Frequently Asked Questions about the

Unicycling Skills Development and Ranking System

9-8-07

Introduction

Why do we have a new skills development and ranking system?

For many reasons.

Unicycling is an extremely interesting and varied sport.  It offers something for just about everyone—young and old; male and female; daredevil or chicken; loner or socialite. Riders can work on their own, with a partner, in groups of any size, or on teams.  They can ride indoors or outdoors, on stage or in parades, gracefully with perfect form to music or ruggedly outdoors over obstacles. They can race, play hockey and basketball, perform precision routines, or see how far they can go or how high they can jump. The variety and challenges offered by the sport are endless.

Since unicycling is so diverse, the official skills development system has to be interesting, challenging, and varied, too.

What are skill levels?

Skill levels originated in 1980 when Jan Layne of Ohio developed four sets of unicycling skills that riders could work on. When a rider was able to do all the skills in a set, Jan offered a level patch as a reward. These four levels were revised and expanded, and in 1987 Sem Abrahams developed a list of skills in order of difficulty, which he then separated into ten levels. These were adopted by the USA and IUF as a set of challenges that unicyclists could work on to improve their skills. Since then, the USA has made some minor modifications in the levels, but there have been no major updates or additions in over 18 years. 

Why do we have skill levels?

While skill levels aren’t for everyone, they are very useful and practical.  They have three main purposes:

1.  to offer riders a sequence of motivational challenges

2.  to provide riders with the benefit of others’ experiences about how to learn skills and in what order

3.  to provide a means of comparing the abilities of various riders so they can be placed fairly in competition.

Who can test me when I’m ready?

Only certified skill testers may give any of the new skills tests.  Check the list on this web site. To become a certified tester, please contact the Unicycling Skill Testing Committee for more information. E-mail: unicyclecentral@hotmail.com.

The New Unicycling Skills Development System

What’s the new skills system like?

It’s much broader, offers more challenges, and provides many new options for riders of all ability levels. This new skills development system is the product of the efforts of many of the most dedicated, talented, and enthusiastic riders of today. 

Instead of just one 10-level system that focuses on indoor riding to prepare a person for freestyle competition, the new skills system features a much broader range of skills. It encourages riders to branch out in many new directions, such as learning to ride a giraffe or an ultimate wheel, or even learning to juggle while riding.

Why are we expanding the old system?

Unicycling, like many sports, is changing with the advances in the sport.  For example, figure skating has developed and changed a lot over the years—many years ago a double jump was considered amazing.  Now that’s been replaced by triple jumps, or higher.  Sports change and continue to grow.

Unicycling also has changed. The levels we’ve been using were put into place in 1987. When they were developed, it was generally assumed that no one would be able to pass all ten. However, riders have reached that level, and it’s time for some revisions and new challenges. 

Also, riders are finding that there are many other styles of unicycling to focus on, so they don’t want to be restricted to just one level system any more.

What was wrong with the old 10-level system?

It worked well for many people, but not for everyone. Over the years, many people noticed some problems with the existing 10-level system. Some skills were misplaced; some levels were too difficult, while others were relatively easy; some contained dead-end skills; the mount requirements didn’t make sense at the higher levels; many people got discouraged and gave up even before they reached Level 1; and it focused primarily on indoor skills.

How is the new system set up?

The new skills system is divided into tiers by difficulty and is much broader and more challenging, yet it offers more help for beginners, too.

What are the tiers?
The new system is divided into skill tiers:
Tier 1 is the Rider tier, with six sets of learn-to-ride base skills.
Tier 2 is for the intermediate range of skills and includes several new divisions. There are about five or six classes (or levels) of skill within each of the new divisions.
Tier 3 is the advanced tier. 

Tier 4 is the expert tier, and there can be higher tiers some day, as riders look for new challenges.

What’s the Rider tier like?

It starts all riders on common ground with an easier set of early levels. The Rider bases will help newcomers gain the basic skills they need so they can branch off in many directions. These skills focus on riding, turning, freemounting, idling, going over a bump, and hopping—skills that riders need as a solid foundation in unicycling. 

How does the Rider tier compare with the old skill levels?

The Rider bases are somewhat comparable to the old Levels 1 and 2. Overall, the Rider bases are easier, yet they guarantee mastery of the foundation skills. 

Why are they easier?

For several reasons:

1.  To provide more encouragement for riders who have trouble conquering the early skills.

2.  To eliminate skills that are especially difficult for particular age groups, such as younger kids and older adults.

3.  To keep people progressing without running into skills they see no reason to learn.

Are these beginning skill sets too easy?

No.  Just learning to ride a short distance is difficult for most people.  It takes several hours of concentrated practice.  The new Rider bases recognize this and reward people for getting over the early hurdles—riding a short distance without assistance.

Freemounting, too, is a very difficult skill.  It normally takes riders many hours to learn to freemount. This skill is introduced and tested after riders are more comfortable with their ability to ride—a more logical and encouraging progression.

Passing the Rider bases will help new riders realize that they are making progress. We hope that will encourage them to stick around and continue to build their skills in many other ways.

How do the Rider bases encourage mastery?

In several ways:

1. Riders continue to increase the distance they must ride with each base, which eliminates the possibility that riders are passing early tests accidentally, without having the solid riding skill they need.

2. Riders gradually increase their basic skills with each base. When they complete the set of six bases, they will be able to ride a fair distance, turn, freemount, idle, go over a bump, and hop.

3. The bases become increasingly difficult, and repeat the main skills from the previous base, so riders continue to practice the basics.  That way, they aren’t learning a skill for one test and never using it again.

