Coasting Backward

[Bill Gilbertson]

Some people may be unlikely to toot their own horn so:

I have seen Ken Fuchs coast backwards 10 meters and ride out of it. Ken won the
track coasting event at '94 Unicon here in Minneapolis. Of course coasting
backwards is really not all that hard. In fact, it's not even a riding skill but
a balance skill. Anyone should be able to do this, it's barely more difficult
than riding a skateboard backwards and slightly easier than riding a skateboard
backwards while balancing on a pogo stick:>) (sorry if any net newcommers miss
my ackward attempt at humor.)

A young man from Japan named Kato (don't know his full name) did the following
(At least I think this is what I saw): Coast forward, coasting backspin, coast
backwards a short distance, and wheel walk forward out of it. This occurred at
the '92 Unicon in Quebec in a practice gym. I was awe struck and still have
trouble believing what I saw. Unfortunately, he did not include this in his
competitive routine.

I hope someone will pull off the '96 Unicon. The '92 Unicon was the highlight of
my unicycling experience.

Stay on top, but if you can't, come up smiling,

Bill Gilbertson

[Unicycle@aol.com]

wrg@unirsvl.rsvl.unisys.com (Bill Gilbertson) wrote:

>A young man from Japan named Kato (don't know his full name) did the following
>(At least I think this is what I saw): Coast forward, coasting backspin, coast
>backwards a short distance, and wheel walk forward out of it. This occurred at
>the '92 Unicon in Quebec in a practice gym. I was awe struck and still have
>trouble believing what I saw. Unfortunately, he did not include this in his
>competitive routine.

His name is Yuichiro Kato, he was 17 at the time, and nobody ever taught him how
to fall. The reason he didn't include that amazing trick in his routine was
because it was far too chancy of a trick for him to attempt. He has a tendency
to still bite off more than he can chew, but his performances get better every
time we see him. Now if somebody could just explain that whole Pairs act with
the hot dog???

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone unicycle@aol.com