Uninats News

Early Registration

Uninats 2007 Sydney is now only 8 weeks away! If you haven't registered already, the early registration discount is still available, so register now to make sure of your place!

Unicycle.com at Uninats

Unicycle.com Australia have offered to sponsor a number of prizes at Uninats and will have unicycles and accessories from across their range available to try and buy at the venues. Thanks for your support guys!

Uninats Street/Trials Building

Sydney riders have the trials and street course construction well underway - here are a few photos of the recent 'build day'. Thanks to Dan Cowling, Ashley Curtis, Marc Grunseit, Ty Peters and Matt Price - Cris.

Ashley supervises the workers:

Some of the pieces ready to go:

Uninats Reminders

Some things to remember when you're planning your trip:

• Plastic pedals and non-skid tyres required for indoor riding

Any unicycle you plan to ride for the indoor events in the main hall on the Saturday needs to by 'gym-safe' - that is, not cause any damage to the wooden floor. You must have plastic pedals, and you should check that your tyre is non-marking (non-skid) on wooden floors.

Uninats News

Less than 12 weeks to go until Uninats 2007 Sydney! We hope you've been practicing... Here are the latest updates from the Sydney organisers:

Registration is OPEN

Registration for Uninats 2007 is now OPEN. Reserve your place for Uninats by registering at the uninats registration website

Early registration saves you $15 off the full price, and early registrations take priority if any events are over-subscribed, so register now!

Free Registration for Non-Riders

If you have any non-riders accompanying you (friends, parents/guardians etc.) they should register (for free) as non-riders. This is so they can be covered as volunteers by our insurance. If they are not registered, they can't help out at events (or help you) or be in some areas of some of the venues.

Uninats Poster

We have an official Uninats 2007 advertising poster, featuring Alex Toms (world record holder for the high drop), designed by Ashley Curtis (current Australian 400m champion!). Printed copies are being sent to uni- and bike- shops and venues, but it would be great if you can download and print copies for your local school or club. See and download the poster on the Uninats website.

Uni Video Competition

Survey Results

We had 50 responses to the Uninats survey, which is fantastic. Statistics will be published on the website soon, along with a summary of peoples suggestions (and what we plan to do about them)!

Accommodation Information

Due to a number of requests in the survey, the AUS has organised some information about accommodation options for Uninats 2007, for those traveling to Sydney.

Need a bed? If you are an independent traveler and you are interested in sharing group unicycling rooms, we have arranged with Billabong Gardens, Newtown (see above) to co-ordinate arrangements. See this page for more information.

Registration

Uninats Registrations will open soon - we're just waiting for confirmation of fees for public parks and catering costs for the social function.

Upcoming events

Unicycle hockey match, Sunday 10^th June - Brisbane

Wayne

There's a unicycle hockey match being planned in Brisbane - all riders welcome.

Date: Sunday 10th June, 2007

Time: 2.30 PM onwards

Venue: The basketball courts in the park on Payne Road, The Gap

UPCOMING EVENTS

Uninats 2007 Dates and Venues Confirmed

The Australian Unicycling Society is pleased to announce confirmation of venues and dates for the 2007 Australian Unicycling Nationals (Uninats). Details can be found on the AUS website home page. Keep watching the website for more information on the programme and registration details.

If you haven't done it already, please take time to fill out the Uninats Survey

Singapore riders plan unicycle hockey tournament - 1 November 2007

Get your hockey sticks ready - there's a plan afoot to hold an Asia Pacific Unicycle Hockey tournament in Singapore in early November 2007. If you're interested in going and forming a team, contact the AUS secretary to be put in touch with other players who are going. More details as they arise, or contact Maxim: jinzhanglee@yahoo.com

2008 Unitour call for interested riders

Ken Looi (Guiness Book World Record holder for longest distance ridden on a unicycle in 24 hours) is putting together another Unitour for 2008. The plan is for a southern hemisphere summer Unitour (Jan/Feb 2008). The choices being considered are:

• North Vietnam "The Uninam Tour"

• India "The Induni Tour"

Upcoming events

2007 Alternative Cycling Festival and OzHPV Challenge

Saturday, 31st March & Sunday, 1 April, 2007

Casey Fields, Cranbourne, Victoria

As we announced in the last newsletter, AUS members are invited to take
part in the 2007 Alternative Cycling Festival and Australian Human-Powered Vehicle Association (OzHPV) Challenge, at Casey Fields, Cranbourne, Victoria. The event is generating a lot of interest and it looks like being a very successful, fun couple of days.

