I decided to participate in Ride the Lobster to improve my unicycling skills, as well as to see Nova Scotia. I had a mountain biking trip planned several years ago in Nova Scotia that fell through and have continued to want to go there ever since and Ride the Lobster seemed to be the right impetus. I also go mountain unicycling (MUni) and play unicycle basketball.
Once upon a time, I had a career in environmental chemistry, but now I am a costume designer and perform and teach aerial dance. I have always sought the balance between art and science.
Ashley Foster, Pose or Poise?, Upswing! rehearsal, Berkeley, California, USA, Nov 23 2007, Photo by Bryan Kato
Ashley Foster, Ashley ambling amicably along an arid avenue, Ride the Lobster Qualifying Ride, East Bay, California, USA, Nov 23, 2007, Photo by Tom Holub
Ashley Foster, from the aerial dance piece 'Figurehead', SkyDancer's Festival: Women Who Fly Through the Air, San Francisco, California, USA, Nov 2007, Photo by Seth Golub
Rachel Kalmar
A California native, I've always enjoyed being outdoors. I hadn't been unicycling very long when I learned about Ride the Lobster, but I knew I wanted to participate. I am excited to ride together with unicyclists from around the world, through Nova Scotia on my first unicycle tour.
When I'm not riding my unicycle, traveling, hiking, or dancing samba, I study the brain. I am currently a graduate student at Stanford University, working towards my PhD in Neuroscience. My research interests involve basic science research about how the brain forms movement plans, and how we can use these signals to drive neurally-controlled prostheses
Rachel Kalmar, Self-portrait on the Malecón, Havana, Cuba, July 2003, self portrait
Rachel Kalmar, Approaching the switchback, Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland, California, USA, Feb 10, 2008, Photo by Tom Holub
Rachel Kalmar, Enjoying the post-dust storm double rainbow at Burning Man, Black Rock City, Nevada, USA, August 2007, Photo by Greg Corrado
Jim Sowers
Jim Sowers is a newbie to unicycles--but loves new things and adventure, so no one was surprised when he got into the one-wheeled thing. Jim is a jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none. He is a lawyer, computer engineer, Salsa teacher and performer, DJ, and adventurer (he has ridden a motorcycle across four continents including a solo ride from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt dedicated to a good friend of his, Jason Martin, from Nelson, Canada, BC). He enjoys unicycle basketball, rueda (Cuban style salsa), and editing grammar mistakes in Wikipedia. The best thing about unicycling, aside from developing really strong legs, is the people you meet!
Jim Sowers, After a soggy day of riding, Santa Cruz, California, USA, Dec 29, 2007, Photo by Nathan Hoover
Jim Sowers, The early Uni Years, Oakland, California, USA, August 2006, Photo by Rachel Kalmar
Jim Sowers, Rasta Devil Motorcycle Adventurer!, Oakland, California, USA, Feb 2007, Photo by Rachel Kalmar
Heather Noone
Fond of dictionaries and dogs, Heather offsets her introversion with the conspicuous sport of unicycling. She thanks Our lady of Perpetually Shifting Equilibrium for the kinetic understanding of balance that unicycling has granted her.
Heather Noone, My shoes are made for walking and that's..., Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, Oct 12, 2007, Photo by Chris LaBonte
Heather Noone, Muni Ride, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, Oct 12, 2007, Photo by Chris LaBonte
Heather Noone, Aye aye mates, Off Catalina Island, California, USA, Oct 28, 2007, Photo by Amelie Padioleau