Hey,
I think this thread has been done before, but someone asked me if I knew any famous mainstream athletes who unicycled, and the only one I could name was the downhill skiier Bode Miller.
Who else is there?
Kris Holm
Steve Young unicycles; he said it helped him with his balance in the pocket.
That guy can unicycle? And woah, your Kris Holm! sweeeet.
Most athletesaren’t really into new things IMO so i doubt theres anyone else. I can see a winter athlete though, that makes sense.
e39m5
But many athletes are into cross training, and unicycling may fit their needs.
e39m5,
Thats pretty stereotypical.
I remember someone saying somewhere that some pro skateboarder unicycled when he was younger. He would drop off loading docks and picnic tables and stuff. Other than that I do not know.
David
the"mutt" Rodney Mullen (considered by many to be the greatest skateboarder of all time), pedals the single wheelers around.
Darchibald, I’ve mentioned Adam Carolla doing that as a kid, no pro athlete, but a pretty big name.
Thats the one Marv, thats the silver donut.
I wanted to say Andy MacDonald but I think that was cause of the whole pogo stick thing.
David
Edit: Saw the bottom of your post Mike, it could have been him, but I can’t remember at all.
Someone was trying to tell me about some big time swedish skier that uni’s, but I cant for the life of me remember the name…
Ingmar stenmark…
he can walk a slackrope too
Johnny Depp can ride…he does quite a bit of circus stuff. went to a circus school I believe. he’s quite a proficient juggler too.
Most of the Norwegian alpine crew rides unis for cross-training. Kjetil Aamot, Lasse Kjus, …
Rusty
Norway
Don’t forget the swede who came up with gliding, coasting and seat drags for example, Joakim Malm. Unicycling.org says he was a professional skateboarder (http://www.unicycling.org/unicycling/hypermail/3497.html)
I heard that Lance Armstrong rides a unicycle. If it’s true, I wish he’d contact me for a ride. Maybe after the Tour De France…
ex F1 world champ Mika Hakkinen
and one of the previous incarnations
(linking to that thread saves me the trouble of adding all those names
i was a big hakkinen fan when he was racing and was very excited when i found out that he can ride)
Whooo! A blast from way in the past! Please note the old post says Joake worked in the pro shop at a skateboarding place. That is, it was an indoor skating place and he worked there. The place sold unicycles, and he learned to ride in his free time there.
I wonder what he’s up to now?
You’re kidding, right? You said these words to Kris Holm? I for one am glad a guy like him decided to take up a “new thing.”
Why would one think most athletes aren’t into new things?
because they have to focus so intensely on their ‘one thing’ in order to make a living?
In some cases it is true that a professonal needs to focus just on one sport. But in most cases they find that cross training is benefical. I am myself someone who “cross trains”. Since i have been fencing for alot longer then i have been unicycling, I find that unicycling helps fencing and vice versa. Mind you the only problem comes in having enough time for things other then fencing and unicycling… Anyways, i know that fencing really helped me be interested in all sports and physical and mental challenges, so in my oppinion “pro’s” would be the sort of people who would be open to more new things (if they have the time). By the way, can’t wait for the world cup of fencing in vancouver! but don’t get me wrong, i unicycle everyday at least an hour or two (addicted).
I’m not a professional anything, but unicyclying enhances every other athletic thing I do, especially those that require core strength-
skimboarding
skiing
surfing
and it is outrageously good for developing a nice clean spin on the pedals, so that adds-
cycling
It helps me build endurance at high output (unicycling up steep hills) so that would include-
running
I can’t think of any other sports stuff I do right now that is applicable, but basically I think it is a really good training tool and for a pro athlete (I’m thinking skiing, football, tennis, etc.) it might have to be relegated to the off season, but would still be of a lot of use. There was also a recent Outside magazine article about putting the fun back in training, and I can’t think of a better way to do that…
Hey, “THE Dave” is some kind of big time tele skier I think…
i race telemark at the national level, and for the junior division im currently #1 in the classic race. i have found that unicycling really REALLY helps with my front/back balance. also, when the pedals are flat they are in a similar position to that of telemark skiing. that is helpfull for unicycling, getting used to skidding down something really steep, and balancing.
i dunno if i have said anything valid at all, im not pro either, but telemark skiing and unicycling are very complimentary sports