Voodoo Unicycles - Unicycling Blog Entries

[KlownLife]

Hey guys,

We recently started a section of our website dedicated to posting articles about anything and everything Unicycling related. Every Tuesday, a piece will be posted on our news page, written by one of Team Voodoo's riders.

Last week Edd wrote about a picture who took whilst riding. This week I wrote about Unicycling as a business and the progression of the sport. You can see both of these articles here: http://voodoounicycles.com/news.php

At the moment they're just on our news page but we're hoping to have a dedicated section so that you can read each new entry easily. Take a look and tell us what you think, feedback is always welcome.

Jason

[KlownLife]

New feature on the site today, written by Simon Berry about commitment.

Jason

PS This has nothing to do with marriage, apologies if you were looking for relationship advice.

[leo]

Television seems to be the maker and breaker of mainstream sports.

LOL, nonsense; television is anything but leading.

The X-Games have created Superstars from sports that many people hadn't even heard of before.

...unless you had a VHS subscription on Props, in the days the internet was for the elite only.
And paper magazines were also great in telling what's going on.
And even today skate-magazines (those made of dead threes) effectively display series of pictures to show cool moves.

The 90s saw a downturn in the popularity of both sports and it was only when ESPN, one of the biggest sports networks on the globe, decided to plow millions into creating the showcase of Extreme Sports that both saw a rebirth in popularity.

Only ESPN? Eh... Eurosport's Youth Only Zone ..?


Television is overated.

[knoxuni]

very cool!!

[KlownLife]

Originally Posted by leo

LOL, nonsense; television is anything but leading.

Television is overated.

If you think this now, then there is no way I am going to change your mind. In my opinion, television and the internet have been revolutionary devices in terms of how we receive and deliver information. To then go on and credit print as a decisive medium, to me, is a little naive, no disrespect.

Only ESPN?

Yes, ESPN were responsible for the creation of the X Games, not Eurosport, even though it may have been broadcast on other stations.

But that's just my opinion (although I have done my research so to call it nonsense is ridiculous in itself) and you're welcome to your own, I encourage lively debate on the subject.

Check out today's new feature, written by Team rider Mike Taylor. Go to www.voodoounicycles.com and head over to the News page.

Jason

[leo]

Originally Posted by KlownLife

If you think this now, then there is no way I am going to change your mind. In my opinion, television and the internet have been revolutionary devices in terms of how we receive and deliver information. To then go on and credit print as a decisive medium, to me, is a little naive, no disrespect.

Wait a minute; in chronological order;
- you do a statement
- that I call nonsense
- you adjust your statement by combining it and downplaying it
- followed by a punch that implicates my response on your initial statement was applicable on your modified statement.
I don't know if that was an intended debating technique or not, but words matter, and I don't feel for defending against things I did not say.
Please stop that, cause the topic is too good for that.

Originally Posted by KlownLife

But that's just my opinion (although I have done my research so to call it nonsense is ridiculous in itself)

Same kind: my statement is a response to your conclusion. Regardless of your research (that makes your conclusion even more wrong).

You now mentioned an interresting phrase "how we receive and deliver information", for television that are actually 8 different things, and for the internet even more. I made my living out of unicycling for more than 15 years. And in the beginning of that carreer I've been on both sides of TV production, for major channels in Europe. So both performing and small production jobs to entire editorial of big entertainment shows. The 1st ever person I hired... became later a judge in the X-games. The speaker of the X-games, comes from Britain, besides ESPN he worked for M-tv and EuroSport; I spoke him several times on events. The current channel director of EuroSport is a former teammate of me of my bicycling days.

When you see the machine in it's completeness it becomes suddenly different.
So after your research; do you know what's more expensive: a Clearchannel sticker on a dubbeldecker bus in only London or airing your commercial daily in in the afternoon on M-tv Europe? Why do you think that is?
The way information is submited and received is less relevant; the way information is consumed is. Nowadays TV is no holy medium anymore.
So all I want to say to you; don't focus too much on it, cause I think your time is too valuable to waste.

Originally Posted by KlownLife

Yes, ESPN were responsible for the creation of the X-games, not Eurosport, even though it may have been broadcast on other stations.

EuroSport in deed ALSO aired the X-games to Europe (as ESPN did not had frequencies), but BESIDES invested MUCH more and MUCH better in friendly promotion of much MORE extreme sports than ESPN did. I remember those icons you mentioned NOT getting travel expensenses to attend the X-games (Micheal Steingraber, Matti Kuoppa), while at the same time EuroSport organized and/or sponsored roadtrips and events worldwide. And not just one anual recurring event, but almost the entire year continiously!

...in trade for content! Because regardless wether the channel is a government sponsored propaganda-channel, or commercial channel (that still depents on broadcast-licences), the content is just glue for the messages that brings in the money (which often biases content with messages), and viewers are not stupid anymore. While in web 2.0 this influence is less, still I miss a lot of dislike buttons next to the like-buttons.

And EuroSport is just one of the others that did a lot before ESPN jumped onboard of that bus.
Did you ever talked to those icons how wonderful ESPN was to their sport?
The day before unicon 13 started I did!

So of course, your right that it would be nice to receive more recognition (airtime) from broadcasters, but I think the effect on the growt of the sport is only be small. As the way TV content is perceived became totally different. So I think having more events and contests would be much better for both new and existing riders.

[KlownLife]

Its a Tuesday, its Valentines day, and that can only mean one thing. It's weekly feature day!
This weeks article is written by Leo 'The Love Doctor' Hawkes. Its a trippy one, get over to our website and check it out, maaaan!

www.voodoounicycles.com/news.php.

[Eddbmxdude]

Alright!

Joe Baxtors article dropped on the website yesterday. Read about how unicycling has taken him all over the world!

http://voodoounicycles.com/news.php

[Eddbmxdude]

Yo!

We've added a couple more articles since this thread was last updated.

To know where you're going, you've got to know where you came from. Check out Edd Hawkes' article on the history of Voodoo Unicycles.

Have you ever got in from a ride and ached all over? Ever not been able to walk up or down stairs after a day rockin' the trails?
Check out this weeks article by Jason Auld and find out why learning stretches and exercises is almost as important as learning to ride itself!

Go to: http://voodoounicycles.com/news.php to read them!

[KlownLife]

Since there has been no "official" UK Unicycling Championships since 2010, is it time we reformed the system? Should Street and Trials in the UK go it alone in an EUC style event and leave MUni, Hockey, Freestyle and Distance riders to do their THANG!

All comments on this would be appreciated. Click on the news tab on www.voodoounicycles.com to see my recent article.

Jason

[jojoxie]

Hi Jason....as a relatively recent convert to one wheel I've never attended a convention of any type but what you say makes sense (even though I would like the space and time to drink and pass out, and I've always fancied learning the didgeridoo).

Joseph

[KlownLife]

Jojoxie,

It's sad that you may never get to go to a BUC, many people had lots of fun over the years.

At VUC, we dedicated a whole night to making sure everyone passed out, you would have loved it :P

BUC may happen again and I certainly don't wish it never does, this is simply a proactive stance, let's make something happen rather than wait for something to happen.

Jason

[Eddbmxdude]

This weeks article is up!

Read Jason Auld's article about the Voodoo Unicycles Academy and about the pleasure that can be had from passing on your skills and knowledge to a new generation.

There is also a cool video with interviews from some of the kids that he has been teaching!

http://voodoounicycles.com/news.php

[Eddbmxdude]

This weeks article is in the form of a video. It's all about motivation and achieving things that you really want. Check it out!

http://voodoounicycles.com/news.php