Yes folks, it’s no longer safe to browse the tabloids when waiting in line at
the local grocery. This week’s issue of the Weekly World News (March 20)
features a mountain unicyclist on the cover, and a two-page story inside.
Fortunately, we are not the headline. This week it’s “Jesus Walked in America”.
The Weekly World News always has the most outrageous headlines. The paper is an
odd combination of idiotic fantasy stories (that people somehow believe), rude
writing, and some actual, real news. The problem is there is nothing telling
which is which. Let’s just say it’s presented “for entertainment purposes only”.
Regardless of editorial reputation, it’s good mass-media coverage for MUni. The
article is entirely accurate, except maybe for the part that says (about George
Peck) “He can jump over picnic tables.” Sure he can get over one, but it would
take at least two jumps for him, at which time he’d be on top.
When asked if they could use some of my photos (from a Mr. Toad’s ride at Lake
Tahoe last June) I was skeptical. I said only if the reporting that went with it
was accurate. But they came through on all promises, something the press is
usually not real strong on in my experience. All photos were attributed (Jeff
Sloan and me), and they even included a link to my Web site.
The article has quotes from Brett Bymaster and George Peck, and also mentions
Thierry Bouche. I think the writer, Wade Daniel, wrote it at least two years
ago when interviewing those guys. More recently the story was sold to Weekly
World News.
Bruce Bundy is the guy on the cover shot. Inside pictures show Daniel Hopkins,
Eric Kvamme, Bruce, and Brett. In the background you can see Andy Jennings and
Rob Bowman. Nathan Hoover may be relieved to know he was cropped out of both
my pictures!
So it’s on newsstands now. I’m not a huge fan of sharing the pages with articles
like this:
- Swimming pig saves drowning boy!
- Dentist’s tool sucks out patient’s brain!
- Ice man is alive & kicking!
- Shark bites off Tom Cruise’s left hand!
- Killer goldfish attacks piranha
And my personal favorite:
- 14 great ways to turn yourself into a werewolf
No, really, they’re all in there! Crazy paper, but it may bring some people into
unicycling nevertheless.
Enjoy, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com
“Never hold a dust buster and a cat at the same time.” – Kyoyo, 9