UNICON XV: 27 Dec 2009-7 Jan 2010

The 15th International Unicycle World Championships and Convention (UNICON XV) will take place in Wellington, New Zealand in 2009/2010. UNICON is held every two years, and this will be the first ever Southern Hemisphere UNICON. It is a mix of competitive events as well as a convention style gathering of unicyclists from around the world. UNICON is open to anyone who can ride a unicycle, and showcases multiple types of unicycling, including Artistic Freestyle, MUni (mountain-unicycling), Street, Track and Field, Unicycle Hockey and Basketball, Road Racing and more! RSS Subscribe to RSS

Looi Wins Bronze in Unicycle Marathon

Wellington’s Ken Looi won New Zealand’s third medal in the Unicycle World Championships marathon held in Wellington. On the very tough multi-lap course on the Miramar peninsula Looi took an early lead but had to bow to the superior strength of American Corbin Dunn and France’s Martin Charrier in to the wind.

Thirty knot winds buffeted the unicyclists for much of the course and maintaining balance on the unicycle proved to be too much on some of the more exposed sections. Already billed as the most gruelling unicycle marathon ever, the course included climbing up to Mt Crawford prison four times followed by a steep descent in to Karaka Bay.

Looi was satisfied with his effort and delighted with the result.

“I put everything in to the race and could not have goner any faster” Looi said. “Corbin and Martin were just too strong heading back in to the wind”. Looi was the 2006 world champion and responsible for bringing the event to Wellington.

Corbin broke away from Charrier on the fourth lap to win in 2 hours 5 minutes 39 seconds. This is well off the usual times that are normally well under two hours.

The Unicycle World Championships concluded with an awards ceremony in the TSB Arena and the next world championships will be held in Italy in 2012.

World Championship Co-ordinator, Lynne Klap, said that the ten day Unicon XV was a special event to have organised and that the response from the public has been extremely positive.

“We have had big crowds come to most of the events and the public are always amazed at the skill levels on display and the range of ages competing. I have really enjoyed the mixture of pure sport with the artistry of the freestyle events and the daring of the street and trials unicyclists.”

Unicycle World Championships Marathon Results

Expert Men

1.Corbin Dunn (USA) 2hr 5min 39sec, 2. Martin Charrier (France) 2hr 8min 35sec, 3. Ken Looi (New Zealand) 2hr 10min 41sec

Expert Women

1. Signe Jensen (Denmark) 2hr 30min 27sec, 2. Sheila Rasmussen (Denmark) 2hr 38min 12sec, Mirjam Lips (Switzerland) 2hr 47min 58sec


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Posted on : 10:12 PM
Posted under Press Releases, Results |

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Sunday January 10th, 2010 - 10:47 PM
Tony Melton said:

I think you mean New Zealand’s third medal? Christian won the flatland and I was third in the Muni XC.

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