Does anyone know what the current definition of the unicycling levels is? I have
encountered the levels in three places, and each one is different. Jack Wiley’s
“The Complete Book of Unicycling” has one version, my video came with another
version and the stuff on the video was even slightly different from the pamphlet
that accompanied it.
Does the definition change regularly, or at least get revised?
What level are you Andrew - assuming you go in for that sort of thing?
What about other people? I’m no level, but might try to get some at the National
Unicycling Meeting in July/August. Do people take these things seriously? In
juggling there’s Dave Finnigan’s levels, but no juggler worth their salt has
anything to do with them (perhaps that’s a bit unfair). In any case they’re not
widely known and no-one seems to give a damn about them (I certainly don’t).
I actually think the Unicycling Skills Level booklet is pretty good. It gives
kids a chance to compete for patches, and it gives everybody a rough idea of
the relative difficulty of different unicycling skills. BTW, I got my copy by
writing for it (and paying a small sum) at the USA headquarters. Check out the
magazine On One Wheel for addresses.
Does anyone know what the current definition of the unicycling levels
is? I have encountered the levels in three places, and each one is
different. Jack Wiley’s “The Complete Book of Unicycling” has one
version, my video came with another version and the stuff on the video
was even slightly different from the pamphlet that accompanied it.
Does the definition change regularly, or at least get revised?
What level are you Andrew - assuming you go in for that sort of thing?
What about other people? I’m no level, but might try to get some at
the National Unicycling Meeting in July/August. Do people take these
things seriously? In juggling there’s Dave Finnigan’s levels, but no
juggler worth their salt has anything to do with them (perhaps that’s
a bit unfair). In any case they’re not widely known and no-one seems
to give a damn about them (I certainly don’t).
Terry.
The current ‘official’ unicycle levels that have been adopted by the IUF
(International Unicycling Federation) and USA (Unicycling Society of America)
are the ones that go to level 10 and are printed from time to time in the OOW
(One On Wheel). When I started to ride unicycle the TCUC (Twin City Unicyle
Club) had their own levels (1-4) with four being the hardest (but it wasn’t
that hard). I completed all four levels in a little over a year. Then USA put
out their new levels (1-10), they were much different than the the first set
that I went through. Within another year I got up through level 6. Then IUF
and USA got together and made up some new levels that were supposed to be
better. Since the levels were different I had to retest, and it took almost 3
years for me to pass all the levels again and get through level 7. Now there
is a new level rule committee out to help define all the tricks in the levels
so there is less descrepencies (sp).
Levels are what you make of them. There original purpose was so people could
challenge themselves on new tricks. Also the levels are designed to make a well
rounded unicyclist. Most clubs use levels as a way of pushing the kids. It seems
that kids work better when they have something like levels to work for. My
sister (Constance Cotter) who is President of TCUC uses the levels to push the
kids. It seems that when a rider gets to a high enough level (about level 7 or
8) he/she quits doing the levels and work on other original tricks. Doing the
levels in a artistic routine would be quite boring. Also, professional
unicyclers don’t make money showing what level they are. There is some die hard
level people who still do the levels. Right now there is nobody who has
completed level 9 or 10. There is four people who are level 8 (Constance Cotter,
Bill Karbo, Dale Granberry, Glen Granberry).
There are some people who refuse to do levels. They want unicyling to be ‘level’
free. I think that unicyling is what you want it to be.
I just talked my sister and she said that another reason that people quit doing
levels is that they don’t want to do tricks with both feet (ie both left and
right foot) because it isn’t worth the time to learn it both ways. Also some
riders may quit doing levels because there is a trick in a lower level they
can’t do and this would put them at a lower level and make them ‘not as good
rider’ as a higher level rider.
My sister also said that being a well rounded rider (from the levels) was a key
part in becoming the World Champion in Artistic.
The level sheet that came with the level video is officially wrong. A new
revised corrected sheet will be mailed out some time in the future to all those
video level holders.
When I get a chance I will post the levels.
Andy B. Cotter CAE UW - Madison cotter@cae.wisc.edu Application Support
The people who came up with the levels decided that seat on stomach is a level
2 trick. I learned to do seat out in front, seat out back then I learned seat
on stomach. A friend is trying to learn that trick and was having problems, so
he learned seat out in front first.
To learn seat on stomach, get next to a wall or volunteer. While on your
unicycle take the seat out (slowly) and put your stomach on the seat. When
learning it is advisable to keep one hand on the seat while the other is
flailing about for balance. When going a few revolutions becomes easy try having
both hands off the seat. For more advanced tricks with seat on stomach try a
figure eight and for really advanced tricks try doing stairs (just kidding).
Andy B. Cotter CAE UW - Madison cotter@cae.wisc.edu Application Support