Re: Atlanta Beginner update

Glenn V. Morrison (glenn5@mindspring.com)
Thu, 28 Mar 1996 19:28:12 -0500

Tim Sheppard answers me with:
>Yes. In fact it was learning the tightrope that enabled me to hover on
>my uni (on the ground). I've always had good balance, but the
>discipline of recovering from wobbles on the wire suddenly sorted out
>my tendency to travel a lot while hovering. It only took a couple of
>days.

Do you mean it only took you a couple of days to learn to tightrope-walk,
or to hover on your yike? Where did you go to learn to tightrope-walk?

>No. But it does require a tightrope rig, which isn't easy to come by.
>I learned on a wire only 18 inches off the ground, which is as high as
>any beginner should contemplate. It wasn't difficult, but does
>require constant practice to refine and maintain your skill. You do
>need coaching, to get good, but basic walking and balancing aren't
>hard to do with the right technique and a reasonable level of fitness.

Where would I find a "tightrope rig"? Could I make one myself?

>>And if _anybody_ can do that, then can _anybody_ ride a unicycle on a
>>tightrope?
>
>I've never tried, but I should imagine that if you have the right
>equipment and a spotter to help you train, then it wouldn't be out of
>anyone's reach if they are determined. Fear would be the main
>obstacle.

The reason I asked is because I've heard that Cirque du Soleil has an
acrobat who can ride a giraffe on a tightrope, then do a backflip off the
giraffe to land standing on the rope. I've never seen Cirque so I don't
know if that's true, but since I'm having such unexpected early success
with my yike, I wonder how ridiculous it would be to hold something like
that as my goal.

___________________________________________________________
Glenn V. Morrison (Glenn Five)
glenn5@mindspring.com, glenn5@cis.compuserve.com
7106 Trolley Square Crossing, Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 874-1015
HTTP://www.mindspring.com/~glenn5/home.html
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