Gonzo Unicycle Madness / Unicycle Club History

Karl Rudnick ('72) writes:
"During Christmas break of 1970/71 I was walking by a bicycle store in Pomona that advertised a unicycle for $29. Having $22 in my bank account I decided to pop for it. When I started riding (crashing) it around campus, Floyd Spencer (also Class of '72) told me that he had a unicycle at home and would bring it out to Mudd first chance. Soon after that the craze had begun, with Dick Jones, Ted Cox and David Van Vactor other notable enthusiasts (David could simultaneously juggle, pick up dimes off the ground and do math!). Since Dick Jones (now the US ambassador to Lebanon) was a heavy in ASHMC student politics, he wrangled the formation of the HMUC (Harvey Mudd Unicycle Club) along with a "gift" of ~$300 for purchasing about 5 "public" unicycles. The rest is history, as they say. Every time I visit HMC, I'm very happy that the tradition continues. I also know of some unicycle riders in the 60's but they were an isolated bunch and, IMHO, it was really the Class of '72 that got the ball (wheel) rolling."


Floyd Spencer ('72) says:
"Back in 71 - 72 there used to be a bicycle ride to one of the local parks. I decided I could do it on my unicycle. Unfortunately, at that time unicycles were pretty scarce so I didn't have any company on the ride. I remember leaving over an hour earlier than the bicyclists and having the group pass me a mile or so before reaching the park."

"Of possible interest to some - What I believe to be the first unicycle pictures at HMC (at least as related to what eventually became the HM Unicycle Club) appear in the '72 Spectrum. Page 63 - Dick Jones (current US Ambassador to Lebanon) on unicycle, page 68 myself (Floyd Spencer) and Dick Jones in a unicycle dance step. page 88 - me pushing one of the Bates planes out to taxi-on a unicycle of course."


Fred Matthews '77/'78 writes:
"I learned to ride a unicycle in junior high school and was interested in the HMC Unicycle Club mentioned in material sent to incoming freshman. When I arrived, with my unicycle, in the fall of 1973, there was no official club, but a large number of unicyclists, mostly seniors.

"I rode my unicycle to class regularly and many other mudders learned to ride on it. Eventually several bought their own. In 1974 a group of us started to perform with a unicycle basketball act called the 'Basket Weavers'. It was started by an employee of a local bicycle shop. Our show featured a basketball game between unicycles and skateboards, and additional stunts performed at halftime. The game was rigged so the unicycles would win in the last minute with a slam dunk from a 6.5 foot unicycle. We also had various home made trick unicycles and an 11 foot tall one. (Schwinn giraffes were not available yet). The Basket Weavers performed at shopping centers (like Montclair Plaza), the now defunct Ontario Motor Speedway and in local parades. We were even paid for our work on occasion. In 1975 the founder of the group had a falling out with his employer and we took over the team. I managed it from fall 1976 to spring 1978. At that time many of the team members graduated and the Basket Weavers dissolved.

"Since the team members were mostly mudders, the publicity director of the college helped us. Due to his efforts, we were featured in the LA times and on television news. There are pictures of the "Basket Weavers" in the 1977 HMC yearbook.

"In addition to the Basket Weavers, we often engaged in other impromptu unicycle activities, like unicycle wrestling in the North Dorm Quad (the object was to outmaneuver your opponent and force him off, preferably by finesse rather than force. Pushing an opponent into a dumpster was extra credit), weaving through the columns in front of Platt center for time (forward, backwards or one footed), riding the 11 foot unicycle (We started from a balcony), or the "Spring Ride" (Every spring a group of unicyclists would ride through the colleges and try our luck with obstacles like walls stairs and fountains).

"We never rode to Foster's Doughnut's but it is definitely a worthy destination. Growing up in Glendora, I knew Foster's well and we used to make a big deal about driving there for jelly doughnut's. Unicycling would have been much better. Glad to hear the tradition of unicycling is alive and well at HMC.

"PS: I still ride the Uni, especially when old friends stop by who will ride with me."


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Last modified on Mon Dec 7 15:44:48 EST 1998 by Jennie Hango