when somebody asks if i’m a clown i have no witty response. i just tell them to go…well you get the picture. i’m soooo tired of it. and people always think that they are soo witty. like, “can you do a wheelie?” ya good job idiot, i haven’t heard that before.
sorry about the pent up anger
I wanted to make a shirt with a unicyclist jumping on a dead clown that says “No, I’m not a clown!”
A little sick but I think it would get the point across
Here’s a good one!
Every sport has these cliches.
I wonder how many of you are guilty of the same thing to someone from another sport?
If I had a dollar for everytime i got “I wouldn’t jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane,” I could buy a KH Muni!
Trampoline was the first activity I got involved in way back in grade school. Even back then (the late 70’s) there were plenty of competitions and we did lots of exhibitions that I remember as being really fun. Don’t remember anyone ever associating it with the circus. Divers often use trampoline as part of their training.
Its been a long time since I have been around trampolines, and I have not kept up with it at all, but I did see where trampoline was recognized as a discipline of gymnastics in 1999 and it made its debut in the Sydney 2000 games according to IOC - International Olympic Committee | Olympics.com
On a side note, I recently transferred some old 8 mm video to DVD and some of it was me competing on the trampoline. It brought back lots of memories and also showed me that my form needed lots of improvement. No wonder I rarely won any of the competitions. Usually came in 3rd or 4th with two other members of my team almost always taking 1st and 2nd.
I’m sure that was more than you wanted to know, John.
To get back on topic, I have grown to dislike the circus comments but I try to be very gracious in my response as they generally do not mean any ill will by it. They just don’t have any other reference points to unicycles save the circus.
And one last comment, others have mentioned that other sports have their burdens to bear with regard to comments. But it is not just sports. Basically any job that involves contact with the public is subject to this. I know a women who worked in a grocery store. She said she absolutely could not stand it when people responded to her telling them where a product was and they said “well, if it were a snake it would have bitten me”. She must have gotten that a lot as strongly as she seemed to feel about it.
Maybe we are clowns. I dunno if we are extreme? I think extreme, I think of motocross or motofreestyle.
Get an Ipod. You won’t even hear the comments anymore.
When I havent been going anywere and have just been riding around trying to land new tricks or something I have gone up to the people (normaly adults) who have said something and started talking to them about the sport and telling them how many times I hear there “whitty” comment. I think it makes them feel bad that they said it but they are normaly quite interested about the sport and it leaves me feeling good as I ride off.
i’m interested please post a pic! - insidentaly i have no idea what you are on about
Here are some pics of it…
Sorry about the lighting.
They come in different colours and also come in a round shape.
I recommend getting one if they are available in your area.
The size of mine is about 65mm long X 55mm height X 12mm thick (outer measurements)
Okay, let me just write “homophobe” next to your username. Is there some reason why a gay person shouldn’t be able to hit an 8-stair grind?
The guys doing the juggling and wearing the flamboyant clothing were there first. Cut them some slack. They can’t hit an 8-stair grind.
Circus performers still ride unicycles (occasionally though I seldom see it). Get over yourselves. “Are you in the circus?” I still prefer the answer of “No, are you?” Even though I used to be.
Also I hope I’m never on a ride with anyone who actually hands out business cards to make people feel stupid. That will not leave a good impression unless it’s handled with style and good humor.
See, if Trampoline can do it, so can we! Dig back into the history of Trampoline and you’ll find it in the circus. The sport side came later.
Thanks for digging that up, Hugh, it was exactly what I was looking for! I took some gymnastics classes when I was little too, including trampoline. I thought it was great. Now you never see them in schools anymore, due to the liability.
Hmm, well if that’s directed at me, I think if you’ve watched any of my videos, you know that I have a good sense of humor lol! In fact, people seem to LOVE playing right along with my skits and love a good laugh as well. Those cards I printed out will likely not be handed out and were made for fun. I’m too busy riding and doing my thing to stop, pull out a card and hand it to someone. But yes, i f I did hand one out, I would certainly do so with humor, as IT IS INTENDED!
I don’t think anybody with any sense of humor at all would take those cards seriously…would you? Haha!
But I’ll tell you, if I may paraphrase your quote a little; I hope I’m never on a ride with anyone who doesn’t have a sense of humor!
I have friends who are clowns and who ride unicycles both for pleasure and as part of their jobs. They’ve been doing so since before you were born. Why on Earth shouldn’t they?
In fact, as I type this I am wearing a singlet bearing a picture of a clown juggling five clubs while riding a giraffe one-footed. The picture was painted by a lady who was a professional juggler and unicyclist (dunno if she’s still doing it, I haven’t seen her for about 10 years). I’m not sure whether she also clowned, but she /did/ ride a UW.
No. I’m really not interested in unicycling as an extreme sport. I /am/ interested in its circus connections, which is how I got into unicycling in the first place. I also greatly admire anyone who has the skills to be a good clown, and would certainly have no objection to being associated with them.
the problem is that people do not realize how much we actually hear it and they think that they are the only ones who ever say it. since unicycling is so small most say it out of ignorance of the growing sport and do not realize that unicycles are being used outside of the circus more and more. i try to remind myself of this when things like that are said… poeple are not trying to be mean or demoralizing(most of the time) so just turn it into a funny conversation and joke about it with them.
Maybe the title of this thread should be “Unicycling is not just for clowns.”
I learned to ride when I was a kid. I was a member of a youth circus group.
So I have easy responses to Are you in the circus?
Yeah, but I escaped, don’t them though OK?
Nah, I got fat and old and they kicked me out.
I retired, but the retirement plan sucks.
Some of you need to just take a chill pill and remember why you ride. It’s fun? You’re not going to get into college on a unicycling scholarship, you’re not going to win a gold at the x-Games and it’s not going to make you rich.
If some people don’t get it, then that’s their problem. When unicyclists start getting beat down for admitting they prefer one wheel. Or states won’t allow two unicyclists to get married citing 18th century moral standards, well, then you can worry about getting upset about it.
But some half-wit making a harmless comment, especially when they’re most likely just being friendly and don’t know what else to say? Come on, don’t be a jerk. They’ll just go away with a negative impression of one-wheelers.
no! all clowns should surender there unicycles in a anisty (spl?) and one unicycle should be given to each memeber who has posted in this thread. 
Can i have my unicycle of choice modded???
depends what the clowns use