explain why I didn't respond earlier
- 't is nothing for me to let such a thing go unanswered.

Mike, I didn't mean any disrespect at all to your riding style or
abilities - and I don't think I wrote something that can be construed
as such. I'm really sorry if I offended you. I only wrote that from
the article it seemed that unicycling isn't really a hobby of yours,
but you do it (mainly?) for the health benefit. Nothing wrong with
that, but JJuggle said that the article depicted unicycling as a fun
activity and I didn't really see that.

I can't find the original article back but from your 3 Sep response it
seems that I was wrong on the you having fun part. Whether it's in the
article or not, even if you rode only for health benefits, to me you
would be a perfectly allright member of the crowd.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
"Deflating pi does not reduce calories, it just concentrates them. - billham"

[JJuggle]

I officially became one of the 10 mentioned below last week. :D

A WHEEL AND A FORTUNE UNICYCLE ENTREPRENEUR THRIVES IN WEB TRAFFIC,
BRANCHES INTO BANJOS

DAVE HIRSCHMAN
Staff
949 words
27 November 2004
The Atlanta Journal - Constitution
Home
G1
English
Copyright (c) 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, All Rights Reserved


At this hectic time of year, Internet entrepreneur John Drummond is as
busy as a unicyclist playing a banjo.

That's not just a colorful Southern simile. It's an actual fact.

The former IBM technician and founder of Unicycle.com and Banjo.com in
Marietta has transformed his hobbies into businesses that he says bring
in about $1.5 million a year in sales.

U.S. businesses are expected to send record numbers of small packages
this holiday season, thanks in part to the steady rise of Internet
retailing.

Sandy Springs-based UPS, the world's largest transportation firm, is
hiring 70,000 temporary workers and says the flood of packages will
crest Dec. 21 with more than 230 million domestic and international
shipments.

Web-based business people like Drummond add to those numbers.

"This wasn't supposed to be an occupation," said Drummond, 47, a
technical writer who began selling unicycles on his Web site five years
ago.

"I thought I'd sell a few unicycles, and if things worked out, I'd use
the money to buy a few more unicycles. My wife is a stay-at-home mom,
and I worked for a big company and figured that would always be the way
it was."

Drummond collected inventory and sold items at home for two years before
the business outgrew his suburban neighborhood. By then, he'd stocked
two of his neighbors' garages with unicycle equipment.

When an 18-wheel truck rig made a delivery one day in 2001, he knew he
had a real business and rented a 3,200-square-foot storefront and
warehouse.

Now, Drummond's wife, Amy, is chief executive, and they have four
part-time workers. The family's three sons, ages 16, 13 and 10, all
accomplished unicyclists, help out during the pre-Christmas peak
shipping season. Together, they assemble a dizzying variety of unicycle
parts into finished products that they sell and ship around the world.


This year, Drummond, an amateur musician since age 16, added Banjo.com
and carved out a showroom with 85 banjo models and warehouse space.
Rapid sales of the five-string instruments have him looking at far
larger facilities.

Drummond says he plans to start 10 Internet-based companies in niche
industries that follow the eclectic pattern he's established so far.

The small businesses harness the power of two American business icons
--- IBM builds and hosts his Web sites, and UPS handles transportation
and customer e-mail notifications.

"I couldn't believe that these huge corporations were willing to help me
get started," Drummond said.

Drummond also has sold unicycle franchises in England, Australia, New
Zealand and Sweden.

Most of the unicycles he sells are manufactured in China or Taiwan. The
banjos are mostly made in the United States.

Unicycles range in price from $55 to $1,500, banjos from $150 to
$12,000.

Both businesses are highly cyclical, with a flurry of sales in the
pre-Christmas season.

"On Thanksgiving Day, people eat, and then they shop online," Drummond
says. "We go from sending 15 boxes a day to 150."

Drummond says he has about 15,000 unicycle customers, about 3,000 banjo
customers --- and 10 that buy from both companies.

The vast majority of his sales come via the Internet. The
globe-shrinking technology is his watchdog, too. Drummond says a
word-of-mouth business like his can be devastated by negative comments
from a few bloggers, so he works hard to keep customers happy around the
world.

Drummond rides a unicycle about five miles a day for exercise, and he
plays banjo and guitar in a band at Eastside Baptist Church called the
"Garage Dads."

Drummond says he was seven years away from being able to retire from IBM
when he started his first online business. Now he's looking for other
specialty markets to link via the Internet.

"I look for niche products in areas that could be better served," he
said. "I used to drive a few hundred miles just to see a banjo that I
wanted to buy. The idea is simply to bring everything to one place, and
people can shop online or come to the store. I've got a list of 10
businesses that I'd like to start."

