Though many of its participants are male, unicycling seems to have something for everyone. Today you can find thrilling videos of high-adrenaline unicycle trials and flatland as well as the “less aggressive” artistic freestyle, which Holm said is “female dominated: the best freestyle riders in the world are female.” One of those riders is Kaori Matsuzawa who was a unicycle coach and competitor in Japan, and is now a university student in California. A look at one of Matsuzawa’s routines on Youtube might explain why one of the largest German unicycle brands reports 80 percent of its sales are to girls 12 and under.
“Unicycling is not a monolithic sport. It has as much diversity as [two-wheeled] cycling” said Holm, who is launching the Capture the Moment Photo Contest in September to document the many styles explored by contemporary unicyclists.
As transportation, unicycles are surprisingly practical. They are simple, faster than walking and they’re compact and easy to store. Holm recommends: “For commuting, most riders use unicycles with a 29-inch or 36-inch wheel. A 24-inch is nice because you can take it on a bus or a train without trouble.” Today’s unicycles are much sturdier and about one third the price of anything you could find ten years ago. Nathan Hoover attributes much of this to Holm: “He has done more for unicycling by continuously breaking unicycles. He was simply interested in finding something he could ride.”
Kris Holm Unicycles, founded in 1998, now supplies riders worldwide with the fruits of all those unicycle-busting labors. The latest revolution Holm has introduced for one-wheelers is an internally-geared unicycle crank that he co-developed with Swiss company, Schlumpf Innovations. With pride Holm attests: “The year it came out, all the distance speed records fell down because it is so much faster.”
UniCon XV: www.uniconxv.co.nz
Uni magazine: www.unicyclemagazine.com
Unicyclist Community Forum: www.unicyclist.com
Article about George Peck: www.theatlantic.com/issues/97apr/uni.htm
Capture the Moment Photography Contest: www.krisholm.com/capture
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