Cityphile: Kris Holm

Somehow in my mind, the North Shore was a place where mountain biking happens - mountain biking with 2 wheels - and unicycling was the kind of thing that happened in circuses and maybe by buskers at Granville Island. They were things that were the same, but different. Not meant for the same terrain. But after watching this video where extreme unicyclist Kris Holm kills it over all kind of terrain on one wheel only, I'm blown away.

Read on to see what this free-wheeling adventurer, entrepreneur and Vancouverite has to say about his sport and city of choice.

So, first off, you're described on your about page as a "mountain unicyclist". What is that, exactly?

Mountain unicycling (AKA Muni) is just like mountain biking, except on one wheel. It may sound unlikely but it is actually a lot of fun and not as impossible as you might think.

And how did you get into it?

I asked for a unicycle for my 12th birthday after seeing a unicyclist street performer. I come from an outdoorsy family and, lacking any other knowledge of the sport, I decided to try taking it off road. I didn't know it at the time, but I was very early in the sport- one of perhaps a dozen riders worldwide who were actively riding by the late 80's. In the late 90's through to the present day I've done a lot of film and television work that has apparently helped popularize the sport. Since 2000 the sport has grown to perhaps one to two hundred thousand off road riders worldwide.

Now that you've pioneered a sport, designed unicycles and unicycling gear, what's next? Do you see more people getting involved in this sport?

Unicycling has a lot of potential. The equipment is appealingly simple and inexpensive (the best unis in the world cost under $600), you can make it quite safe if you want to due to the low speeds, you can do it anywhere, and it's hard enough that you will never run out of new things to do. The fact that it's hard is not a barrier- a lot of sports are difficult and it's certainly no harder than, say, surfing or skateboarding.

For those who try a unicycle and can't ride at all, think way back to you're first days of riding a bike as a small kid. It was probably exactly the same, and now look how easy it feels.

Did you grow up in Vancouver?

I grew up in Victoria and moved to Vancouver in 1997.

Can you tell us your favorite place to ride, or is it a secret?

One of my favorite riding spots is Wreck Beach! I go down there often for technical riding on the rocks and logs. Otherwise Mt. Fromme on the North Shore is the local place that I ride most.

What do you love about Vancouver?

I love the fact that every kind of adventure sport is so close. I can go riding in the morning and climbing in the afternoon without having to drive very far, if I want to. And I love the culture of the city- I work as a geologist 4 days/week in addition to riding as an athlete and running a unicycle company, and that is regarded as a positive thing by the geological consulting company I work for. I'm not sure that would be the case in Toronto.

What do you do in the city when you're not riding it?

Hang out with my awesome wife Shannon, or perhaps go climbing or skiing depending on the time of year, or just poke around at a local farmers market.

Any last words?

Just that it's great to live in a city that embraces activities outside the mainstream, or at least does if you look hard enough.

Thanks for the inspiring interview, Kris! Happy riding.