Running giraffe mount

RE: Running giraffe mount

> There -are- official names and descriptions of mounts – see the USA
> Rulebook 2001 Section 7.2.

Please note that this list is used by the Standard Skill event, which does
not use giraffes or any other non-standard unicycles. The list only contains
the figures (skills, transitions, mounts) that are authorized to use in a
Standard Skill competition routine. It is only a small subset of the things
that can be done on a unicycle.

But the existence of this list established standardized names for skills,
along with standardized definitions. Everything on that list has an
“official” name.

> Whether there is a separate official body governing the maintenance of
> this list or not is irrelevant; the question is what is the current
> official name of the mount.

It can’t be official without someone to back it up, such as a governing body
or standards group. There are many skills out there with common-use names.
Some of these are known and used by this group (the Internet people), and
others we probably haven’t heard of, and if named to us wouldn’t necessarily
mean anything. They might be local names, and only known by a small group.

The IUF Standard Skill list was intended to use descriptive names for the
skills, in part as an aid in translation to other languages. This idea came
from the sport of Artistic Bicycling, which uses similar rules, in which a
trick we Americans might call “surfing” is called “saddle-handlebar stand”.
Descriptive skill names tend to be boring, but in a sport where there aren’t
lots of competitions going on all the time, and aren’t lots of videos to
watch, these descriptive names will help people learn the skills without
necessarily seeing them.

A handful of the figures on the list have non-descriptive names, such as
koosh-koosh. The problem with this skill is that you have to describe it in
detail to someone who doesn’t know what koosh-koosh is. The name is based on
the sound this skill makes. Once you’ve seen it, “koosh koosh” is easy to
remember, and is the same in every language; no translation needed. The
reason it doesn’t have a descriptive name is because it would require a
fairly long description. It’s an extension of walking the wheel backward
with one foot on the wheel behind the frame, where the other foot rests on
the frame with the toe being used as a brake to maintain balance. Okay? It’s
easier if you see it. It goes “Koosh, koosh!”

> these are used not only in skills competition but in level
> testing and so are of great relevance to a large segment
> of the unicycling population.

Caution: A few of the skills in the USA levels do not follow the Standard
Skill definition for the skill with that name. The IUF skill levels are more
vague, while the USA levels go into greater detail. I believe that the
Standard Skill List should be the guide, and any skills used in the levels
should follow the definitions of those skills as found in the list. The main
difference in the USA levels is in the seat out skills.

> That said, then, the most applicable description of the mount in
> question appears to me to have the title “rolling mount”. This is
> unsatisfying in the present discussion but the closest to “official
> title” as I understand is currently available.

Again, the Standard Skill List has nothing to do with giraffe skills. But
rolling mount is the closest description. I’m not a big fan of the rolling
mount’s description, in that it requires the wheel to keep rolling at all
times. A visually-beautiful rolling mount can be done with the wheel briefly
stopping, as long as the rider continues in a smooth forward motion. But
don’t try this in Standard Skill, or you’ll lose nine tenths of a point
(50%), based on incorrect execution of the skill.

On a giraffe you could follow my definition of the rolling mount, but it
would be much harder to do the Standard Skill one, especially on a giraffe
of 5’ or higher.

> For us to avoid the mounting police, the
> laws are gonna have to be changed.

Don’t worry, just don’t enter Standard Skill competition. Especially on a
giraffe. The intent of the Standard Skill event is to measure the accuracy
of a rider doing a collection of known skills. The skills have to be known
for the rider to be judged on whether or not they’re doing it right. So that
list of skills must have specific definitions. This way, you have
“objective” judging, and riders from around the world can compare their
Standard Skill scores, even from competitions in different countries.

Freestyle and Open-X are where creativity reigns. This is where you do can
anything that’s not on the list (or on it), and mix it with your own brand
of “art”. But the judging in a Freestyle or Open-X competition are entirely
“subjective.” This means you cannot compare your judging results to
anyone, unless they were in the same group with you in front of the same set
of judges in the same competition.

