I was just wondering about the sport of Unicycle hockey. I have never played it before but was interested in starting it. Does it require very good freestyle and general riding skills and what kind of uni is suited to it.
I play field hockey to a very high level and i unicycle so i wanted to combine the two to see if was any good at it.
Any advice on how to play and the required equipment?
Re: Uni-hockey?
>> I was just wondering about the sport of Unicycle hockey.
Didn’t you say you were coming to Kiddy tomorrow?
There will be hockey… Just being a reasonable rider
is enough - no tricks required. Freemounting definitely a plus.
We use street/ice hockey sticks, not those St. Trinians shillelaghs.
You should be able to borrow one, though.
Arnold the Aardvark
Its a great way to improve all those skill that you list. Lots of people find they can do things playing hockey that they can’t do if they think about it.
Unfortunately you will be cr@p at it to start with :). It doesn’t matter how good you are. We all were. It takes a few goes to get the used to doing two very different thing at once.
Opinion is divided on the best uni. Most people prefer a 20". Its easier to stop/start/turn/accelerate. Some prefer a 24" as it is faster. I think its best to start on a 20" as you will have more control.
Some tips…
Have a go. Get involved and your learning curve will be very steep. It doesn’t take long.
Keep moving. It is much, much easier to receive a pass if you are moving.
Wear gloves. Cycling fingerless mits with with tough palms are best.
Wear cycling shorts. Its a pain without them
Tuck your laces in. Wrapping your laces around the crank is not funny… well it is to everyone else but it does smart a bit.
Oh, and you will be knackered at the end of it.
hockey
I would think you would have to be idle a small amount and ride backwards a little bit too, just from the videos ive seen.
About the shoelaces: Ive never had ANY problems with my shoelaces getting caught anywhere, and ive ridden with them completely untied(i didnt know it) Do the shoelaces get caught easier with shorter cranks?
You don’t need to be able to idle or ride backwards. You don’t even need to be able to freemount. You will learn all these things very quickly playing hockey but they are not essential.
Laces seem to get caught more often when playing hockey. Maybe its all the twisting. I would have thought it would be more common with shorter cranks as you lace is near the axle.
Re: Uni-hockey?
Scott Stephens wrote:
> I would think you would have to be idle a small amount and ride
> backwards a little bit too, just from the videos ive seen.
It helps - but you don’t need any of that stuff to take part and have
fun.
> About the shoelaces: Ive never had ANY problems with my shoelaces
> getting caught anywhere, and ive ridden with them completely untied(i
> didnt know it) Do the shoelaces get caught easier with shorter cranks?
It’s not a very common occurrence. Indeed, for most people I suspect it
only happens once… 
Regards,
Mark.
Re: Uni-hockey?
The question of what skills one needs to play unicycle hockey comes up frequently. And more often than not the answer is that you don’t need to be able to do much more than ride forwards competently and possibly freemount to play.
I think it is fair to say that anyone who has actually played unicycle hockey knows that while this may be true, the ability to freemount, idle and ride backwards are, nonetheless, real pluses and, in fact, essential to be a truly skilled player. (Can you imagine the NHL listing the ability to skate backwards as a plus, but not a requirement?) Admittedly though the need for these skills assumes that there is at least one person on the opposing team who has them as well.
All this is simply to point out that it seems that unicycle hockey is a sport somewhat in limbo. Official write-ups make much of the fact that in some countries there are somewhat organized leagues and there are (more or less internationally accepted) rules posted on various Internet sites. But at the same time most practitioners of the sport so want to build up a critical mass of players worldwide that they downplay the significant skills needed to be an effective competitor.
The long and short being that unicycle hockey, as it stands currently, is for the most part a pick-up sport and so yes, you don’t need major skills to be able to play it. However, if it were to aspire to, for example olympic status, certain more advanced skills would not only be essential but certainly requirements to compete at that level.
