Ride the Lobster
Encyclopedia
Ride the Lobster was the world's longest unicycle
race.
This 800 kilometre international relay race around the roads of Nova Scotia
, Canada
was first conceived by Edward Wedler. He gave the race its unusual name because he thought the roadways around Nova Scotia resembled a lobster
.
The five day race had five stages, composed of four legs winding around the province of approximately 200 km each and one day of time trials. The first stage was from Yarmouth
to Annapolis Royal
. The second stage went to St. Margarets
. The third stage was composed of two time trials, Hubbards
in the morning and Truro
in the early evening. The fourth stage was from Truro
to Antigonish
. The final stage went from Port Hawkesbury
to Baddeck
. The event coordinator, Heather LeBlanc, intentionally made early stages easier for the contestants and the final stretch difficult.
Originally the race was meant to be held annually. After the initial race in 2008, the organizers have not arranged subsequent races.
All riders complete the 21 km time trial.
In 2008, the inaugural race began on June 16, with 104 riders (124 had qualified) on 35 teams from fourteen countries.
The race concluded in Cape Breton
with contestants reaching the finish line between 5–7 pm on June 20. The winning team was awarded $5,000 in cash and prizes.
Unicycle
A unicycle is a human-powered, single-track vehicle with one wheel. Unicycles resemble bicycles, but are less complex.-History:One theory of the advent of the unicycle stems from the popularity of the penny-farthing during the late 19th century...
race.
This 800 kilometre international relay race around the roads of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was first conceived by Edward Wedler. He gave the race its unusual name because he thought the roadways around Nova Scotia resembled a lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
.
The five day race had five stages, composed of four legs winding around the province of approximately 200 km each and one day of time trials. The first stage was from Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
to Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
. The second stage went to St. Margarets
St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia (administrative district)
St. Margarets Bay is a Canadian administrative district in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality.It is a rural area located on the southwestern part of Halifax County comprising those communities in the county located on the eastern and northern shores of St. Margarets Bay through to the...
. The third stage was composed of two time trials, Hubbards
Hubbards, Nova Scotia
Hubbards is an unincorporated Canadian rural community on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.-Geography:Hubbards is located on the eastern side of the Aspotogan Peninsula, and along the northern shore of St. Margarets Bay...
in the morning and Truro
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
in the early evening. The fourth stage was from Truro
Truro, Nova Scotia
-Education:Truro has one high school, Cobequid Educational Centre. Post-secondary options include a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in the neighboring town of Bible Hill.- Sports :...
to Antigonish
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Antigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
. The final stage went from Port Hawkesbury
Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia
-Historical residents:*Henry Nicholas Paint , member of Parliament for Richmond county, merchant and land owner. His family received land grants at Belle Vue on the Strait of Canso in 1817 and at Point Tupper in 1863, and did much to develop the local communities in the area.*Arthur John Langley ...
to Baddeck
Baddeck, Nova Scotia
Baddeck is a Canadian village in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.It is the county's shire town and is situated on the northern shore of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island...
. The event coordinator, Heather LeBlanc, intentionally made early stages easier for the contestants and the final stretch difficult.
Originally the race was meant to be held annually. After the initial race in 2008, the organizers have not arranged subsequent races.
Rules
Each team was composed of four people—three riders and one support person. The support person was not allowed to ride. The three riders took turns completing the distance of the race. The rider was not be switched over the first 10 kilometres of each race day. After that, the team had full discretion as to how often they want to switch riders.All riders complete the 21 km time trial.
The race
The race concluded in Cape Breton
Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton County, officially, County Cape Breton, is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island.Taking its name from Cape Breton, the most easterly point of the island which was called after the Bretons of Brittany, this municipality has what is probably the oldest...
with contestants reaching the finish line between 5–7 pm on June 20. The winning team was awarded $5,000 in cash and prizes.