February 2007

Hi everyone and welcome to the first Newsletter for 2007! Hope you all enjoyed a great festive season. We've had a lovely summer break and are ready for lots of unicycling talk so if you’ve got news, pictures, stories or information to contribute to the AUS Newsletter, send them to the Editor at aus_newsletter@unicycling.org.au

Upcoming Events

Alternative Cycling Festival – 31st March - 1st April 2007, Cranbourne, Victoria

AUS members have been officially invited to take part in the 2007 Alternative Cycling Festival and Australian Human-Powered Vehicle Association (OzHPV) Challenge, at Casey Fields, Cranbourne, Victoria.
On the Sunday, 1^st April, the AUS has been offered the chance to set up an information/display stand and perform unicycle demos and offer trial rides,. If you are interested in attending as an AUS member, and helping out with this activity, please contact the AUS secretary (aus_secretary@unicycling.org.au) and we will organise a group. Free Darwin '05 T-shirts for all those who help out!

All unicyclists are welcome, so you can still attend the festival, even if you don't want to take part in the AUS activities.

Hi everyone and welcome to the November/December 2006 edition of the AUS Newsletter!

Due to the holiday season (and moving house), this will be the last newsletter for 2006. We're sure there will be plenty of unicycling taking place over the Christmas/New Year period, so if you've got news, pictures, stories or information to contribute to the AUS Newsletter, better send them to the AUS Newsletter Editor at: aus_newsletter@unicycling.org.au otherwise Santa won't be bringing you that new KH saddle...

Events

Call for unicyclists to perform at the Woodford Folk Festival

When - 27th December 2006 - 1st January 2007

Where - Located just outside the town of Woodford, about an hour and a half drive north of Brisbane.

Who - We are looking to put together a team of unicyclists who want to come along and have fun promoting our sport at the biggest and most progressive folk festival in Australia. Freestyle and trials displays, games (hockey, sumo, jousting etc), slalom and obstacle courses, muni demos and group rides have all featured in previous years. We need talented riders to help in all of these categories and if you have some other skills, such as juggling, you can throw them in as well.

AUS Membership Renewals Special Offer

Sign up or renew your AUS membership now and save 20%!

AUS membership runs from 1st July to 30th June each year. If you haven't attended an AUS or affiliate event since 1st July, you probably haven't renewed your AUS membership yet for 2006/2007.

Membership renewal is still only $20 for the whole year, which is a 20% discount on the new members price, but this discounted price is normally only available for renewals completed within 3 months of the end of the previous membership (i.e. for renewals before 30th September).

The AUS has extended the offer of membership at the renewal price to anyone who has previously been an AUS member (in any year) until the end of October 2006.
Hurry to take advantage of this special price - only one week left! Details on membership renewals, pricing and the application form are on the AUS website

The AUS is a non-profit organisation - membership fees go towards the public liability insurance which allows us to support official events, and also to help support the Uninats (Sydney 2007!), which could cost several thousand dollars in up-front booking fees!

Upcoming events

Last Chance Reminder! - Gravity Weekend - Victoria - Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd October 2006

Falls Creek Car Park, Victoria - 9.30am

AUS Newsletter - June 2006

Hi everyone and welcome to the June edition of the AUS newsletter!

Upcoming Events

Waverley Family Bike Fair 2006

Bondi Park, Bondi, NSW 25 June, 9am – 2pm

The AUS has been asked to invite unicycling members to the Waverley Family Bike Fair, at Bondi Beach. Sydney Unicycle Hockey Team will be there, and all other unicyclists are welcome!

What’s on?
Meet at Bondi Park for a leisurely 2.5km ride around the streets of Bondi Beach. “Bike Buddies” will escort the ride between 9am and 12 noon, leaving every half-hour. Children 12 years and under must be accompanied by a riding parent/guardian.

• Unicycle Hockey Demonstration game
• Bike safety checks available.
• Expert bike maintenance and cycling advice.
• Cycling products and stalls.
• Bicycle hire available.
• Cycling circuit for the little kiddies.
• Prizes for the best decorated helmet on the day

More information at http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/council/enviro/family_bike_fair.asp

Unicycling Weekend - Brisbane Competition

Park Payne Road, The Gap, Brisbane - 30th Sept - 1st Oct 2006

Saturday 12pm till 5pm, then Sunday morning Finals 9am till 12pm

The event will finish with a free lunch BBQ.

Events include

• Unicycle hockey
• Basket ball half court
• Race around GAP
• Kids BMX heats and finals
• Man-made trials

Events categories include unicyclists with less than 12 months riding experience!

Venue: Payne Rd, The Gap, Brisbane

$1500.00 prizes!

