Competition events, or historical events?
Conventions/competitions:
Unicycling Society of America:
Founded in 1973. First event, "National Unicycle Meet," 1973, Pontiac,
Michigan
Before this was a large Unicycle Invitational, sponsored by the Stelber
Corporation with help from USA founder Bill Jenack. This was in New
York's Central Park in 1971.
International Unicycling Federation:
Founded in 1982. First event, "International Unicycling Convention,"
1984 in Syracuse, New York. Starting with the second one we called them
"Unicon."
MUni:
First big MUni race I know of was at Unicon IV in 1988 in Aguadilla,
Puerto Rico. There were about 70-100 entrants.
First one at a USA convention was in 1989 in Mobile, Alabama.
First all-MUni convention:
http://www.unicycling.com/muni/muni96/index.htm
First Moab Muni Fest:
2000
http://www.moabmunifest.com
In between were the British MUni Weekend (BMW) and others.
Japan has held the world's largest unicycle events, with up to 1200
competitors or so. I don't know if the most recent Unicon was the
biggest (it was certainly the biggest international one), it may have
been a Japan nationals. Way back at Unicon III, the first one in Japan,
there were about 850 competitors.
In 2000 we had somewhere around 400 international unicyclists all
holding hands in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
In 1998 we had a similar number of riders try to link up on a narrow,
rectangular park in Bottrop, Germany.
In 1992 in Quebec City, Canada, we had 192 riders actually ride, all
holding hands.
A United States and MUni-centric timeline:
2004: Unicon 12 in Tokyo has around 1000 competitors and is the
largest, longest unicycle convention known to me, with the most events.
2001(?): Gilby starts Unicyclist.com, creating today's online
unicyclist community.
1999: Unicycle.com started selling unicycles online.
1998: Kris Holm first rides with other unicyclists (MUni Weekend)
1995: We start calling it Muni or MUni.
1993(?): The Unicycling Mailing List becomes a usenet newsgroup,
rec.sport.unicycling.
1989: First offroad race (UMX) at USA convention.
1988: First offroad race at IUF convention.
1987: 850 riders at Unicon III in Tokyo.
1985: George Peck writes in to the IUF to tell about his offroad riding
activities.
1984: First international convention and world championships. All
competition events are held indoors, in the same (very big) room.
1983: Riders from approximately 8 countries attend the USA convention,
and talk starts about doing a true international one the following
year.
1982: IUF is founded.
1981: Miyata unicycles become available in the U.S.
1973: Unicycling Society of America is founded.
1967: Schwinn introduces their unicycle.
There is plenty more, this is just American and IUF stuff. Please add
more!
--
johnfoss
John Foss
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com
-----------------------------------------------
"Idiot America—where fact is merely that which enough people believe,
and truth is measured only by how fervently they believe it." --
Charles Pierce, in Esquire Magazine
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