Each new business can draw from the efficiencies and resources of the
others. But Drummond says he won't start any new enterprises until the
existing ones are running themselves.

Drummond says he's still surprised by the direction his career took,
from an employee in a huge multinational corporation to a small-business
owner in Marietta. He jokes that he never intended to become a "unicycle
tycoon."

"My dad retired from IBM," he said, "and by God, I was going to make it,
too. But we started this business in March, and by November it was too
big to handle part time. It was scary to leave the security of the big
corporation, because I didn't know what lay ahead. But now I'm so used
to running my own operation that I honestly don't think I could ever go
back." Photo John Drummond, whose Marietta business empire started with
Unicycle.com and now includes Banjo.com, learned how to turn a profit
one wheel at a time. He rides a unicyle five miles every day (but rarely
while strumming a tune). / T. LEVETTE BAGWELL / Staff Photo John
Drummond strums a tune while he rides a unicyle.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

I walked out the door. There's no memory left.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

*Just one wheel is the cool deal*

By Tanya Rose
STAFF WRITER
1,141 words
25 November 2004
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
4
English
(c) Copyright 2004, Contra Costa Times. All Rights Reserved.

CONCORD

Riding the "Green Giraffe" is a most profound accomplishment, indeed. If
a student can balance atop that towering beast -- a lime-green unicycle
that stands as tall as a person -- then he has the unconditional and
unquestioned admiration of his fellow students. But it takes an awful
lot of practice.

Concord High School teacher Paul Renaud said that's the point.

He started using unicycles during his English and art history classes as
a teaching tool when he realized students didn't have much patience when
it came to practicing. They didn't understand doing something over and
over until they had done it correctly.

"If I said, 'Take this essay and redo it,' that was just such a foreign
concept to them," he said. "They would say, 'What do you mean do it
again? This is it. This is the essay.'

"I wanted to find a way to show them that it's OK to be a beginner. With
a unicycle, you can't just hop on and ride away, and it's the same with
a math problem or a vocabulary word. Sometimes kids think learning
happens accidentally."

That's where the unicycle comes in, and the metaphor has stuck with
students, who have been unicycling on and off for the last five-plus
years at Concord High. To this day, someone approaching the central quad
area on any given Friday afternoon will see handfuls of high schoolers
floating on one wheel like expert circus performers, falling
occasionally but always gracefully.

It started in 1999, when Renaud toted a unicycle into his classroom and
started teaching students their first one-wheeled lesson. To do well in
life, he told them, is to try something, fall off, then get up again.

"The unicycle is very precise; it's like the Blue Angels of riding,"
Renaud said, noting that he started riding at about 10 years old when he
found a unicycle, dusty and unused inside a barn.

He was supposed to be at a horse-riding camp but was hooked quickly on
the unicycle and begged his parents to buy him one. By the time he
introduced the sport to his students, however, he hadn't ridden in at
least 20 years.

But he picked up where he left off. And because riding had the feel of
lunchtime recess rather than in-class drudgery, students had fun and
forgot they were actually working.

And so it began. Students would come to Renaud's classroom, grab a
unicycle -- one of several the teacher built or bought on eBay -- and
off to the quad they would go. Slowly but surely, students started
getting it.

They would whip around the concrete square, some of them wobbling and
some of them smoothly. Then, as more got into the sport, it turned into
a full-blown phenomenon at the school where handfuls of students would
meet once a week to ride for hours. When they weren't riding, they
talked about it.

"I'm nuts about it as a learning tool," Renaud said. "But it's only
emblematic of chasing something down that you hadn't mastered before and
having a strategy. If you're an angry person, you're not going to learn
to ride. If you're emotional about it, same thing."

During those first practices, students grabbed on to one of Renaud's
arms while steadying themselves on one wheel. He would hold on to them,
much the way a dad holds onto his 5-year-old on training wheels for the
first time. He would let go after awhile, and off the rider would go. If
the rider fell, then Renaud and that student would do what he calls a
"post-mortem" on why.

The lessons went on that way with up to 30 students for about two years
before the club disbanded for various reasons.

But this September, the younger brothers of original unicyclers
approached Renaud and asked about reinstating the club, which now meets
every Friday from 3:15-5 p.m. in the quad.

"They said, "Hey, are you the unicycle guy?'" said Renaud. "And I said,
'Yeah,' and they said, 'Well, we want another club.' And that was it."


Right away, about eight new members and Renaud got to work drafting the
Unicycle Club Constitution, which contains rules about voting procedures
and bringing new members in. They also coined a motto: "One Wheel is Our
Deal."

Now, they're planning parade appearances and they even ride in
formation, which is a little like synchronized swimming but without the
water.

