My family attended my grandma’s funeral last week in Santa Monica, CA. We spent a couple days celebrating her full, 92 year long life, laughing and crying together.
I found an extra hour during the short trip, and realizing Grandma Dotty approved of my unicycling passion, I got in touch with vivalargo, one of our better-known forum contributors, and a rather gnarly Muni’er. After a bit of difficulty and a half dozen or so cell phone calls back and forth, we met up for a quick ride by the beautiful pacific ocean.
Also, though I felt a little like the guy who asks “wanna-party? you-got-any?”, I begged for the use of a loaner cycle. John said that he had a spare KH24 Freeride w/Wallis CF base and handle and would that do? Oh, I can ride the best uni I ever sat on? Sure, I guess that’ll do.
Not only that, but he even cut off a bit of the seatpost for me when I didn’t quite fit it. Vivalargo is a prince among men.
We started at a practice hill with some steep drops and terraces to ride. After watching him do a 6-footer and gaining some confidence on the fat tire, I managed a few shaky drops in the 2 foot range (my highest ever). Trying to copy his technique, I also made it almost all the way down some steeper-than-I’d ever-ridden pitches before wiping out on the forgiving grass.
Further along the seaside walk we hopped up and rode down some easy stair sets (another first for me) and John wowed the tourists and locals alike with some fat-tire wheel walking.
Then, further up the beach, we practiced, er… he practiced and I attempted rock hopping and riding on these big, rounded off boulders. Later, big JL gave me more advice at a playground area with many levels of stones, both regular and irregular. I managed some other firsts, hopping down some of these and actually sticking the landing a couple times.
I highly recommend playing around down at the Santa Monica/Venice beach, and you couldn’t ask for a better riding buddy.
JL, you rock, dude.