Are the Rider bases for indoor riding, as the old 10 levels were?

The Rider tier is an all-purpose basic skill set.  Riders will conquer these skills before they branch out into other areas.  So, while they are for indoor freestyle, they are also for outdoor riding and everything else.

What are all the new skill divisions in Tier 2?

So far, the new divisions include Artistic, Tall, Technical, U-Wheel, Juggling, and Pairs, with others planned for the future.

The new divisions are listed and explained in the new Unicycling Skill Testing Handbook.

Each of these new divisions has five or more skill classes. Some classes may be added later, as riders have a chance to evaluate the new divisions.

What if I want to focus on advanced indoor freestyle riding?

Then you should work on the Artistic classes. This division focuses on skills such as backward, one-foot, wheel walk, spins, and freemounts. It is similar to the old levels, from Level 3 to about Level 7. 

What’s the new Expert tier?

Tier 4 represents a higher challenge for top riders.  Once riders pass the classes in an Advanced division, they earn the distinction of being an Expert.

Right now, the Expert tier skill divisions that are being developed are Artistic and Technical. Others will be added as soon as possible.

In the Expert tier, riders will encounter tougher challenges and have some choices.  They may pass a skill set three different ways:  at the bronze, silver, or gold levels. This allows riders to keep progressing, even if they aren’t interested in mastering every skill in a particular Expert class. 

What if I’ve already passed skill levels? Do I have to retest under the new system?

It's easy to get started in the new system.  Just Fast Test through the base levels, then move on to any new division that interests you.

Advanced riders will find they can easily pass many of the new skill classes. Once they are familiar with the new system, they will quickly find out what skill class they are and can go on from there.

What if I’ve never officially passed a test under the old level system?

Begin by passing the test for Base 1 or Fast Testing.

What’s the Fast Test?
Fast Test is a quick and easy way to pass the Rider bases.

By taking the test for Base 6, a rider may skip the previous five bases.  Because the Rider bases represent cumulative skill development, it’s possible to demonstrate mastery of all just by passing Base 6.

The Fast Test option is great for riders who are working on their own and don’t have access to skill testers. That way, they can quickly pass the Base 6 test and move on to the Tier 2 skill divisions when they locate a tester—at a convention, for example.

It’s also great for riders who’ve got the basic skills already but have never officially passed skill tests.  Now, they can pass Base 6 and quickly move on to other divisions.
 

How do I take the Fast Test?
Just tell your skill tester, in advance, that you are skipping the earlier bases and testing for Base 6.  If you pass, you’ve completed the entire set of Rider bases.

If you don’t pass, you may not try (at that time) to pass a lower-level base. But you may test again in seven days.

After seven days, you may retry for Base 6, or you may decide to begin by testing at a lower level, such as Base 4. 

Riders may Fast Test through any of the Rider bases. For example, a rider may choose to test for Base 3, skipping the two earlier bases. 

When does this new system go into effect?

Riders are field-testing the system now.  The old level system will continue to be available as well. 

In the old system, riders may self-test for Levels 1 to 4, and they may continue to do that. However, for the new skills system, only certified testers may administer any of the skills tests.

Testers who are field-testing the new skills system are keeping track of successfully completed skills tests. When the system is formally adopted, we may be able to transfer those records into the new database.

New Testing Guidelines

Have the testing guidelines changed?

Yes. 

Because there are more things to test, and because there’s a greater concern that testing become more standard, many new guidelines will be in force.

1.  Only certified testers may give any test.

2.  Results of all tests passed will be reported to the database of riders.

3.  All rules must be followed.  Individuals or groups may not alter the rules in any way, or make a test easier or more difficult. 

4.  Skill testers must be 14 or older.

5.  Some tests require more than one certified skills tester.

6. Testers may not test themselves on any skill test.

The complete set of testing rules is available in the Unicycling Skill Testing Handbook.

What’s the Unicycling Skill Testing Handbook?

It’s a new publication that  provides testing rules and guidelines, and answers questions about the system.

What’s the Retry Rule?

With the new skills system, there’s a new approach to the number of chances a rider has to complete skills successfully during a test.

Some people believe that a rider’s mastery should be so good that there should not be any extra chances when testing. Others believe that riders get nervous and may therefore miss a skill they are good at and fail the test even though they are proficient under normal conditions. These people favor allowing extra chances during testing.  The Retry Rule is a compromise between these two beliefs.

On all skills testing, a rider may have one extra chance on one skill per set. If the rider attempts a skill and fails it, he or she may continue to test.  If the rider fails any additional skill, the test is over and the rider does not pass.

If I don’t pass the test, may I take it again?

Yes.  But you have to wait seven days before you can test again.

Why do I have to wait to test again?

The rule helps to ensure that a rider who didn’t pass a test will practice before attempting the test again.  With so many more skill tests available now, it’s important that testers don’t spend their time testing riders who aren’t ready.

If I pass a skill test, what happens?

1. Many people will say, “Congratulations!” 

2. Your club may provide you with a skill pin and the accompanying card. (If your club or group doesn’t offer them, you may order them directly from the Skill Testing Committee for a small fee.)

3. Your accomplishment will be reported to the rider database.

4. You may choose to be listed on the web site.

5. You may immediately take another skill test if you choose.

6. You may want to celebrate and/or brag, so go right ahead.

If I pass a test, do I ever have to take it again?

No.  Once you pass a test with a certified skills tester, you may not be asked to re-take that test.  

What if I want to learn more about the new skills system?

Contact Carol McLean: unicyclecentral@hotmail.com

Home