Results
| Rank | Team | Country | Time HH:MM:SS |
| 1 | German Speeders (Jan Logemann, Johannes Helck, Arne Tilgen, Holger Summer) | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
36:17:47 |
| 2 | NZUNI (William Sklenars, Ken Looi, Tony Melton and Véronique Grégoire) | New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
36:35:46 |
| 3 | Texacali (Kevin Chang, Corbin Dunn, A.J. Greig and Sondra Grisham) | United States of America | 37:17:18 |
| 4 | Personal Rollercoster (Roland Kays, Vincent Lemay, Steve Relles and David Kays) | United States of America and Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
37:29:38 |
| 5 | Smile (Geoffrey Huntley, Chuck Edwall, Sam Wakeling and Jonathan Marshall) | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... , United States of America and United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
37:52:05 |
Participants List
| Team | Team Name |
| #0 | Smart Fellas (Erik Doane, Aaron Nutten, Jacob Sprague, Alex Chiappone) |
| #1 | Goonies (James Amon, Joe Marshall, Spencer Owen, Stephanie Thornton) |
| #2 | Korean Dream Team (Ji Won Kang, Jin Bong Kim, KiSook Kim, DaeHeon Kang) |
| #3 | Team Venus (Irene Genelin, Louise Lovelle, Michele Manna-Hastings, Andy Cotter) |
| #4 | Texacali (Kevin Chang, Corbin Dunn, AJ Greig, Sondra Grisham) |
| #5 | UFO (Hyun Uk Jung, Kyung Soo Kim, Byung Gon Lee) |
| #6 | Team Balance (Geoff Elder, Richard Dawson, Perry Woodin, Kelly Elder) |
| #7 | Yellow Line Fever (Scot Cooper, Beau Hoover, Nathan Hoover, Geoffrey Faraghan) |
| #8 | Masticating Bunnies From Hell (Jiahui Cai, Xuyuan Kee, Wen Jun Shuan Sim, Michaël Montplaisir ) |
| #9 | Team Venture (Frank Brown, Ian Gallant, Claude Magnuson, Holly Gallant) |
| #10 | HURT (David Davis, Heather Marriott, Will Murray, Athena Pappas Davis) |
| #11 | West Coast Cokers (John Bain, Jim Dugue, Jamey Mossengren, Carol Bricker) |
| #12 | Hans Islanders (Signe Gjerding Jensen, Thomas Olsen, Todd Sankey, Neville Sankey) |
| #13 | Atlas (Roman Allemann, Jeff Groves, Mike Thaler, Jason Allemann) |
| #18 | Team Flirt (Tim Lee, Joe Lind, Ryan Woessner, Jason Heimann) |
| #23 | Lost Wheelers (Steve Colligan, Tue Johansen, Paul Royle, Richard Wroot) |
| #25 | Team Tricycle (Russell Davis, Matt Burns, Levi Pounds, Kerri-Lynn Pineau) |
| #27 | NZUNI (Ken Looi, Tony Melton, William Sklenars, Véronique Grégoire) |
| #28 | Team Manly Legs (Jordan Armstrong, David Cox, Eric Pulvermacher, Peter Van Thiel) |
| #33 | Team Unicycle.com(Scott Arnold, Dustin Kelm, Joshua Torrans, Jody Arnold) |
| #38 | Nova Scotia High Rollers (Beth Amiro, Eric Morneau, Stephen Plumridge, Heather Plumridge) |
| #39 | Surly Speed Goats (Morgan Griffith, Dan Hansen, Dave Krack, Michael Sabourin ) |
| #42 | Yam Power (Ashley Foster, Rachel Kalmar, Jim Sowers, Heather Noone) |
| #43 | 2Y2D (Emily McCormick, Joshua McCormick, Scott Wilton, Eric Moncrieff) |
| #44 | German Speeders (Jan Logemann, Johannes Helck, Arne Tilgen, Holger Summer) |
| #56 | The Old Peculiers (Alan Chambers, Keith Griffiths, Mark Wiggins, Chris Dobbie) |
| #69 | Totally Doable (Tom Holub, Chris LaBonte, Michael Scalisi, Nancy Finkle) |
| #77 | American Mojo (Bill Merrylees, Mark Premo, Eric Scheer, Dawn DiCecco) |
| $78 | Smile (Geoffrey Huntley, Chuck Edwall, Sam Wakeling, Jonathan 'Rocket' Marshall) |
| #86 | Unicycle Max (Charles DeMilner, Kyle DeMilner, Maxwell DeMilner, Courtney Bengtson) |
| #87 | Personal Roller Coaster (Roland Kays, Vincent Lemay, Steve Relles, David Kays) |
| #97 | North American Youth (Nick Allred, Eric Evenchick, James Spurling, Allison Maher) |
| #98 | Detroit 'RTUC' Busters(Bryan Alexander, Marcus Sternberg, Jason Wieske, Ben Comerzan) |
| #99 | Pudget Sounders (Bruce Dawson, Jeff Sloan, Joseph Myers, Lana Myers) |
| #100 | The Centurians (John Foss, David Stone, Dave White, Jacquie Foss) |