By Lu Kuan Chung
Have you ever wondered whether your bike is really faster when you race to your next class only to find all the parking spots taken? Bicycles, of course, are our intimate friends on campus. But their size and the weight, no matter how compact, always take up a lot of space. Is there a better solution? How about a unicycle! It’s so simple and small that you can take it anywhere. Who’s riding one now? If you asked me who rode a unicycle twenty years ago, I would certainly say “weirdoes.” However, nowadays unicycles are not just for clowns, acrobats, or weirdoes. Today, a lot of those who ride are daring children. There is a recent trend of learning to ride that has come from Japan. Most unicycle clubs are founded at schools and special teachers are recruited to teach children. A lot of children think it is cool to ride a unicycle – not just roller skating or skate boarding – and schools also encourage children to join in. Also, in July 2006, twenty or so children from Hualien’s Faith and Love Academy successfully completed a trip around Taiwan made only by unicycle. It took them twenty days to finish the 1000 km journey. They were so determined that even a typhoon wasn’t able to stop them. What is more surprising is that they had only started learning to ride six months before. A touching book and documentary of their journey was also released. Some advantages Parents let children take unicycle courses because they have found many advantages. It enhances children’s sense of balance, gives them confidence and courage. It is more difficult to ride a unicycle than to roller skate or to ride a conventional bike. In the case of a unicycle, there is only one point of balance and if you want to sit on it, the only way is to keep moving. Unlike bicycles, which require balance of the left side and the right side, unicycles require balance from all parts of the body. Therefore, learning to ride a unicycle includes learning good gestures. Also, unicycling, like other sports, is a challenge. Children who are able to master the unicycle will be confident about themselves. Since few people know how to ride a unicycle it gives them a sense of pride and it will help them to overcome other challenges in the future. Children who have become unicyclers can also feel a change in their social life. They meet friends from different places and also form very close relationships through the training. Because the beginner course is not easy, they have to practice a lot to succeed. Only those who have tried will know what it is like to be beaten again and again and finally win. Some tricks Unicycle competitions are taken very seriously, including single, dual, and group performances. The flexibility of unicycles makes it possible to have many basic elements, including circling, spinning, and jumping. Video records of student performances can be breathtaking. The music and the movements all blend together into an enjoyable art work. Some elementary school children are able to pull off extremely complex tricks, taking advantage of their body size. From time to time the participants may fall off, but the most important thing is to get on again as soon as possible. Sportsmanship is emphasized more than perfection. Of course, unicycle tricks at the circus are even more thrilling. I remember seeing two acrobats ride on one unicycle, and a clown throwing bowling pins while riding one. Sometimes entire clown dramas can take place on unicycles with seemingly impossible chase scenes. My experience on a unicycle When I first saw a unicycle, I thought it was a bike partly stolen. And my friend Betty described it as “the remains of someone’s bicycle after a car ran over it – maybe two cars and a truck.” But there I was, on the stage of the old gym at 6 p.m. on a Wednesday with the Juggling Club. At first I couldn’t even learn their easiest trick – to throw two balls continuously with one hand. I tried to learn other tricks while waiting for the unicycle guy to show up. Finally, he appeared with a unicycle as tall as my waist. It was very simple with one wheel, one pole, one seat and two pedals. After some adjustment to the seat, I tried to climb on. I failed the first time when the unicycle suddenly fell forward and hit the floor with a huge sound. But that didn’t stop me. With my right hand on a low shelf and my left hand on my friend’s shoulder, I managed to stay on with 90% of my weight on my hands. My arms weakened. My friend suggested that I should really sit on it, so I did. The unicycle started spinning and I grabbed my friend’s shoulder. Both of us screamed. It was truly challenging simply to sit on a unicycle. However, the practice was fun. In the end my friend and I were both able to stay on for about two minutes. It was such a challenge! Now you know what I’m going to do during the summer! a
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May 2024
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