NAUCC stands for North American Unicycling Championships and Convention. This year’s event will be in Saline, MI. Web site. Please read the web site, the mail-in registration form on that site, and USA Rulebook before asking questions.
Convention Director Wendy Grzych has sent me some information that’s not found in any of those places. If you have questions about this information and can’t find answers at the sources above, you can ask them here or directly to me via my email address below. I am a past USA president, I edit the Rulebook, and I’ve been in charge of racing and artistic competition events in the past so I have a pretty good idea how things work.
FREESTYLE JUDGING:
The USA Rulebook Committee passed a proposal in May to switch over to the IUF system for Freestyle judging. But there is no new rulebook yet, and no system in place to train judges as we did for Unicon, so this year the previous (same as last year) rules will be used.
CONVENTION OFFICIALS:
Convention Director: Wendy Grzych
Artistic Director and Chief Judge: Constance Cotter
Racing Directors: Marcus Sternberg and Jory King
Racing Referee: Andrew Wrobel
700c RACING:
Adding the 700c section from the IUF Rules was also passed, but no decision has been made yet by the NAUCC organizers on whether they will add the 100m and 1500m track races for that wheel size. That’s 29" in case you didn’t know. No crank restrictions! We’ll let you know as soon as we know what the decision is.
10k RACE AND COURSE:
Yes there will be an unlimited race, open to all wheel sizes, gearing systems, etc. Age groups have not been announced. The 10K is being run on a 1.5 mile asphalt walking trail (see http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/parks_recreation/hill/maps/hill_brochure_map.pdf) that Rolling Hills has reserved exclusively for us. I think our 10K guy, Jay Sinclair, is heading out there this week to mark the exact start and end lines. The trail is in good shape, pretty flat (not too hilly), and just wide enough to pass a slower rider. So it may require some instruction on passing etiquette for safety.
UPHILL AND DOWNHILL MUNI:
Also to be held at Rolling Hills, on a sledding hill behind the lodge building. This is probably a grassy hill similar to last year (if you were there), where the uphill will be a straight shot upward, while the downhill will probably be some sort of slalom as you go down.
XC MUNI RACE:
This be at Lakeshore Park in Novi. It’s a heck of a fun trail. We’re riding only part of the 10 mile trail (I hear sighs of relief from some of you) Wendy sent me images of the trail map with the courses marked. I’m posting this before the pictures so these links may not work right away:
The novice trail will start in the parking lot and ride about 1/2 mile on the trail before heading back to the trailhead (finish line) on the wide, multi-directional trail. There are a few ups and downs, but no obstacles or tight turns in that part of the trail. It’s total length is probably 3/4 mile. Also, there’s NO WAY for the kids to make a wrong turn and get lost there since there’s no exit from the trail until they turn back toward the trailhead on the multi-directional trail. The expert trail course begins on the wide, multi-directional trail (allowing faster riders to get to the front before hitting the narrower trails) and ends in the parking lot. Some parts of it are kinda boring, bu t there are also some fun switchbacks and log piles. It’s hilly in some parts, and also has logs across the trails in a few locations. All in all it’s a fun ride - one of my favorites. The course we’ve mapped out is about 4 - 4.5 miles long.
FUN RIDES:
We have 3 muni fun rides planned. We’re also planning a downtown Ann Arbor street ride - Marcus is in charge of that and will have details at the registration table. There are lots of area parks that have great paved trails for a Coker fun ride. The closest would probably be at Willow Metro Park (15 minutes away), but the best ride would definitely be at Kensington (about a 40-minute drive, but well worth it). Let me see if I can get someone to organize that.
These are the three:
- The toughest (funnest) ride is Potawatomi - Brighton’s Torn Shirt trail isn’t too technical, but is really hilly
- And, even Maybury is a fun ride now. There’s actually a lot to chose from in the area, but I’d recommend these 3 (and Novi Tree Farm) as some of the best.
None of the three above is at the racing venue, though it sounds like a fun trail as well so that may change. I’m looking forward to riding some of Michigan’s MUni trails!
NEW RULES:
No word yet on whether the other proposals that passed in the USA Rules Committee will be in force at NAUCC. Aside from the Freestyle judging and 700c proposals, it’s all pretty small stuff. New events, like 700c races and a Street competition, can be added without changes to the rulebook. Many of the other proposals had to do with corrections and several very minor things.
CEDAR POINT:
Whenever NAUCC is in range of Cedar Point, I’ve helped provide information for people to go to America’s #1 amusement park afterward. This year Jacquie and I are not planning to go, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. Here’s a link to my 2005 Cedar Point information page. Please note that the prices and other details are not up to date! Find out more about the park at their official web site. It’s about a 2.5 - 3 hour drive from the Saline area.