A critical Review of Unicycling

16. Oktober 2012 | einradfahren.de | Thomas Gossmann | 1
A critical Review of Unicycling

Thomas Gossmann • gossi • 1994 – First attempts • 2002 – Competitive riding • 2005 – Started coaching • 2008 – Started studying Sports Sciences • I'm a Freestyler

Series of Talks Future Unicycling Development July 29th 10:00 A critical Review of Unicycling now IUF Education #1: Movement Basics July 28th 10:00 IUF Education #2: Structures of Unicycling Skills July 28th 11:30 Technical Training and Skill Levels July 28th 14:30 Future Freestyle Judging July 29th 12:00

Why Reviewing? • The unicycling system 1. Has an operational role to keep things working 2. Is developing the sport • Reviews of rules after each Unicon • 11 items for a review today

Unicycling is build on practice 1

Unicycling is built on practice • Hardly any research • Tons of sport science literature • None is cited to reason rules/statements • Unicycling-related literature is rare Future Unicycling Development by Thomas Gossmann and Felix Dietze July 29th 10:00 1

Inconsistency of the Rulebook 2

Inconsistency of the Rulebook • Rulebook changes after every Unicon • Published just before Unicon • No consistency for competitors 2

Inconsistent Trick Terminology 3

Inconsistent Trick Terminology • Example: back spin back spin • Newest Trends 3 Spin, 5 Spin, 7 Spin? • Welcomed shortcuts Standwalk = Stand up Wheel Walk Standgliding = Stand up Gliding to from 5 * 360° = 1800° Unispin 3 1800° first landed by Horst Huber back in the '80s

Freestyle 4

Freestyle a) “Free Style” • Freestyle is a indication for free improvisation • In Sport: Freestyle BMX Freestyle Skateboarding Street Dance Freestyle Skiing Freestyle Jet Ski Freestyle Skydiving Flying disc Freestyle Freestyle Snowboarding Freestyle fighting Freestyle Swimming Freestyle football ... Freestyle Motocross 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle

Freestyle a) “Free Style” • Musical Representation Routine  Choreographed movements Freestyle  Improvised movements matching the music 4 (Pavicic, 2007, p. 87f) There is no Freestyle in Freestyle Unicycling

Freestyle b) Rules • Choreography “Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography (greek) literally means "dance-writing". A choreographer is one who creates choreographies.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choreography) • Choreography in Unicycle Freestyle “Choreography is designed sequences of movements with arms, head, free leg and other possible body in which motion, form, or both are specified. Any type of movements may performed, not only dance elements from ballet, jazz, modern, tap, but also mime, acrobatics, etc. The quantity of movements is measured in this section.” (IUF Rulebook, 2012, p. 29) Choreography = Composition, Choreography, Style • Unnecessary complexity 4

Freestyle b) Rules • Choreography: Sequence of movements • What about Tricks? Technical judges score this fit “Skills: Should be chosen to work with the costume, music, and style to create an integrated theme. If the routine is flowing and smooth with graceful body style, skills that are less graceful (typically seat out skills) should not be used. The choice of skills is the most important part in Technical Interpretation.” (Section 3.22.4 Technical Interpretation - IUF Rulebook, 2012, p. 28) • Double overstrain for judges? Technical judges: Focus the tricks … and the rest 4

Nature of ... • Nature of MUni riders: Mountains, Hills, Forests • Nature of Street/Flatland riders: Urban environment • Nature of Freestylers: Gym 4

Freestyle c) Borders: PJA vs TJA • Idea of PJA: Additional space for presentation • Reality: Additional acceleration space Buffer • Forces the rider to watch wether they execute a trick in TJA Unnecessary burden for the riders brain Why not just let them do tricks? In their natural environment? 4

Freestyle c) Borders • Borders do not match Unicycling • In Freestyle riders accelerate, break, accelerate, break, … • Or stick with slow speed • Slow speed = unattractive (less dynamic) • High speed = attractive (high dynamic) • The rules want attractive routines • Don't give them enough space 4

Freestyle c) Borders: Study • I tested how many meters it takes to go into Standgliding • Sample n = 21 Riders • Method Approach a start line; start accelerate; go into Standgliding • Results 4 Meters

Freestyle c) Borders: Study • 14x11m TJA Diagonal: 17.8m Get rid of momentums of inertia Depends on the radius and acceleration/speed 4 Diameter Speed (circle) Get rid of M Effective Distance left for Standgliding 1-2m Zero to low < 1m 7.8m 3-4m Low < 1m 6.55m 3-4m Avg 1-2m (= 1 rev) 6.05m 5-6m High 2-3m (> 1 rev) 5.05m 20m High < 1m :( Freestyle Area does not match Standgliding

Freestyle c) Borders: Study • Discussion Measurements only use the straight diagonal No additional space from PJA included • Riders develop strategies to adapt to situation Decrease acceleration speed Decrease Standgliding length Decrease riding speed before circle to accelerate for Standgliding 4 Are we playing a Cat and Mouse game?

