Competitions

We're having two competitive events this year:

• The Confluence Uphill Race
• The Jenkinson Lake Wheel Dip

General Rules: Kneepads, gloves (or wristguards) and helmets are required for all races. This is for your protection as well as mine, and to present a responsible image of our sport to the press, which will hopefully be all over us at both events.

IUF Rules: When not specified otherwise, we follow the racing rules of the International Unicycling Federation. These are offroad races, and there are no limitations on wheel size and crank arm length. Please bring your coolest unicycles!

Prizes: As you know from the previous MUni Weekends, the incentive in our competitions is definitely not the prizes! In other words, this year's prizes might be better than last year, but probably not. . .

Confluence Uphill: The object is to ride up the trail in the least amount of time, without a dismount. You will be allowed two attempts. The course is about 50 meters long, with an elevation gain of about 20 meters, depending on which course. You can choose the short or the long course, but must specify before you start your first run. The long course goes to the top of the little trail (coming out right near where we park), and it's steeper and rockier at the top.

Dan Heaton nears the finish in the 1997 Confluence Uphill. His father Bill is on the stopwatch. They'll both be here this year!

Jenkinson Lake Wheel Dip: So what's a wheel dip? It's a totally new event that hasn't been tried yet, so these rules may change. In this event you ride from the designated starting area down to the edge of the lake about 100 feet away (yes I know I'm mixing feet & meters, so what?). Ride into the water enough to get your tire wet, and ride back up. The winner will be the rider with the shortest time and the least amount of dabs. This is a beach area made of a white rocky substance which is kind of smooth, but definitely not easy to ride on. Distance to the lake and altitude gain will depend on lake level. Because we're counting dabs (dismounts), this may be the first trials-type MUni race ever! You will be allowed a great deal of flexibility in choosing your route over the rocks. Longer routes may be easier but will take more time. Each time a rider dabs, he or she gets a point. The combination of finishing time and point total determines the winner.

Here's the Wheel Dipping beach.

I think we will count number of dabs more importantly than time. In other words, the least number of dabs will win it. All riders who are tied with the lowest number of dabs will be have their times compared, and the shortest time will win. All of this may change if we think it will work better a different way.