To the unicyclists of the world
Here is an updated announcement for the The 6TH World Games Unicycle Convention, to be held in Akita Japan on August 25 and 26.
This event is not at all like a Unicon and no major preparations need to be made by overseas participants. Already some world-class unicyclists like Javier Ruiz and Julien Money have decided to join us.
This event is basically for demonstration purposes, with the Japan Unicycle Association and IUF Japan acting as the main organizers. I believe it is an important event in the history of the sport of unicycling, since it is a first, official step in the direction of achieving one of our ultimate goals -- Olympic status.
Below is the revised announcement. See the bottom of this announcement for background information on the World Games and how and why unicycling fits into the picture.
The World Games made an official letter available for those who need such documents in applying for funding.
I am looking forward to have you join us here.
Stay on top, Jack Halpern
IUF Vice President
Website: http://www.kanji.org/
NAME OF EVENT
THE 6TH WORLD GAMES UNICYCLE CONVENTION (WGUC)
August 25-26, 2001, Akita, Japan
held as part of the
The 6th World Games (official name) (WG2000)
The World Games 2001 Akita (popular name)
BRIEF OUTLINE OF WORLD GAMES
DATES: August 25 (Saturday) and August 26 (Sunday) 2001
PLACE: Akita City, Yuwa Town, Tenno Town, Ogata Village, Yokote City,
Rokugo Town, Honjo City, Iwaki Town, all in Akita Prefecture
SPORTS DISCIPLINES:
Approximately 30 (26 official sports and 4 demonstration sports)
Participants: Over 3,000 people representing more than 50 countries
and regions
TOTAL COST: Approximately 1.5 billion yen
DATES for WGUC
RACING: August 25, 2001 (unicycle racing)
ARTISTIC: August 26, 2001 (artistic unicycling)
PLACE:
The World Games will be held in various locations in Akita Prefecture, northern Japan. The Unicycle Convention will be held in Akita City at:
1. Racing: Akita Prefectural Park Stadium
2. Artistic: Akita Prefectural Gymnasium
For details on Akita City, in English, see:
http://www.city.akita.akita.jp/en/default.htm
ORGANIZERS of WG2001:
Japan World Games Association
Organizing Committee for the World Games 2001 Akita
Many other cooperating organizations and sponsors.
For details see:
ORGANIZERS of WGUC
Main Organizers:
1. Japan Unicycle Association, Inc.
2. Akita Unicycle Association
Coorganizer:
International Unicycling Federation, Inc.
Cooperating Organizations:
1. Japanese Ministry of Education
2. Akita Prefecture Education Committee
3. Akita City Education Committee
4. Sasagawa Sports Foundation
SPONSORS
For WGUC
Michinoku Coca Cola Bottling Co., Inc.
For WG2001
See http://www.wg2001.or.jp/ (Japanese)
PARTICIPANTS
1. In the World Games: Over 3000 from 50 countries
2. Japanese participants in the Unicycle Convention: about 500
3. Overseas participants in the Unicycle Convention:
unknown
WEBSITES:
Jack Halpern's Official World Games Uicylcle Convention page:
http://www.kanji.org/kanji/jack/unicycle/worldgam/wg.htm
World Games English Website:
http://www.wg2001.or.jp/engimg/ea0000.htm
(scroll about halfway down to find the unicycle part)
Japan World Games Association:
http://www.ssf.or.jp/jwga/
Japan Olympics Committee
http://www.joc.or.jp/eng/index.html
Information on Akita Prefecture
http://www.pref.akita.jp/e/
Useful information on Olympic support
http://www.wg2001.or.jp/engimg/ea1000.htm#1000
DATES:
August 25, 2001
August 26, 2001
PARTICIPATION FEES
Competitors: 500 yen
Spectators: free of charge
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
August 25, 2001 (Sunday): Unicycle Racing
Place: Akita Prefectural Park Stadium
(Japanese: Akitaken-ritsu Chuuoo Kooen Rikujoo Kyoogijoo)
Phone: 018-886-4141
Events:
1. 100 meters
2. One-foot (7 meter + 30 meters)
3. Walk the wheel (30 meters)
4. Gliding
5. Obstacle course
6. Relay
Time: 9:30am to 5:00pm
August 26, 2001 (Saturday): ARTISTIC UNICYCLING EVENTS
Place: Akita Prefectural Gymnasium
(Japanese: Akitaken-ritsu Taikukan)
Phone: 018-862-3782
Events:
1. Pairs
2. Group
3. Individual freestyle
Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm
RULES:
JUA Rules, not IUF rules, will be followed. Below is a brief summary.
1. START AND GOAL LINES: Start holding on to a starting post with the
FRONT of wheel over the start line. End when e FRONT edge of the wheel
reaches the goal line.
2. WHEEL SIZE AND CRANK LENGTH
Wheel size Crank length
------------------------------------
16 in. 89 mm (3.5 in.)
20 in. 102 mm (4 in.)
24 in. 125 mm (5 in.)
3. FREESTYLE
1. Individual freestyle: 3 minutes
2. Pairs: 2 minutes and 45 seconds
3. Group: 4 minutes and 30 seconds
4. AGE GROUPS
1. INDIVIDUAL:
* For Japanese, high school students and over.