Freestyle c) Borders • Artifical Zone Encages riders Contrary to their natural environment 4

Freestyle d) Dismounts • Dismounts are Mastery Dismount: Mastery = 0 • Why are Dismounts judged in the non-tricks part? • Body technic to play over a dismount to keep the flow 4

Freestyle e) Synchronization • Synchronization “Synchronization with rhythm of the music and timing accuracy of body movements should be judged. High scores awarded for a routine if the timing of all movement is well planed and accurate. Quality of movement is measured in the Style and Synchronization elements.” (IUF Rulebook, 2012, p. 29) • What timing? • What accuracy? 4 Music Realization Analog Congruent Contrastive Autonom (Dieter-Rotenberger, 2008, p. 7)

Freestyle Conclusion • Unclear about the name Freestyle • Choreography vs. Body technic • Borders vs. Natural environment vs. Attractive routines • Overstrain for judges • Tricks vs. Dismounts vs. Presentation • Synchronization vs. Music realization 4

Freestyle Conclusion 4 Future Freestyle Judging July 29th 12:00 I think we can do better

Standard Skill • One to one copy of artistic cycling • Freestyle and Standard Skill Two opposite worlds • Standard Skill will always be behind Freestyle • Standard Skill creates no “news” • Don't provide alternatives 5

Standard Skill List • A list of Tricks with a number suggesting difficulty 6 30.a) Wheel Walk 3.3 19.a) 1ft 3.0 53.a) Gliding 3.9 4.a) SIF 2.0 219.a) Crankflip 3.8 215.b) 360 Unispin 4.6 220.a) Hickflip 5.5 228.a) Smallspin 5.1 Total 12.2 Total 19

Standard Skill List • Evolution of the difficulty number • Why did the difficulty of the 360 Unispin change? • What would happen if flatland riders overrun StdSkill? • What are the ingredients of that difficulty number? 6 Trick 2006 2008 2012 360 Unispin 5.3 4.6 4.6 Hickflip 5.5 5.5 Smallspin 5.1 5.1 Crankflip 3.8 3.8 IUF Education #2: Structures of Unicycling Skills July 28th 11:30

Dilemma of the Judges • Judges in Unicycling: Slow-/Racing Long- and Highjump Freestyle Flatland Street Referees Hockey/Basketball Trial • The rules assure everybody can be a judge 7

Fixing Symptoms over Causes 8 Freestyle Rules Long Jump Rules High Jump Rules ... Symptoms Cause IUF Education #1: Movement Basics July 28th 10:00 IUF Education #2: Structures of Unicycling Skills July 28th 11:30

Skill Levels • Validation of the `98 Skill Levels • Good Parts: 22 out of 85 Skills 9 Criteria Progress Not met Testing Method Not met Teach of broad range of tricks Not met Nonsense tricks Not met Give Ideas Met Technical Training and Skill Levels July 28th 14:30

One Rulebook to rule them all • The Rulebook as the ONE product in unicycling • What do Skill Levels have to do with rules for competition? 10 Future Unicycling Development July 29th 10:00

Almost No Sharing • It is very hard to find information about unicycling • Less lines written about unicycling • Knowledge is hardly shared • Yuka Sakaino: http://ameblo.jp/uniyukablo/entry- 10761024497.html 11

References Dieter-Rotenberger, C. (2008). Skript Tanz Grundkurs. Unpublished Script. Darmstadt: TU-Darmstadt. Pavicic, C. (2007). Hip Hop Dancing Bodies. Hamburg: Dr. Kovac Wikipedia, accessed on July 13th

Conclusion • Be critical with new things • Be even more critical with what we've already got • Don't be afraid of reading a book • Cite what you've read • Explain others what you've learned • Share what and how you've done it • Get ideas from other sports, transfer them to unicycling, not copying

Your Ideas 1. Unicycling is built on practice 2. Inconsistency Rulebook (every two years) 3. Inconsistency of (Trick) Terminology 4. Freestyle (Name, Borders, Choreo, Dismounts, Synch.) 5. Standard Skill 6. Standard Skill List 7. Dilemma of the Judges 8. Fixing Symptoms over Causes 9. Skill Levels 10. One Rulebook to rule them all 11. Almost no Sharing

A critical Review of Unicycling

A critical Review of Unicycling

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