Okay, so we’re back from NAUCC and putting together details for the 2003 California MUni Weekend. The plan is to do our traditional event at Auburn; the Confluence uphill. But as I’m thinking of switching Auburn and Rockville to opposite days, this will be at the very beginning of the weekend and some people may miss it.
Rockville Hills Park has a rocky area where we can potentially do some of the games you may have seen or heard about at the Moab MUni Fest in March. Games that were easy to set up due to the easy ability to mark courses with tape on the ground. Any ideas for games we could play there? I’ve attached a picture of the area.
Our other games areas will be the Miller’s backyard pool, and the STEP parking lot. In the pool we will probably just ride for fun, and the STEP parking lot is flat pavement with a loading dock and ramp. A member of our group may build some Trials obstacles also.
Any ideas for games and contests we can do in any of these areas? Thank you.
I judged in Moab (those who can, do, those who can’t, judge), so I can only vote for favorites based on what I would have liked to try.
–The "ride between the ever-narrowing lines zigzag course
–The longest idle in a circle, with maybe a slightly bigger circle than Moab used.
–Related idea: How about a “longest non-pedaling” contest. This would allow bigger hops rather than the micro-adjustments that the idling in a circle requires. Times would probably go longer too, but ultimately you’ll still have fatigue, even for those with the best balance and hopping/adjustment skills.
–That terrain looks great for an up/down “speed trials” course a la the tie-breaker format that was used in Moab.
–What about a “slalom hop” race. Idea is to lay down a straight line of tape maybe 30 feet in length. You have to hop, not pedal, from the start to the finish, and you have to cross the tape line with each hop. Missing the cross-over is like missing a gate…you’re out. Would test for a combo of good long/fast forward hopping, while introducing the side-to-side element for amusement of the gallery.
Just wondering have you guys ever tried dogfighting using some sort of flag football setup as a way of shooting down your appt. You could play one on one or with sets of teams. I’ve never done it but the picture of the pool made me think of it.
–It looks technical enough that maybe we wouldn’t even need a speed trials section. Maybe just count the number of dabs like in Moab. Or maybe we could divide into divisions and have the expert division be speed trials, while the other division is just count the dabs.
–Instead of having an ultimate wheel obstacle course, how about a wheel walking obstacle course?
–Even though I didn’t even try this one, it was fun watching the high jump in Moab. Makes for a good photo-op as well.
–Is there any event that would equalize all (or most of) the players? I don’t know how we could manage it, but it would be fun to find an activity that has an element of chance.
–Okay, here’s an idea. I just thought it up, so you won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t like it. Unicycle Twister. We have four (or five, or six) colored circles. The competitor starts in a circle, and a spinner is spun. Whatever color comes up, the rider has to jump into that circle and wait there until the spinner is spun again. Then they have to jump into that colored circle. You count the number of successful jumps they make. They are out as soon as they leave the circle that they are supposed to be in that round. If it’s too easy, maybe the circles get spread farther apart each time they are successful.
–Once again, I don’t know how we’d manage this, but I’d like to see a team race/event. Maybe a relay race…
We’re up to $0.06
I don’t really want to think about this one, since if I’m one of “the players”, equalizing the playing field would involve some sort of unanesthitized amputation on our favorite riders.
Wait, I just thought of one: we lay the unicycles aside, strap on the roach pads, and have a no-holds-barred “pun-athon”. That’ll take the holm-court advantage away from Kris. That’ll put the heat on Dan. Under pressure, John will make a faux pas—or would it be a Po Foss? The masters will be dethroned, left Childsless in a world demanding reproduction. The weepy violinists and harpers come out to play. The lame-o riders like me will hoover up all the awards…
i think your idea of ‘unicycle twister’ (hopping between coloured disks) is one that deserves a go
u can even make it more difficult by placing the different colours on different levels
this game should be cheap to put together, provide fair spectator-value and be good fun
(what was that 80’s game where u had to press the lit-up buttons in the same sequence their lights flashed?
i’d love to c a uni-version of that!)
The child’s game Simon Says adds a playful element of non-unicycling ‘skill’ to a game. If you UPD -or- do something that wasn’t “Simon says”, then you’re out. Last one in ‘wins’.
As the game progresses, vary the wording used, and slowly increase the difficulty of the stunts called.
Example:
Simon says, “mount”.
“Dismount”. - (anyone who dismounted is out - some of the most skilled riders may already be out of the game)
Simon says, “Dismount”.
Simon says, “Mount with left foot”. - (whoops, people who confused their left and rite are out)
(… significantly later …)
Simon says, “Mount with one foot using your rite foot into a one footed (rite footed) idle”.
Simon says, “Still idling on your rite foot, turn around once to the left”.
Simon says, “Now, idle one footed using your left foot”.
“And this time turn around to the rite”. - (you’re out if you did)
Simon says, “Idle one footed using your left foot”. - (everyone was already idling left footed, so no one should have done anything)
etc
Hint: it may help if the caller prep’s him/herself a rough list of stunts to call ahead of time - otherwise the caller’s imagination / recall can run out before there is a winner. (just having a copy of skill levels or standard skills might help prompt the imagination)
(I can’t really take credit for this idea - I just adopted it from juggling festivals)
What about demolition derby?! Last one riding wins.
Off road wheelwalking courses?
Demolition tag. In order to tag someone you have to get them to fall or dismount. Least dismounts wins.
Simon says: Kick up mount into onefoot standup backwards coast!
Simon says: Badger whoever sucessfully did the previous trick to do it again!
Now get pictures.
If we wanted to play ‘Simon’ or ‘Twister,’ I’ve got some colored rings we could use. Just big enough for a 24 (or 26) inch wheel to stay in the middle while hopping.
I have five of these:
