I have had a unicycle for about 2 or 3 months, I guess. I bought a
cheap unicycle (which I have described previously) as an extension to
my juggling, which I have been doing since March.
I am currently studying postgrad. Computer Science at the University
of Queensland (but that will be over soon) in Brisbane. I do most of
my unicycling around the university, often at very strange hours of
the night or morning. My longest unbroken ride, of about 1 km, was
made at around 4:30 am.
I am 23 years old (but that will be over soon too. Beirne, I suggest
you store the birth years in the roster, instead of the ages, so that
it doesn't keep getting out of date) - my birth year is 1970.
My worst fall to date was just a few hours ago. I was practising my
juggling on a unicycle. I got my best run so far - 33 catches of a
three ball cascade. It goes without saying that I had no witnesses to
see this feat.
I decided it was time to try a 4 ball fountain on the uni for the
first time. I guess I was wrong. I started poorly - after only two or
three catches, I dropped one.
It fell right in front of the wheel.
This has happened before, and resulted in me falling off onto my feet.
I don't know why this time was different; perhaps I was too distracted
and was still trying to catch the remaining balls. Perhaps my choice
of footwear (shoes with deep ridges on the sole which catch in the
pedals) was not the best. Whatever it was, I fell with the unicycle,
landing fairly flat on my chest, arms outstretched.
Now, the palms of my hands, and my elbows and knees are covered with
cuts, scrapes and antiseptic. It could have been a lot worse; no major
damage, no damage to clothes, and I can still type with no problems,
which is important at this time of year. Just stinging pain every time
I forget I am hurt, and I bump something the wrong way.
What has been interesting, though, is people's reactions to the
damage. A passer-by (of course there is going to be a witness for a
fall, it is always the way,) was laughing before I hit the ground.
"Ho! You really rolled it there!" - Gee thanks for checking first if I
was unhurt.
Fellow unicyclists have been going "Ooh! ooh! That must hurt. How did
it happen? FOUR BALLS? Wow!" and making all the right pacifying
noises.
However, my so-called friends who do NOT ride unicycles having been
laughing. One said "All I can say is that it serves you right."
Another, after hearing I had been attempting 4 balls, and while
watching me apply temporary band-aids until the bleeding stopped,
wanted to know if I had ever tried riding downstairs. There is just no
satisfying some people.
In non-unicyclists minds, fallen unicyclists don't seem to warrant any
sympathy.
Regards,
Julian
-- Julian Orbach (julian@cs.uq.oz.au)
-- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia