Workshop by John Foss, of the USA and IUF Rules Committees
So you want to compete in Freestyle, but you don't care to dress up, ride to music, or put on a "show." Open-X, short for Open Exhibition, may be for you. This new event was developed out of two basic ideas:
In Individual Freestyle, riders are judged 50% on difficulty, and 50% on presentation. The presentation score is divided up into Style, Showmanship, Choreography, Originality, "Use of Props and Other Skills," and "Choice of Costume and Music." A performance made up of pure skill, no matter how great, can be eclipsed by a lower-skill performance with good presentation value. Some riders are just not that interested in putting on a show.
In Standard Skill, riders are judged on difficulty and execution only. There is no judging of music, costume, personality, etc. However, there is no originality. The strength of the Standard Skill event is that the judging is objective. This means the same group of judges in a different country should, in theory, give you exactly the same score. Riders choose a set of skills from the predefined IUF Standard Skills List, and perform them in order. Points are taken away from their possible total for mistakes, and the rider with the highest finishing score wins.
But what about the rider who wants to show off bunches of new skills?
Enter Open-X. As the first year for this event, we expect it to be a learning experience. The rules may be adjusted for next year depending how it goes this time. These are the rules we will use in 2001, taken directly from the USA Rulebook. Refer to the full rulebook for the details:
5.5 OPEN-X: Open-X is a variant of Individual Freestyle, with the emphasis on skills. This category is intended for riders who are not interested in the performance aspect of Freestyle, but who want to show new tricks and moves. Here we hope to see the raw cutting-edge of what can be done on one wheel. Judging is similar to Individual Freestyle, but with less emphasis on presentation. Difficulty is still scored 1-10, but presentation is scored 1-5. Where not stated otherwise, Open-X uses the same rules as Individual Freestyle.
5.5.1 DIFFICULTY: Same as Individual Freestyle (section 5.1). This score is a combination of the difficulty level of skills attempted, tempered by the success level (mastery) of the rider. This portion of the score also includes possible devaluation for riders who ride outside the performing area. Trying 100 amazing tricks and only hitting 5 on the first try will result in a low score. The highest scores will be achieved by the riders who not only display a large number and variety of difficult skills, but also have a minimal number of mistakes or dismounts.
5.5.2 PRESENTATION: This score is divided evenly into the parts below:
5.5.2.1 ORIGINALITY: The judges are looking for inventiveness in all aspects of the performance. They are looking for new unicycling skills, and/or originality in the performance as a whole. Open-X is the place to break ground, to try new things, and to showcase new ideas.
5.5.2.2 USE OF PROPS AND OTHER SKILLS: Same as for Individual Freestyle (See 5.2.4). Props can be anything from juggling equipment to half-pipes. Other skills can be acrobatics or dance. Have props or other skills added to the performance? This will increase the score here. Has the rider used props or skills that detract from his or her presentation? The score goes down.
5.5.2.3 STYLE: Though Open-X is not a "theatrical" event, riders can still increase their scores by showing controlled body positions or an obviously intentional "style" of riding. Riders can also consider their persona, transitions, entry and exit, and other aspects of their time out there aside from just the unicycling skills
The key here is that there is still a presentation score, but it is only half as important as it is in regular Freestyle. Also, some of the presentation elements are left out. There is no judging of music and costume. The other elements are simplified, focusing the performance on skills with originality and style.
How do I decide between the three categories of individual artistic performance?
Well, you have to be at least 15 years old for Open-X (if it's popular, more age groups will probably be added). If you have good skills but don't have a clue about performing, think about Standard Skill. Your final score can be compared with riders from all around the world. If you are an artist, and want to show more than just a bunch of tricks, Individual Freestyle is for you. Note that you may be permitted to enter Standard Skill as well as either Individual Freestyle or Open-X, but you may not enter both versions of the Freestyle event.
If you have a bevy of new and/or difficult skills, and you don't want to get into choreography, costume, and showmanship, give Open-X a try. Think X Games. Make it interesting. Take risks (but be safe). Show us something we've never seen before!
Beyond this, it's hard to offer too much more advice. Our first set of Open-X judges has not yet sat down at the table together. So for those brave souls entering this year, have a great time, ride your best, but as always, remember to support your competitors and be a good sport. The riders that win this year will help determine the future course of the Open-X event. Will one of them be you?
RESOURCES:
Unicycling Society of America: www.unicycling.org/usa
USA Rulebook: www.unicycling.org/usa/competition
John Foss, USA President, 4849 Hazelwood Avenue, Carmichael, CA 95608 (916) 487-8959 email: jfoss@unicycling.com Web: www.unicycling.com