On a recent Friday afternoon, the Green Giraffe leaned up against a wall
while students practiced. They all want to ride this monster, with its
6-foot-tall stem that Renaud crafted and a student's father painted.
It's a coveted ride, like a badge.

Rachel Fihn, 14, isn't yet to the point where she can try it.

"This is only my third practice," she said after falling gracefully off
a smaller cycle, landing on her feet with an Olympic-style "ta da" aimed
at no one in particular.

"I like that it's different. It's not something everyone else is doing,
and Mr. Renaud is so passionate about it."

Her goal is to get on the Giraffe.

Freshman Robb Weisinger said it's gotten to the point where he rides
about seven hours per week -- at least an hour a day. He said he gets
the "weirdest looks" from people, but he likes that.

His friend, Jason Score, said he used to have his own unicycle, but his
dog ravaged the seat and now he has to get a new one. He said he likes
the feeling of satisfaction he gets from mastering something so
difficult.

"I'm going to stick with it until I get really good," said 15-year-old
Tyson Fischer, who has been riding for 6 months. He said his family
likes his new hobby.

Travis Raaberg said he picked up unicycling from his 18-year-old sister,
one of the original club members. He, along with friend Ryan Singleton,
are the students who first approached Renaud about reinstating the club.


"I like that I get to do something other than skateboarding," he said.


Renaud said he thinks the students are in for the long-haul, and that
they've already made much progress toward their one-wheeled life
lessons.

"These are not empty-headed kids," said Renaud.

"They're goal-oriented and well-directed. They really embrace the notion
of riding together and they're not show-offs. It's not a 'Hey, watch me
do this trick' kind of thing."


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

I walked out the door. There's no memory left.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/22148

[U-Turn]

So you are now an Internet company, or one of those nasty bloggers?


--
U-Turn - Member of Generation XO

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.

'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)

'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)

'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)

-- Dave Stockton
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

U-Turn wrote:
> *So you are now an Internet company, or one of those nasty bloggers? *
No, no, menga!

"Drummond says he has about 15,000 unicycle customers, about 3,000 banjo
customers --- *and 10 that buy from both companies. "*

Didn't buy a banjo from them, but some books.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

I walked out the door. There's no memory left.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[GILD]

JJuggle wrote:
> *No, no, menga!*
what does 'menga' mean?JJuggle wrote:
> *...landing on her feet with an Olympic-style "ta da" aimed at no one
> in particular. *
my favourite bit
:)


--
GILD - Waffle-Tosser and Time-bider

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
alice 'roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) longworth
i feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.-- william h. mauldin
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

GILD wrote:
> *what does 'menga' mean? my favourite bit
> :) *
I can't remember where I heard this, in real life or TV/film, but as I
recall it is an insult used endearingly which means roughly, "idiot!".
:) Possibly of Italian origin.

My wife and I use this term for each other on an almost daily basis.


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

I walked out the door. There's no memory left.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[evil-nick]

The Bishop's University campus newspaper (Cleverly named, "The Campus")
interviewed myself and Mike Jensen!
'The article' (http://evil.linuxfreak.ca/uni.html)


--
evil-nick - Unicyclist, Linux Geek, & swell guy

Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total
obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and
through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see
its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will
remain.

* Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

My gallery:
http://evil.linuxfreak.ca/uni.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

This is not a very nice story, but the last sentence is better than
fiction and very likely a first in news reporting.

EAST BAY ROUNDUP

892 words
13 December 2004
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA)
4
English
(c) Copyright 2004, Contra Costa Times. All Rights Reserved.

Livermore Unicyclist held in father's slaying

A Livermore man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his
80-year-old father over the weekend, police said Sunday.

Officers responding to a report of an injured person found the man's
body Saturday morning in the bedroom of a home on the 3000 block of
California Street, police said.

The Alameda County Coroner's Office identified the victim Sunday as
Kristian Aaland of Livermore.

Police said they determined that the victim's son Hans Aaland, 46,
smothered his father while he slept. An autopsy is scheduled for today
or Tuesday, a coroner's deputy said.

Hans Aaland fled the scene, but was found two hours later walking on Old
First Street. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and was booked into
Santa Rita Jail.

Police said he admitted killing his father, but didn't give a motive.

The younger Aaland was a frequent attraction at local events, calling
himself the "Living Livermore Totem Pole" as he wheeled about on a tall
and elaborately decorated unicycle.

