Unicyclists will ‘ride the lobster’ through Digby County

The event spans five days and is billed as the world’s largest unicycle event. Unicycle relay teams begin their race in Yarmouth on June 16 and plan to cross the finish line in Baddeck on June 20.

Event manager Heather LeBlanc of Annapolis Royal said organizers have capped the event at 35 teams but many more have expressed interest.

Each team has three cyclists and a support person. Participants hail from Canada, United States, Britain, Singapore, South Korea, Denmark, Germany, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Spain and Sweden.

To qualify for a team, a person had to ride 75 kilometers per day for two consecutive days, with 500 meters of elevation gained for both days.

‘Ride the Lobster’ is the brainchild of Edward Wedler, owner of The Inside Story bookstore in Greenwood. He sees the event as a unique way of attracting tourists and bringing publicity to Nova Scotia.

Global position system (GPS) units will be provided by Britech Information Systems Ltd. of Lawrencetown and worn by each rider. The progress of the race will be broadcast on the web.

The Digby County portion of the relay will take the athletes from Weymouth to Bear River via Lansdowne Road on June 16.

In Weymouth, there will be music and a small flotilla of kayaks on the river. School children will be able to watch four world-class demo riders who will be performing during the lunch hour.

While the majority of the riders have many years experience, some have taken up the sport only recently.

Atlantic Canada’s only team in the event is the Nova Scotia High Rollers, and it has members at both ends of the spectrum.

Beth Amiro began cycling as a child 20 years ago shortly after being chosen to ride on the shoulders of an unicyclist at the Buskers Festival in Halifax. Her teammate, Stephen Plumridge of Sydney, first mounted a unicycle last August and spent the winter months practicing after hours at his local mall.

Race participants will begin arriving in Annapolis Royal on June 14 and there will be demonstrations throughout the weekend.