Unicyclists' 24hr world record bid extremely ambitious

Jason Auld and Iain Schofield practise ahead of the challenge

Edinburgh is set to play host to a bid to set the world record for non-stop extreme unicycling.

Around a dozen riders are to hop on to their saddles on The Mound next month and attempt to ride for 24 hours, with teams of four taking it in turns to perform stunts round the clock.

They are all members of the Voodoo Unicycles extreme unicycling display team, led by professional unicyclist Jason Auld, 22, from Newington.

He said: "I've got a couple of friends who happen to be freestyle footballers, and one of the world record attempts one of them went for was to try and keep the ball in the air for 24 hours, and that inspired me.

"I've always been interested in 24-hour endurance records. As a team we do demos of extreme unicycling and I thought 'Why don't we try and set the record?' Nothing like this has ever been done, there is no record at the moment."

The team will perform a whole range of tricks, jumps and manoeuvres during the record effort: "We have custom-built rigs we use for demonstrations so we'll be combining our two rigs to make an obstacle course.

"The best comparison to make is that it's like skateboarding and BMX - you throw the unicycle about and try and land back on it, jumping off it, do big hops. We've got a guy who can jump almost a metre and a half upwards."

Mr Auld has been unicycling since he was 14 and even showcased his skills on TV show Britain's Got Talent. Three years ago he joined the Voodoo Unicycles, a team of professional and semi-pro unicyclists who perform at events.

"We've got it in our head that we'll probably be quite good at it, rather foolishly, but I'm sure fatigue will set in after six hours or so.

"I think the main challenges will be staying focused, making sure we stay well hydrated and that we don't get too lethargic."

They will be seeking sponsorship for international children's charity Unicef, as well as having helpers carrying out a bucket collection during the event.

Mr Auld said: "Because there's so many of us, we didn't want to do something that was personal just to one of us, and Unicef does so many things. As well as raising money we want to raise awareness too."

The team is also hoping to attract a corporate sponsor for the July 20 event that could help meet the costs of bringing some of the team members to Edinburgh, moving equipment, and running a generator to provide lights and music throughout the event.

For more information, or if you can help provide sponsorship, see www.voodoo unicycles.com.

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