That explains why figure skating judging is so hard. It does not, however,
explain why it’s so political. We don’t have much politics in unicycle
judging. Mostly we have a struggle to find enough knowledgeable judges to
fill all the panels. We’re always looking for more people to learn, and
volunteer.

> accurate since I thought that a “jumping mount” of any kind
> involved more of a vertical jump than a push off. Never
> having done either, this is just an impression.

I’m sure Jack Halpern was remembering correctly, hearing a mount like that
called a running jump mount. It looks “jumpier” if the giraffe is taller.
But I agree that it’s not really a jump. Even on a tall giraffe, you are
doing more levering, by standing on the pedal as it goes up, than jumping.
To me, a jump mount means you’re landing with both feet at the same time.

So this means that a more proper running jump mount to a giraffe would be
really hairy, where you leap off the ground with both feet, landing both of
them on the pedals simultaneously before riding away. If you combine this
with the Swedish “flying jump mount” you can do it with the giraffe entirely
off the ground until you land on the pedals. I guess it could look something
like a pole vault. Have fun practicing this, and wear lots of pads!

> Is there a feeling that the IUF, USA or any other unicycling
> body would be inclined to sanction a thesaurus of unicycling
> terminology?

Jack has been compiling one for about 20 years. Maybe longer, but that’s
when I first remember hearing about it. But at the rate he’s going, I don’t
think he will ever consider it finished, so we may never see it.

Actually, Jack is working on a dictionary of unicycling terminology. So it’s
an even bigger project than just a list of skills.

But there’s plenty of room for other people to work on such a project. You
could start off with a copy of One Wheel No Limit. And then put together a
group of people to argue about what the official names of skills should be.
Naming skills is the easy part. The hard part (aside from agreeing on
things) is writing the descriptions of the skills with those names. Then
riders will constantly annoy you by coming up with more and more variations
on those named skills!

Stay on top,
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com

“Vehicularly-Injured Sperm-Count seat: better known by it’s abbreviated
name, Viscount.” David Stone, on saddle preference

Re: Running giraffe mount

In article <mailman.1021568613.7519.rsu@unicycling.org>,
John Foss <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote:
)
)> accurate since I thought that a “jumping mount” of any kind
)> involved more of a vertical jump than a push off. Never
)> having done either, this is just an impression.
)
)I’m sure Jack Halpern was remembering correctly, hearing a mount like that
)called a running jump mount. It looks “jumpier” if the giraffe is taller.
)But I agree that it’s not really a jump. Even on a tall giraffe, you are
)doing more levering, by standing on the pedal as it goes up, than jumping.
)To me, a jump mount means you’re landing with both feet at the same time.

Is this really the definition? I’ve been working on something I’ve
been calling a jump mount, where I am stationary beforehand, then jump
(both feet) into the air, landing on the seat and pedals. But my back
foot definitely hits the pedal before the front foot–it’s almost like
I’m jumping into a standard mount. It’s easier than a standard mount
on my 29" Pashley. But is it not accurately called a jump mount? What
else would it be called?
-Tom

RE: Running giraffe mount

> Is this really the definition?

The only true, internationally recognized definitions are the ones in the
IUF Standard Skills list, in the IUF Rulebook (or USA Rulebook).

> been calling a jump mount, where I am stationary beforehand, then jump
> (both feet) into the air, landing on the seat and pedals. But my back
> foot definitely hits the pedal before the front foot–

You didn’t mention when in the sequence you’re hitting the seat. In my own
personal definition, a good jump mount has both feet on the pedals first,
then it’s safe to sit… :slight_smile:

> it’s almost like I’m jumping into a standard mount.

How much does the wheel move? It’s possible to land a jump mount with one
foot a little before the other, and for me to still consider it a jump
mount. But if the wheel is doing some kind of partial rotation during the
mount, you’re definitely into the realm of variations on the “base” mount.

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
jfoss@unicycling.com

“Vehicularly-Injured Sperm-Count seat: better known by it’s abbreviated
name, Viscount.” David Stone, on saddle preference