I saw this in a news feed. I thought Sem Abrahams still holds this record riding a 114.8-foot unicycle at the Silverdome. This isn’t even close to that.
Aol still exists?
Yes. And apparently it maintains its historic integrity in journalistic research.
This is a classic example of circus puffery. “Puffing” is to tout a thing outside of the realm of accuracy. Wesley’s “record” and Sem’s record are very different things, but lack in a good way to define them.
Sem Abrahams has the record for the tallest unicycle ever ridden. Like his 72’ record in 1980 riding distance was limited due to the safety systems that kept the rider alive.
Steve McPeak has the record for the heaviest, really tall unicycle ever ridden on TV with a crane helping to hold it up. He rode it in a complete circle around the driveway at the Las Vegas Hilton, but the crane was attached at two points on the frame, clearly under tension (bearing weight). In the video you can clearly see the uni was leaning forward. Some of Steve’s commentary while riding it were direct instructions for the crane operator, to maintain a good tension on the support wires: “I feel loose.” He did pedal the thing, which weighed over 1000 pounds, all the way around that circle, which was also a feat in itself.
Wesley Williams appears to have the record for the tallest unicycle to be successfully ridden “freely” without limits based on drivetrain length or safety apparatus. The definition of “freely” is where it gets complicated. I look forward to seeing him do this when the show comes to my area this fall!
In 1981 a man (whose name escapes me at the moment) rode a 31’ tall unicycle, in the open, without safety apparatus. He was practicing for a performance at the Meadowlands in New Jersey when he had a problem. He rode out onto the astroturf, and I don’t know if the turf was the problem or something else, but he fell and was seriously injured. He was wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet and protective suit, but they are not designed to make a huge difference in a fall from 31’ up! Since then, the Guinness Book included a disclaimer on the Tallest Unicycle record, saying that future attempts done without sufficient safety gear would not be considered.
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