MEDIA CONTACT:
Erica Rykal, Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau
Phone: 608.255.2537 x2626
Email: rykal@visitmadison.com
(MADISON) – The Madison Area Sports Commission (MASC) together with Madison Unicyclists Inc. (MadUni) are pleased to welcome the 2015 North American Unicycling Convention and Championships (NAUCC) to Madison this July 25 – August 1. Watch top national competitors throw down gravity defying tricks, play floor hockey, and race in a marathon–all on one wheel!–when hundreds of U.S. and Canadian unicyclists converge in Madison for this out-of-the-box athletic event. Riders will compete in disciplines including freestyle, mountain (“muni”), track and field events, distance races, hockey, basketball and trick riding. Events will take place at multiple venues throughout the Greater Madison area including Goodman Community Center, Tenney Park, the UW Arboretum, and Lake Kegonsa State Park. Entrance to all events is free for spectators. Visit uninationals2015.com for the full schedule of events.
“We can’t wait to bring world-class unicycling back to Madison,” says Jill Cohan, event co-organizer and head of several local youth unicycling programs. “Top riders from Madison and across the country will show spectators that just about any sport there is can be done on one wheel and done at an amazingly competitive level. It is truly awe-inspiring to see the level of athleticism in these competitors,” added Cohan.
The event was first held in Madison in 2011. The week-long championship gives area residents a front row seat to a full slate of entertaining and competitive unicycling events for top-caliber athletes, including five-time world unicycling champ and Madisonian Scott Wilton. Madison’s large and ever-growing contingent of unicyclists, nurtured by MadUni, will be well-represented at the championship. Proceeds from the athletes’ entry fees will help expand unicycling programs at local schools by funding unicycle equipment purchases, instruction, and opportunities in South Central Wisconsin for youth and other interested members of the public.
“We are thrilled to welcome back this event to the Greater Madison area. Madison is well-known for being an excellent cycling community, and that extends to unicycling as well. The distance racing events in particular will be great for showcasing our miles of beautiful cycling trails. Our community is incredibly supportive of the sporting events we bring here, and we hope to introduce some new fans to the sport of unicycling,” said Jamie Patrick, Vice President of the MASC.
The non-profit Madison Unicyclists, Inc. supports school programs at Sandburg Elementary, Marquette Elementary, O’Keeffe Middle School, Shorewood Elementary, the Lussier Center, and more in the coming year. New riders are welcome to join open practices at the Goodman Community Center and in Sun Prairie. See Maduni.com for more details.
The Madison Area Sports Commission (MASC) is the Greater Madison area’s official sports marketing organization. Launched by the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2010, MASC is charged with elevating the recognition and awareness of the impact of sports tourism on the regional economy while serving the unique needs of the sports tourism business.
Unicycle.com LogoSponsors of the NAUCC 2015 include Unicycle.com, B-Cycle, Chocolate Shoppe, Michael’s Frozen Custard, Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace, and Schoep’s Ice Cream. NAUCC 2015 is the qualifying event for Unicon 18 in San Sebastian, Spain. For more information about the 2015 NAUCC including the complete schedule of events, please visit uninationals2015.com .