Cost $25.00 per person, or $20 for a team of 5 for hockey and basket ball

Contact: Alfred and Lucinda Best - info@unicycles.com.au

More information at: http://unicycles.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=172

Call for donations - Equipment for Cambodia

Wayne Van Wijk - Unicycle Round Up

A few years ago, generous AUS members donated a multitude of unicycle parts and other equipment for a circus project that I was doing in the slums of Bangkok, Thailand. When I assembled the parts I was able to donate 5 complete unicycles, 12 clubs and a box of diabolos to the kids.

A few years have passed and I am now planning a trip to Cambodia this September. The purpose of the trip is to run a 2 week intensive circus and performance skills workshop for students of the Cambodian Royal School of Circus. I visited these guys last year and gave a one day workshop. They have very little funding and are desperate for equipment and trainers.

If you have any circus equipment that you no longer need please consider donating it to the school in Cambodia. I am hoping to bring them unicycles, jigsaw mats (acromats), juggling clubs and diablos.

If you can help please contact me on wayne@jester.com.au

Thanks for any help you can offer!

Wayne van Wijk

News from WA

Reg Bolton in Perth is keen to hear from other unicyclists, especially in Western Australia. If you know of unicyclists in WA, please ask them to get in touch with the AUS or directly with Reg. Reg writes:

Hi fellow eccentrics and dreamers, I’m Reg Bolton, long-time rider and enthusiast. There are lots of stories to tell but for now, just a short introduction.

I bought my first unicycle in 1973, in New York, a 24” Schwinn. Although I can’t claim to have ridden from the USA to England, I certainly learned to ride it on the North Atlantic Ocean. I was working as an entertainer on the cruise liner, QE2, and at night, I would rock up and down the rolling corridors, struggling with luxuriant carpets, gales and drunken passengers.

Soon after that I got to know Dave Mariner (the real DM) making some suggestions for the design of his unicycles. I’m no engineer (as Dave is) but I knew there had to be something more comfortable than the vinyl covered T-bar that he called a saddle.

I had a 28” DM which I lent to a friend called Brian Davis, who for years featured with the longest unicycle ride, in the Guinness book of records. He rode from John O’Groats to Lands End (the length of Great Britain) in seventeen days. At the time, apparently, Wally Watts was riding his unicycle around the world!

I was at Unicon in New York in 1984, where I was a guest judge. That’s where I first met John Foss, Jean-Paul Jenack, Jack Halpern and many other poet/philosophers of the one-wheel persuasion.

I wasn’t seriously aware of the Muni and Extreme Uni tendencies until I was in Edinburgh at the British Juggling Convention in the early nineties. Naturally I was thrilled with this new development, as it moved us away from the world of funny clowns, and also avoided the dire pitfall espoused by the International Unicycle Federation of making unicycling an Olympic Sport. (Roll over synchronised swimming, here’s something even sillier!)

Today I live in Perth with about 17 unicycles, in spite of periodic garage sales. I still have a 42” wheeler made by Tom Miller in Kokomo, Indiana. It’s really too big for my short legs, and I’m trying to come to terms with my 36” cruiser, while still introducing dozens of new riders each year, either through the Suitcase Circus schools programmes, or The Circus Shop, which is my front room full of unicycles, juggling gear, fire toys, stilts, books, dvd’s etc. Please visit www.circusshop.net

Municycle 2006 - News from Chiltern

Here's a brief summary of what Mal Bird writes about this years Chiltern Muni ride:

Fifteen unicyclist of different ages and abilities descended on the small historic town of Chiltern in NE Victoria for the second MuniUni Weekend on the 20th and 21st May. Chiltern is surrounded by the 21,000 ha Chiltern/Mt Pilot National Park and within the park there are 100s of kilometers of tracks ranging from graded roads to difficult single tracks and from flat to steep country.

The riders who turned up were talented, keen and enthusiastic and I appreciated them for making the effort and making a great weekend happen. I am keen to organise the 2007 MuniUni!

You can read the full story with all the pictures at: http://www.municycle.com.au/muniuni06.aspx

Uninats 2007 Update

The organisers of UniNats 2007 in Sydney are getting busy! The date is (nearly) confirmed as 29th September - 1st October 2007, so pencil it in your diary!
If you have queries, ideas, items to offer as prizes, offers of venues or want to volunteer support, contact any one of the AUS committee members.

AUS Newsletter Updates

If you’ve got news, pics, stories or info to contribute to the AUS Newsletter, send them on to to the AUS Newsletter Editor at: [aus_newsletter@unicycling.org.au]

These are the results of the 2005 Australian UniNats.

100m