I am looking for a unicyclist and/or group of unicyclists to perform in a Christmas PArade the saturday before Thanksgiving in Owensboro, KY. Please contact me at AJ@ChristmasParade.net if you are interested or know who I can contact.
What time of the day?
4:30
Parade begins at 4:30pmCST and lasts approx 2 hrs.
I’m your huckleberry
Hello, my name is David Hood. I’m delighted to year you are seeking unicyclists to ride in Owensboro’s Christmas Parade. I’m from Muhlenberg County (Greenville specifically) but my parents are from Owensboro (Philpot and Whitesville specifically) with twelve and thirteen siblings respectively all with at least five children each so, if your are from Owensboro, chances are you know my kin folk that will vouch for me. I got my undergraduate degree from Brescia University in 1993. I’m 40 . I’ve been riding unicycles for 30 years. My parents live near Legion Park now and I frequent your Greenbelt on my Schlumpf geared 36" unicycle though I actually prefer to be riding one of my Mountain Unicycles (I have both a 26" and a 29") on the Rudy Mine trail at Ben Hawes. I was just there for a race. I went to graduate school (M.B.A.) at the University of Louisville where I still reside today with my lovely wife and two beautiful children. My 10 year old daughter is still learning to ride her 20" unicycle and my 8 year old son is getting along on his 16" but sadly neither are quite parade ready just yet. I’m afraid you are going to have trouble finding a “group” of unicyclists in Kentucky which is why I’m raising my own riding partners. I ride pretty much everywhere and I know of no other unicyclists in Owensboro. There are a couple here in Louisville. Ben King rides single-track with me at Cherokee and Waverly Parks and Eric Goff focuses more on the trials discipline. I doubt either would be up for the trip but I am most certainly interested. It would be a good excuse to get the kids down to see their GrandParents.
I’ve found the 26" to be the best “parade speed” unicycle in my stable. The 36" is tall and spectacular but that thing is really built for speed. At any rate, I would be glad to ride in your parade. Thank you for granting me this opportunity to get a little exposure for this sport I so love. I emailed you my contact info.
Glad this could possibly work out for you DavidHood. I live three hours from there and have a parade in the morning. I have a full day on Sunday as I am a Lutheran pastor so this might have been too much for me on that Saturday.
Best wishes to you and that parade fun!
Had a blast riding my 36er up and down a “closed” 2nd street in the hours before the parade started but I’m glad I switched to my 29er for the parade itself because it’s long cranks make going slow much easier. Luckily, I found a nice gap between float 19 and 21 (thank goodness AJ made me 20th) where I could do circles to slow down. The kids (my own included, and they are not easily impressed) really seemed to enjoy it.
Lessons learned: It turns out, a unicycles is a really good “gap filler” to entertain the kids until the next float comes along. If you find a good gap, stick with it. Passing should be approached with care because people handing out candy will draw kids into the streets. Finally, do your best to stay away from unpredictable vehicles like the Shriners mini-cars. In the end, just remember its all about the kids. Have fun and your smile will be infectious.
My favorite moment was hitting a hidden (it was dark) pothole and almost falling. The whole crowd gasped and I was barely able to save myself from falling. Luckily I did because the #1 comment from teenage boys (and the silent wish of their fathers) is “Fall, Fall, Fall”! What can I say, we live in a Nascar (spectators watch for the wrecks) and NFL (spectators love the big concussion causing head to head hits) society.