All this in no way being intended to discourage anyone from going out and slapping that puck around at whatever level s/he can. I certainly played an occassional game without having the ability to ride backwards and enjoyed it as well.
Raphael (perhaps stating the obvious) Lasar
Matawan, NJ
While I agree that having good unicycle skills will make you a better player you don’t NEED these skills to start with. If you just start playing you will pick up the skills as you go, and you will pick them up much faster than if you just practiced in a hall on your own.
If you want a debate we could start talking about tennis balls;)
I do not, and don’t believe I did, dispute this.
Sorry, I’m missing the point of the above??? 
Cheers,
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ
Re: Uni-hockey?
JJuggle wrote:
> The question of what skills one needs to play unicycle hockey comes up
> frequently. And more often than not the answer is that you don’t need to
> be able to do much more than ride forwards competently and possibly
> freemount to play.
>
> I think it is fair to say that anyone who has actually played unicycle
> hockey knows that while this may be true, the ability to freemount, idle
> and ride backwards are, nonetheless, real pluses and, in fact, essential
> to be a truly skilled player.
We’re not talking about “truly skilled players” here.
It’s what skills do you need to be able to play (not compete at
national/international level).
> (Can you imagine the NHL listing the
> ability to skate backwards as a plus, but not a requirement?)
Kids coming to a unimeet to play are not exactly auditioning for the NHL
just yet - give it a couple of weeks. 
> Admittedly
> though the need for these skills assumes that there is at least one
> person on the opposing team who has them as well.
Indeed.
> But at the same time most practitioners of the sport so want to
> build up a critical mass of players worldwide that they downplay the
> significant skills needed to be an effective competitor.
Hmm. We’re not saying that you’ll be an effective competitor if you
can’t do some of these things (and the opposition can) but you’ll still
have fun.
> The long and short being that unicycle hockey, as it stands currently,
> is for the most part a pick-up sport and so yes, you don’t need major
> skills to be able to play it.
Agreed.
> However, if it were to aspire to, for
> example olympic status, certain more advanced skills would not only be
> essential but certainly requirements to compete at that level.
Sure, but who cares about that?
Football is not a sport in limbo. If my daughter wants to play, do I
tell her she needs to be able to score from a corner even when someone
other than David Seaman is in goal? (Don’t ask.) Of course not. To be
able to play football, you need to be able to kick a ball. Er, that’s
it. Come to think of it, some national squads don’t even require that.
> All this in no way being intended to discourage anyone from going out
> and slapping that puck around at whatever level s/he can. I certainly
> played an occassional game without having the ability to ride backwards
> and enjoyed it as well.
I think we agree.
BTW, before long it becomes clear that unicycle skills are much less of
a differentiator than hockey skills - and you won’t learn those by
saying “oooh, I can’t play until my one-foot backwards figure-8 is
solid”.
Looking back over the above it looks like I’m disagreeing with a lot of
what you said - but that wouldn’t be right. I’m only disagreeing with
your use of the word “play” to mean national competition while I use it
to mean, er, play.
Regards,
Mark.
Re: Uni-hockey?
> If you want a debate we could start talking about tennis balls;)
Thought we already did that one.
Re: Uni-hockey?
True to form I am overanalyzing this question and here I go again, but hopefully (slim hope that it may be) clearing things up a bit.
When I was growing up, in order to participate in a ballgame (basket, base, foot, hand, or punch, etc) or rollerskate hockey I never once asked or was asked what skills were necessary. If you showed up with the required equipment or there was enough for you to borrow, you played (even if you were the last one chosen for a side).
So I postulate that maybe (maybe only) the question is being asked is not “given my skills CAN I play”, but “given my skills (or lack thereof) MAY I play?”* And perhaps the question to address is how to dispel the notion that this question needs to be asked at all.
OR MAYBE NOT.
And I do agree that in the realm of “playing” to have fun, just getting out and, well, having fun is all that is required.