* For non-Japanese, no age limit.
2. PAIRS:
* 4th grade elementary school and over
* 5th and 6th grades elementary school
* Junior high school students
* High school students and over
2. GROUP RIDING:
* Elementary school students
* Junior high school students
* Junior High scholld students
* High school students and over
AWARDS:
The awards will be sponsored by:
1. The Sasagawa Sports Foundation Cup
2. Coca Cola Cup
3. Others
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Participants in the WGUC will stay at the Akita Prefectural Training Center
(phone number: 018-886-3131) located close to the Park Stadium where the
racing events take place, or at the students dormitory of Akita Branch of
(surprise!) the Minnesota State University located at Yuuwacho in Akita
Prefecture.
The cost per night is 5800 Japanese yen (about $50), including tax, breakfast
and dinner.
We have arranged for a home stay programs in Tokyo, mostly at the house of
the Nakazato familiy, who attended several Unicons. It may be possible to
arrange for home stay in Akita too.
Contact Information
For more information and to apply, contact:
IUF Japan c/o
Jack Halpern, CEO & President
The CJK Dictionary Institute, Inc. (CJKI)
Komine Building (3rd & 4th Floor)
34-14, 2-chome, Tohoku, Niiza-shi
Saitama 352-0001 JAPAN
Office Phone: 048|473|3508 FAX : 048|486|5032
Home Phone: 042|587|3318 FAX : 042|587|2802
E-mail: jack@kanji.org WWW : http://www.kanji.org/
It may be difficult to get hold of Jack Halpern as he may be in
and out of the country before the meet. Here are some other phone
numbers to call:
1. Seiko Hirai, secretary of IUF Japan-- home number: 048-474-1665
2. Yuichiro Kato, JUA International Committee-- home number: 0467-52-8657
3. Japan Unicycle Association: 03-3497-1078
4. Nakazato Family (home stay in Tokyo area): 043-257-0165
IUF Japan us handling the registration of foreign participants and
teams. Be sure to send me email if you plan to come. There will soon
be a registration form at:
http://www.kanji.org/kanji/jack/unicycle/worlgam/regform.doc
You can also contact Yuichiro Kato, one of the main driving
forces behind the International Committee of the JUA, at:
unikato@xc4.so-net.ne.jp
The main organizers of the World Games are:
International World Games Association
(IWGA Headquarters)
Ekeby House Luiksestraat 23,
2587 AL the Hague
The Netherlands
TEL.31-70-3512774 FAX.31-70-3509911
The Akita World Games Organizing Committee iAOCj
TEL.018-865-2001 FAX.018-865-2002
http://www.wg2001.or.jp
The World Games is an International multi-sports event organized by the International World Games Association (IWGA), taking place every four years in the year following the summer of the Olympic Games. In addition to competition programs in sports disciplines recognized by the IWGA, the World Games consists of a variety of social and cultural events such as concerts, exhibitions and demonstration sports.
IWGA has close ties with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and accepts the principles of the Olympic Games. In fact, IWGA and IOC both have equal status under the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), which the World Games authorities explained to me serves as the roof organization.
The World Games resemble the Olympic Games in that the world's top athletes compete, but they differ in the following ways:
- The participants are not national representatives of their countries.
- Athletes are selected by international federations for each sport.
- Sport disciplines usually march together at the opening ceremony.
- Established facilities are generally used; that is, the organizer is not required to establish new facilities.
A short time before Unicon X, Mr. Ogura, the head of the Japan Team to Unicon X, was approached by the Organizing Committee of the World Games and they discussed the possibility of holding some kind of unicycling event there. Mr. Ogura asked me to take over, and I started negotiating with the organizers. At Unicon X I made a brief announcement and distributed some materials.
After Unicon X I continued the negotiation but it was soon apparent that IUF Japan, without outside help, does not have the financial and other resources to organize such an event. In January 2001, a major change occurred in the JUA: a change of policy to cooperate with the IUF and to become part of the international unicycling community. That is, an abandonment of a long-years policy of isolation.
This was precipitated by pressure from Unicon X participants, led by Yuichiro Kato, myself, and several others, for more active participation in international events. Some UX participants wanted to establish an independent organization, called the Japan International Unicycling Association (JIUA), but in January a crisis was averted and the International Committee of the Japan Unicycle Association (JUA-IC) was established, with Masanori Wakae as the chairman and I as chief consultant (I deliberately turned down an offer to be chairman since I want this organization to be run by the Japanese).
To make a long story short, the JUA has offered full cooperation in organizing a unicycling event at the World Games, and after much negotiations (in which I participated) we were rewarded by great success: that is, not only would we hold a demonstration, but a full-scale unicycle convention at the time and place of the World Games.
The World Games have three kinds of sports events:
- Official events
- Demonstration events
- Sanctioned events (my translation of the Japanese)
For a list of official and demonstration events, see http://www.wg2001.or.jp/engimg/ea9000.htm (more website links below).
We fall in the third category, the weakest of the three. This participation is a first step towards participating as a demonstration event in the The 7th World Games to be held in Germany in 2005, and as an official event in The 8th World Games, though from my talk with the organizers it is possible that by that time we may qualify for some kind of participation in the Olympic Games.