I’ve watched this, rewatched this, got my friends to watch it and then watched it again and again. This is by far one of the best flatland/street unicycling videos in recent times. Everything looks almost effortless and almost makes you wonder why people think unicycling difficult to pick up to begin with.
Non-unicyclists – it’s time to ditch that training wheel.
This is way cooler than the Segway for ‘personal mobility’, as Honda puts it (we don’t know what it means either). The press have dubbed this an electric unicycle although it moves in all directions and not just back and forth. I’d have compared this to a moveable office chair but that’s just me.
Like the Segway, you move by adjusting your body weight – leaning in a direction makes it move with you. I can see this being a less space-consuming method of moving around than with an electric scooter but really, without handlebars, I doubt if many will want to try these on slopes. After all, we’ve heard the excuses people give for declining to try out unicycling haven’t we?
A video of the device at work here -
It’s never too early to plan your vacations for next year. Mark your calendars for the 18th New Zealand Juggling Convention and hang out with circus folk and jugglers from New Zealand and the world over. The event takes place in Levin and a rural theme is planned to match the location – expect lots of open spaces.
If you’re looking to spend some time wandering New Zealand, you might want to catch the International Unicycling Convention that’s also taking place in the country, in Wellington, from 28th December to 7th January. A double bill sounds enticing, no?
Links here:
New Zealand Juggling Convention
Unicyclists in Southeast Asia now have a selection of Qu-Ax unicycles to choose from. Team-Uni is the first unicycle shop in the region and ships to most countries from Singapore.
Juggling props will be available too in the near future but if you’ve something specific in mind, do drop an email to try your luck – you might be able to get a good quotation for that.
Old news article really but this is the first I’ve read it!
Humor comes from testosterone according to Professor Sam Shuster of Norfolk.
The unicycling doctor observed how the genders reacted to his “amusing” hobby.Women tended to make encouraging, praising comments, while men jeered. The most aggressive were young men, he told the British Medical Journal.
Now when people tell me that I’ve a great sense of humor, I’d know what they really mean to say is that I’m kind of really manly.
Jerks.
Here’s a short shoutout to my friend Sid who’s on an ambitious unicycling trip across Australia. He’s now 40 days and 3977km into his ride which is really more distance than what some people have travelled by car in that period of time.
If you guys are interested in reading about his causes and tips on getting an iron groin just like him, he blogs here.
Meet Team Personal Rollercoaster. The name really does invoke visuals of grown men deep in a mid-life crisis and judging from their account of unicycling jungle trails in Panama, you’d really be apt to believe that they are crazy. The team of five – Steve Relles, Roland Kays, Perry Woodin, Brad Stratton and Vince Lemay – won a grant last year to traverse the most famous of the Gold Routes, Las Cruces Trail, in Panama. Think 50 to 60km of jungle trails in the hot, humid equatorial heat.
They’ve been back since a while ago, safe and sound and I’m guessing very tanned and they’ve just released word of a free-to-download half-hour movie of their escapades. You can almost feel the heat and dank of jungle vegetation from watching them weave their way through the more unrideable parts of the trail. If you ever need any motivation to do something exciting with your life, here’s a good place to start.
This just in – the Asia-Pacific Unicycle Championships is slated to happen in Hong Kong 21 – 23 August 2009.
Hong Kong is pleased to propose the next Asia Pacific Unicycle Championship. Hooray!
It’s a two-and-a-half-day programme, being a Friday arrival and evening dinner event, all-day Saturday hockey tournament and all-day Sunday track and field, with a formal/social closing event in the evening.
The dates are: 21-23 August 2009.
How is that for you? (without making an absolute commitment)
We have the basic facilities booking in place, the commitment as hosts, and expect to go ahead with this date, but if everyone says ‘”naah”, of course we’ll re-think. Cheap accommodation at a single site is being negotiated, and we are asking for a contribution towards the basic costs of the event, keeping it as low as possible.)
The first – and only previous – championships was a one-day event involving only hockey that took place two years ago in Singapore. If you know of a team or unicyclists who’re interested in flying to Hong Kong for some one-wheeled action, drop me an email and I’ll forward you to the right people.
While I do recall being able to somewhat waddle around at age 2, I don’t recall being able to ride a bike (not a tricycle, mind) til I was 4 or 5. Which is why I have great respect for Ziggy Cohen. At age 2 and a half, he’s rolling around on one wheel. Major achievement, you think?
Watch him in action here. He’s awfully cute!
As seen on BBC Alba Sky channel 168, Jason Auld, a unicyclist who’s previously seen on Britain’s Got Talent being slammed by Simon Cowell, speaks about what ‘Extreme Unicycling’ means to him. Objectively, I have to say that his segment on Britain’s Got Talent wasn’t as spectacular as it should have been and this feature probably does greater justice to his skills.
As seen on BBC Alba Sky channel 168. Jason Auld talking about what “Extreme Unicycling” is to him.
