Thought I’d start a thread about NAUCC highlights. Please join in.
Some of mine:
I got to see old friends and meet and chat with several people from all over – my very favorite part of this convention.
Hearing my daughter start laughing one evening as she turned off the light in her room and realized that the unicycle on her new NAUCC t-shirt was glowing in the dark.
Playing uni games with a bunch of people the first evening. I had excellent help with the games.
Gregory C. Harper.
Spending time at the Mall of America with the Drummonds. That was a blast!
Seeing what new fierce-looking t-shirt John Payne had on each day.
Buying myself an ultimate wheel!!! And being horribly jealous that John Childs rode his new one instantly and even competed on it.
I actually stayed on the forward slowboard for the first time. My first attempt was shaky, but my second try was good. I think I have possibly the fastest all-time record on the slowboard.
Did I mention all the terrific people? I met Nikki and her mom, Rhonda, and it was great to see Marti and Jason and the Washington, Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Mississippi, Tennessee, New York, and Oregon folks, and the group from Puerto Rico, to mention just a few. I hope everyone has a good and safe trip home.
Numbero-Uno: Brownies -lots of 'em- only problem being that Carol was inconsiderate enough to endow me with 'em surrounded by people at a parade. Bitter-sweet, I resigned me-self to sharing.
Dose: Waiting in line on the Slalom Hill while being berated by cycling midgets.
San: Watching John Childs take down children while trying to recover his hat. Boy, that guy can tackle a 7 year old from the saddle better than anybody. Fearless.
Hana: Tripping over the MUni finish line with Pele on my heels. Tip from the wize: never let somebody half your height kick your ass in front of a crowed.
Onze: Late-Night Flaming Puck Hockey. Daren Bedford should fence life-size cardboard figures of himself next year- he’s so coooool. We could set them on fire.
And the Coupe-de-Grass: asking random people what they thought Jagur was doing at that moment, then kicking back the head for a hardy bout of group-evil-laughter.
This thread should not have fallen to page 2 yet. Here are mine, in no order:
Shortest and most organized USA annual meeting I’ve ever heard of
Bruce Crevier basketball spinning and unicycle show
Two great fun MUni rides, including rolling all the obstacles on the double-diamond section of Friday’s trail (thanks Dustin and Max!)
Bedford fun and games. Thanks Darren for seemingly filling every gap in the convention schedule with stuff that was equally fun!
Seeing the return of people from years-gone-by, like Len Salverda, Carol Bricker (formerly Carol Bahorich), Bill Karbo and others
Riding a B.C. wheel in a parade (thanks Ryan for the loaner)
Riding in a “real” parade again with a whole convention-load of unicyclists (though we still probably didn’t outnumber the Shriners)
Being interviewed in a MUni race, by the guy from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, who followed me part of the way on a bike
Managing 20.99 seconds on the Obstacle Course; it’s so much better than 21.01!
“Team John” being the only ones to complete every challenge on the Orienteering course (with John Childs, and part of the way with John Hooten)
Playing “Geezer” basketball. Most of the Geezer team were riders over 40.
Besting everybody except two Norway riders in the 10k
Unicycle bowling; it worked! (labeled as a Bedford event, but I thought it up)
Trying again to ride the big Chinese monocycle
Being a judge for Open-X and Individual Freestyle Expert
NOT being in charge of too many other things, allowing me to relax and remember why these conventions are so much fun!
Stuff happening on time; weather cooperating; bug repellent working; people having a blast
Final party in a real nice room, with just the top awards presented and plenty of time left over to eat and visit
Sunburn and sore legs. Not exactly highlights, but it wouldn’t be a proper unicycle convention without those…
Telling a group of young Redford riders about the riders that used to be in their club, like Carol and me
The last-minute idea to go to Keyes Park for our “hill” races. The terrain wasn’t real rough, but the events, weather, and everything else worked out beautifully
Where’s the heck is the “Thank you” thread??? I’ll start one now.
I do have to say though, it was really hard to find an elevator in the final party building. it took me into another building, up some stairs and back to find it.
> Hi.
>
> Thought I’d start a thread about NAUCC highlights. Please join in.
Ryan Woessner doing seat in back wheel walk (smiley walk) in the expert
freestyle, and then doing it halfway across the basketball court in the
Bedford best trick contest to prove that he can do it as long as he wants.
