Dutch kangaroo signing in

[Setonix]

I saw in the “Badge” section that I never posted on this thread.
What’s your name?
Setonix, born in 1975

Where do you come from?
Duiven, Netherlands

What is your experience of unicycling?
I learned unicycling in July 2015, while living in Hadsten, Denmark. Back then I had been living alone and all I did after work was just computer gaming and watching films. I used to go to fitness, but when alone, it quickly becomes boring. So I decided I wanted to do something new. There were two things I had my focus on: one was getting a motorcycle driver’s license and the other learning to ride unicycle. After some investigation, I figured that motorcycle riding can be quite dangerous and buying a new motorcycle wouldn’t be so cheap if I also have a car. Besides when it is raining, I would take the car anyways.
Unicycling didn’t come out of the blue. Over the years and in a former software development job, our team created a fictional world where there was a clown with a big beard on a unicycle. That must have been around 2003-2004, which planted the seed that I could imagine myself trying to ride.
Then I read somewhere that anybody can learn to ride unicycle. All it takes is persistence, because you can’t do it on your first day. I thought that was a cool challenge and ordered a cheap unicycle for 99 EUR.
I put all my furniture in the living room against the wall and while holding on to the kitchen surface, rolled back and forth and eventually away from the wall in the middle of the living room. I practiced 2 hours a day after work and when I could do 3 rotations, the living room became too small, and I found a big parking lot of the fitness center I used to go to.
Then after 3 weeks I could go longer distances. Then after 4 or so weeks I bought a KH 26, that I spent a week on to learn to freemount. I remember I tried to roll from stripe to stripe on the parking lot.
On youtube there were peeps riding in the forest, which I thought could be cool. There was a big forest close to where I lived, so since then I got hooked and spend all my free time, when it didn’t rain, on unicycling.
In DK I also went to a unicycle club, but decided it was too far to drive, so I gave that up.
Participated in the Dutch unicycle championships in 2019.
Along the way I collected more and more unicycles until the 12 that I now have.

[dawson]

Thanks for sharing your story.

I too am in software work, so we have that in common. Another point which is somewhat common is the desire to learn how to ride a motorcycle. I actually did that many years ago, and my brother-in-law sold me his motorcycle for $1.00, so that wasn’t so expensive. I did some really serious motorcycle safety training courses, because, yes you are right, it is a great way to get seriously injured. In fact, I had a motorcycle before I got a car, and it became what I would take my then girlfriend on dates with. She eventually became my wife, and we’ve been married for 25 years now.

I also very much love your country, as it is my wife’s nationality - both her parents immigrated to Canada from the Netherlands. (Her mother was from the South near Breda). We have been able to stay in the Netherlands on numerous occasions and I love it each time I go. The last time I went on my own to a Hebrew workshop in Zwolle. Next time I go, I want to bring a unicycle … I have only began learning to ride last year, so I didn’t have one at any other time when I had visited in the past.

Happy riding (and safe too)
Dawson

[Bonfire]

Nice to read how it all began.
And that you started in your living room, wow! That was probably only possible because you lived alone at the time

It’s good to have an active outside passtime when you spend most of your working hours sitting behind screens (the same applies to my job). And it’s so much better if it’s actually something fun instead of just feeling obliged to ‘work out’.

Are you completely over the motorcycle plans now? Or is it still a ‘someday’ wish that pops up from time to time?

[Setonix]

I occasionally think about motorcycles, but my life has changed quite a bit since I learned to ride unicycle. I’d sooner buy an EUC.