He was arrested in March 2003 for assault with a deadly weapon and
resisting arrest after he swung a stick at police. Aaland had been
spotted outside Foothill Hill School in Pleasanton, where a student had
a restraining order against him. *He fled on his unicycle and officers
gave chase. *


--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

Stop Freecloud! They wont think to cut me down.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[GILD]

and i can't help wondering in whose sig line that quote is going to show
up first
:p


--
GILD - Waffle-Tosser and Time-bider

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
alice 'roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) longworth
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.-- William H.
Mauldin
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

*Tale-teller Jack wheels into fina*l

445 words
8 December 2004
Yorkshire Evening Post
English
(c) 2004 Johnston Publishing Limited

By Chris Murphy

JACK Farrar's unusual hobby provided him with the inspiration for a
short story which has clinched him a shot at a national tale-telling
title.

The Harrogate 12-year-old, right, recently took up unicycling, and his
yarn features famous illustrator Quentin Blake's character, Miss
Crabapple, who shares Jack's new-found love.

Miss Crabapple's Revolutionary Solution has now made it into the final
13 of the StoryQuest Tales competition - created by The Prince of Wales
Arts and Kids Foundation - for children aged between ten and 14.

The national winner will be announced on Tuesday and the current
Children's Laureate, Michael Morpurgo, will read an excerpt from the
victorious story on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Jack, who goes to St Aidan's Church of England High School, Harrogate,
said: "I'm excited and a bit overwhelmed. I hadn't realised that over
5,200 children had entered, so I suppose it is quite an achievement!"

Jack's story tells the tale of Miss Crabapple and the struggling
hardware store left to her by her father, Papa Crabapple.

She longs for a book shop and cycles five miles into Little Biggington
every day to pick up as many books as her library card will allow her
before returning home to read them.

After hearing about a strike at the local circus Miss Crabapple hatches
an ingenious plot to look at her books on the way home - by learning to
unicycle, thus freeing up her hands to read!

She gains notoriety for her daring plan, and makes enough money from her
now famous shop to be able to turn it into a book store.

Jack explained: "I decided to write about unicycling because I was
learning it myself at the time.

"I went to a circus convention near Birmingham with a friend of mine and
everybody was doing it, so I thought I'd give it a go.

"I wasn't very good to start with but I got much better after I got one
for my birthday in July.

"You do fall over a lot to begin with, but it's all about practising as
much as you can.

"It took me about a week to finish the story."

His mum, Marian, said: "I loved Jack's story - I thought it was
brilliant, although I am biased!

StoryQuest is part of the Arts and Kids Challenge which was set by the
Prince of Wales in 2003.

It aims to give 1,000,000 children the opportunity to get involved with
the arts within five years.




--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

Stop Freecloud! They wont think to cut me down.
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[johnfoss]

JJuggle wrote:
> *He fled on his unicycle and officers gave chase. *
An interesting quote. One must assume that since it only mentions the
police "giving chase" but not mentioning them catching him, he got away!
Guess you'll never see that one on Cops.

I have never heard of this guy. Though I have heard of Berkeley's Pink
Man, I've never seen or met him. Livermore is not that far away, and I
don't want to be associated with this guy...


--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com

"It's good to find something that makes boys into men and men into boys,
my opinion is that unicycling fits the bill." -- Lloyd Johnson

"Read the rules!" -- 'IUF Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/) -- 'USA Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[JJuggle]

The headline does not relate to the blurb in this police blotter item.

ARMED POLICE IN ARREST SWOOP

432 words
18 December 2004
Western Morning News
default
10
English
(c) Western Morning News, 2004


One for the road

A UNICYCLE has been stolen from outside the Catherine Wheel pub in
Hemyock, East Devon, at closing time. Witnesses reported seeing the
thief attempting to ride it away. A spokesman for the pub said: "The
owner of the unicycle came in the morning after to ask if we had seen
it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ah reading on, here's another:

*Unicycle is stolen from outside pub*

100 words
17 December 2004
Express and Echo
default
8
English
(c) 2004 Express & Echo .

Police are investigating the theft of a unicycle from outside a Devon
pub.

The one-wheeler was stolen on Wednesday at 11.15pm, as the Catherine
Wheel, in Hemyock, was closing.

Witnesses reported seeing the thief attempting to ride away on the
stolen machine.

A spokesman for the pub, who did not want to be named, said: "The owner
of the unicycle came in the morning after to ask if we had seen it."

Police spokesman Jon Needham said: "We shall be visiting the complainant
this afternoon to find out how this theft happened."



--
JJuggle - Last of the Dogmato-Revisionists

Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ

Stop Freecloud! They wont think to cut me down.
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[GILD]

a unicyclist who drinks at the 'Catherine Wheel (note the singular!!!)
Pub
talk about committed!

:)


--
GILD - Waffle-Tosser and Time-bider

if you can't say anything good about someone, sit right here by me.--
alice 'roosevelt' (http://tinyurl.com/5ngze) longworth
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.-- William H.
Mauldin
'NAMASTE!' (http://tinyurl.com/4qcxw)
'Dave' (http://tinyurl.com/ywxgb)
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