Here’s Why Over 1,000 Unicyclists Are in Minnesota Right Now

There is a community of bike riders that prefer to cruise around on only one wheel, and over 1,000 of these enthusiasts will gather in Minnesota for their annual convention.

The 21st annual Unicycling World Convention and Championships, known as Unicon 21, which has previously been held in South Korea and France is underway in Minnesota for 12 days of activities.

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Unicon started yesterday in Bemidji and runs through July 26th at the Sanford Center, and according to the official website, over 1,200 unicyclists will attend a variety of convention activities, social events and competitions.

Unicycle competition is broken up into 6 categories, freestyle, team sports like hockey and basketball, track, urban, road racing, and mountain unicycling, which will take place at Buena Vista Ski Area and Giants Ridge. All the events are free and open to the public.

Unicon sad that it hand-picked Bemidji for the annual get-together for several reasons, including the weather, the ability to navigate between venues via unicycle, Bemidji State University will house and feed many of the attendees, and the abundance of other activities and outdoor space.

According to the promotional video, the last time a Unicon event was held in the United States was in 2002 when it was in North Bend, Washington. The event is held every two years, and it has been in Minnesota before, back in 1994 it was held in Minneapolis. Unicon started in Syracuse, New York in 1984.