>Paul Goodrich <psgoodrich@bpa.gov> wrote:
>
>>One of the other guys on my unicycle team used to be really good at
standing
>>up out of the seat, holding it in front or in back of him as he rode, putting
>>it under his stomach and riding that way, and so on. I wonder if that could be
>>combined with riding with one foot?
Ken Fuchs wrote:
>Well, riding one footed with the seat in front happens to be in IUF Achievement
>Skill Level 9. It could be said that anyone attempting that level is "truly
>mad". 8-} Has anyone officially completed level 9 yet?
As some of you know, I’m the guy demonstrating level 9 in the USA Skill Levels
Video. Surely this means I’ve passed level 9? Not really. Though I can do all of
the skills in the level (of which “Seat in front one foot” is relatively easy),
there is one nagging skill in level 8 that I have not yet mastered; the dreaded
“Hand wheel walk!”
The “skill levels” version of “Seat in front one foot” is a more difficult
variation, in which the seat, and hand holding the seat, may not touch the body.
If you do touch, it’s a lot easier.
So far, I don’t believe any claims to have completed through level 9 have been
accepted by the USA, but don’t quote me.
>Want a really, really mad unicycling skill? Trying coasting backwards, standing
>on the seat in a figure 8! Is it even theoretically possible?
I would say that anything is “theoretically” possible. However, I wouldn’t bet
on skills that don’t give you enough leverage over the cycle to keep it under
your control. This was the crux of the issue on the “John Jenack disbelief of
coasting.” Today, he insists he meant that it was impossible to coast on a
unicycle without some additional frame contact, such as a foot on the fork. 11
years ago, though, he was insisting that the “coasters” had to be having some
foot contact with the wheel (gliding), however unaware of it they may have been.
I will stick to the idea that you need two points of contact with the machine to
maintain control while riding (or coasting). Of course I will be happy to have
someone prove me wrong!
>Stay on Top (of the seat, standing on it! :^),
Standing on it would come as a great luxury during some long rides, such as
along the Great Wall of China, eh?
John Foss, President International Unicycling Federation unifoss@cerfnet.com