>My 5 year old son wants to sit up on my shoulders as I ride my unicycle. Any
>helpful hints on this one? Just practice? I don't want to hurt the little
>guy, me is OK but he is up higher and has farther to fall. I have tried it a
>couple of times and went maybe 10ft. Feels like it might come with practice.
>
>I am not an expert at ridding yet but am getting better all the time. I went
>about 350 ft the other day while juggling! Yeah!
>
>Andy Arhelger
A few hints.
Make sure your passenger hooks his/her feet behind your back. The more a
part of you s/he becomes the easier it will be. If s/he's not real good at
this (I find some kids just relax their legs and flop around) then use one
hand to hold his/her leg tight against your body.
Keep your back straight and upright. This serves to prevent back injuries
and makes riding, and falling off in controll, easier.
Put the seat a little lower than you would for normal riding. This makes it
easier to free mount and easier to dismount smoothly - even in a hurry.
I have given many shoulder rides in this way, even to people heavier than
me. I do fall off now and then, particularly with the heavier folk on
board, but my falls are always smooth and harmless. I am a fairly
accomplished unicycler, I have a strong back and I have a natural ability
to controll how I fall (off anything). If your not so confident about your
abilities it might be an idea to practice with a smaller child (building up
to heavier people) and to practice dismounts to the front and back of the
uni with someone on your shoulders. Try to step off smoothly and with a
straight and upright back so you dont jar anything.
When you're learning this skill it helps to have a passenger who behaves
themselves. Remember they're putting their life in your hands so don't
betray their trust. Once you know what your doing it's always fun to
pretend you don't. Your passenger will then behave differently (usually in
a way which makes things harder - grab your head, pull your hair, cover
your eyes, squeeze your neck, wet your back), so be prepaired for it and
get used to it.
Good luck.
Mark
Mark Sands o o
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E-mail M.R.Sands@iasos.utas.edu.au o o
IASOS/CRC Ph: +61 20 2941 Fax: +61 20 2973
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Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies o @_/
CRC for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Environment \/|
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