Unicycle bowling and the Bedford Mass Start Downhill at the Muni Uphill and
Downhill .
Max Dingeman attempting the uphill race in his wheelchair (backward,
balanced on the two big wheels of course). And, Max doing the Bedford Mass
Start Downhill in his wheelchair (the first part at least in his
wheelchair.)
Flaming Puck Hockey took place twice and was great (as usual), but the
highlight for me was watching Jacinto Castillo riding with a flaming Monty
wheel. La rueda de Jacinto en Fuego.
Watching Jack Hughes at the start of Expert 400 Meter final getting the
fans cheering and then missing the start of the race: “When I say ham you
say sandwich. Ham!” (Sandwich!) “Ham!” (Bang!)… " Oh, _ _ _ _!"
Max in the coasting race.
The whole event was great fun. The unexpected, unscheduled events were
icing on the cake.
1.) Seeing Dustin Kelm walk. And then ride MUni. The downside being me walking alot of the MUni ride while he was way ahead. The bigger downside was seeing Max not walk.
2.) Seeing John Childs buy an ultimate wheel, learn to ride it in an hour, enter the UW race, and complete it.
3.) Seeing people I met last year and on trips and picking up as if only a moment had past. Jerry Gruss, the Drummonds, Carol McLean and her cool daughter, Kelsey, Chris LeFay, and Lewis Beard come to mind.
4.) Meeting new people, GREAT new people. John Hooten, Tommy Thompson, Suzi Ramos, and Mark Stephens top a seemingly endless list.
5.) Being schooled by Carol McLean in the bumper cars at Mall of America.
6.) Seeing Bill Gilbertson excel in multiple events (some of which he took from me) in spite of his incredible household disaster.
7.) Seeing middle aged mommies learning to unicycle in the gym.
8.) Watching Alan Tepper enter and finish a race.
9.) Doing things I’d never done before on the trials course.
10.) All things Darren Bedford, including la rueda de Jacinto en Fuego
oh, the edit:
Walking into a gym and seeing a tatoo of my own image applied to various parts of the bodies of otherwise rational people and finding out that only 1000 of them were printed. Cheapskate LeFay.
Oh, yeah. Watching Ryan Atkins own the old truck in the ravene on the Thursday MUni ride. Four big bounds and it was a done deed. Made me walk away without trying. Probably saved my life.
I’m glad people are including important highlights that I failed to mention, such as the outstanding progress made by unicyclist Alan Tepper this past year! Very cool.
And, of course the temporary tattoo image of one Greg Harper, generously provided by Christopher. Wow. Somehow, I ended up with a lifetime supply of these – actually several lifetime supplies since one could be considered enough for any sane person in any one lifetime.
I have plans to retire on the income I make selling these fine works of art. Please contact me immediately to get yours – the price will be going up steadily as the demand increases.
So many highlights. Of course it was personally gratifying that I ruled during the bumper car battle at the Mall of America. As we waited in line, poor Greg Harper got so nervous, I had to offer to ride with him, instead of blasting him out of his bumper car. I was worried that he would burst into tears if he wasn’t allowed to drive, so I graciously turned the wheel over to him. We then proceeded to plummet the innocent and unsuspecting Drummond family. And, yes, I have photographic proof of all of this, too.
But, if anyone asks, just say that Greg Harper WON the Great Mall of America Bumper Car Battle. The male ego is so very fragile.
Mmm, highlights are so hard, everything was so much fun. If you have never been
to a NAUCC you must try to go to one but be careful they are addicting.
People, great new friends and old ones. I always go home wishing I had talked
to more people.
Team, traveling with 19 great riders including Coach Alan Tepper, and all the
great parents who were behind the scenes. 39 people total.
Convention, Conventions are so much more fun when you are not hosting. It was
so nice to not wear a staff shirt. It also helps one understand things, don’t
always go as planned.
Competition, I was a prop in a group routine,(Grandpa + 2) I was the grandma
and that was a lot of fun. The only event I competed in was Darren Bedford’s,
best trick contest. I was the last person, there was no contest I knew I
wasn’t going to win, but it was fun seeing everyone’s reaction when I took the
floor.
Maybe next year I can do Open X.
Barb K.