On something of a tangent…Perhaps some of you here in the US have seen the Nickelodeon show Rocket Power. It’s about a bunch of southern California kids navigating their way through the ordeal of growning up. A large portion of their time is spent playing rollerskate hockey, skateboarding, and surfing. It occured to me that it would be a nice thing if they took up unicycling at some point and started playing unicycle hockey.
Perhaps we should start a write-in campaign to Nick(elodeon).
Cheers,
Raphael (who is really not trying to be difficult here) Lasar
Matawan, NJ
*For non-native English speakers, “can” indicates that you have the ability, “may” indicates that you have permission.
Re: Uni-hockey?
Mark Wiggins wrote:
> BTW, before long it becomes clear that unicycle skills are much less of
> a differentiator than hockey skills - and you won’t learn those by
> saying “oooh, I can’t play until my one-foot backwards figure-8 is
> solid”.
Sorry, should have carried on to say that the unicycle skills that are
useful if you want to play top-flight hockey would be…
Freemount (especially quick mounts like rolling mount)
Tight turns (left and right)
Idling (either foot down - or horizontal)
Speed
Backwards
Still stand (a lot easier with a stick)
Any more?
Regards,
Mark.
Re: Uni-hockey?
JJuggle wrote:
> So I postulate that maybe (maybe only) the question is being asked not
> given my skills “can” I play, but given my skills (or lack thereof)
> “may” I play.
I suspect you’re right - which is precisely why people reply along the
lines of “it doesn’t matter what your skill level is, you can play”.
> And perhaps the question to address is how to dispel the
> notion that this question needs to be asked at all.
That one’s easy. Everybody read the bit below…
YOU CAN PLAY - NOW STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND GET A STICK
…right that’s that covered.
Regards,
Mark.
Re: Uni-hockey?
> Any more?
Being able to stay on while riding over little kids has
served me well on one or two occasions. . Fortunately
they didn’t squeal too loudly, as this would have put me
off my game.
Re: Re: Uni-hockey?
Note To Self: Attach large spikes to leg pads before departing for Kidderminster…
Phil, just me
Re: Uni-hockey?
nb suggested:
> > If you want a debate we could start talking about tennis balls;)
and Arnold the Aardvark wrote:
> Thought we already did that one.
Nah, that was on the uk_unicyclists mailing list. IIRC Sarah suggested we
should start playing with tennis balls to bring us into line with the rest
of Europe, and I complained because like any true Brit I hate playing hockey
with a tennis ball. Give me a street hockey ball any day.
–
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( http://www.juggler.net/danny )
Recumbent cycle page: http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/recumbents/
“He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” - Thomas Paine
thanks loads for all the little tips guys.
I hope i can start uni hockey so as to be able to at least play, even if i’m not good enough to dodge the spikes on Phil’s leg pads.
i’ve only got a twenty four " at the moment but i’ll see how i go.
Thanx again
James
Re: Uni-hockey?
In article <mailman.1036168084.11982.rsu@unicycling.org>,
Mark Wiggins <M.Wiggins@ftel.co.uk> wrote:
)JJuggle wrote:
)
)> And perhaps the question to address is how to dispel the
)> notion that this question needs to be asked at all.
)
)That one’s easy. Everybody read the bit below…
)
) YOU CAN PLAY - NOW STOP ASKING QUESTIONS AND GET A STICK
We treat basketball the same way. It’s so hard to get together enough
people to play a game, that anyone who wants to join is encouraged.
We’ve had people learn to unicycle by holding onto the pole and
lunging in the general direction of the ball. Eventually they
get there.
-Tom
Re: Re: Uni-hockey?
There used to be a fellow here at Bell Labs named Bernd Wolfing (he went back to Germany and I’ve lost track of him - I believe he attended a few Unatics meetings) who started up a unicycle hockey group in north/central New Jersey (USA).
He literally put out flyers in his neighborhood and offered to teach people how to ride and play uni-hockey. I think he got a few takers, but I never really knew how well he did attracting new-comers overall.
Raphael Lasar
Matawan, NJ