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 One
wheel, one world…!
No self-respecting labourer would be without one, but for some there’s
a whole new world of freesports sitting in their hands.
Wheelbarrow freestyle initially came to the fore in 2002, when Jude
Sharpe, in a moment of inspiration, found a whole new use for the
one-wheeled wonder.
‘I was working on a building site and ran over a brick, my barrow
popped up in the air. Due to my mental conditioning for turning
a non-event into an activity, the rest was straightforward’
Jumping off things
Jude grew up in a wooded valley in Wales and when a youngster tried
various activities to entertain himself. ‘It mostly consisted of
jumping off things like trees and rope swings into bushes, long
grass or swamps,’ Sharpe said. ‘I later got into BMX. Other sports
I’ve tried though include bridge jumping, weir boarding and barn
swinging.’
 A
popular basic move is the Pop Jump - Sit with your barrow, check
your mood, become calm. Hold the barrow gently in both hands. Keep
hold of the handles but push the barrow away from you at full arms
length - KEEP HOLDING ON - then quickly and sharply, before the
barrow knows what's happening, pull back and push down ever so slightly.
The front of the barrow will flick up. To retain height lift the
back end up to meet the front and thrust forward to hold it even
longer.
Freestylers can then move onto grinding and more complex moves.
Will it change lunchtime on the building site, or even the playground?
Jude again: ‘I don't know. It's not the coolest sounding sport going.
I think people who want a new style sport are making up their own’.
Click here to find out more about Wheelbarrow
freestyle.
Technical Data
Dan’s barrow: Chillington Camden 90 litre. Features include
reduced play wheel axel housing, noise reduction system, all round
locknuts, rivet foot grips, golf ball handle bar ends.
Jude’s barrow: Haemerlin standard farm frame with legs removed
and a 90 litre Chillington pressed steel tub. Features include granular
silicate grip paper on nose and tub, sharpester NR system, lengthened
axel housing bolts (for standing on
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