Simon: You've started to design your own unicycles - how's that going?
Kris Holm: With the huge growth of the sport, it is going very well. I started by making custom unicycles for myself, and now I distribute a line of unicycles, components and safety gear in about 15 countries.
Simon: How have you seen the sport evolve since you got involved in it?
Kris Holm: Fifteen years ago there was a small handful of riders that pretty much did all kinds of rough terrain riding, and everyone knew everyone who was into it. Now the sport has grown to have many specialized types of riding, a unicycle magazine and international competitions. It's a huge change but it still feels really grassroots and friendly - you often see the best riders hanging out with beginners and you don't really have the big egos you sometimes see in other sports.
Simon: What are your future goals?
Kris Holm: I want to do more long distance all-mountain riding. There are a few places in Argentina I'd like to go, and I'd like to get to know more places in the U.S. mid-west, in Colorado and Montana, and closer to home north of Whistler, Canada.
Simon: Can you tell us a little bit about your charity?
Kris Holm: Kris Holm Unicycles is a member of 1% for the Planet, a non-profit organization where members donate one percent of gross sales towards
environmental conservation. Mostly I support conservation of wilderness areas in British Columbia, where I live, and environmental education for kids.
Simon: How can kids go about getting involved with it and the environment in general?
Kris Holm: I think kids need to know that it can be fun to reduce your impact on the environment, such as by getting into bikes or unicycles instead of cars. And kids need to know that the little stuff, like recycling at home, really does make a difference if we all do it.
Simon: What is your advice for kids who want to get involved in unicycling?
Kris Holm: Just go for it! Unicycling is ideal for kids because it's not too expensive, is low maintenance and you can do it anywhere – you can have just as much fun in your local neighborhood as in a far away country. And you don't have to convince your parents to drive you anywhere. The biggest challenge is having the determination and motivation to learn the basics. Most people find that it feels impossible at first, but after a few weeks of hard work it gets fun and you can do a lot of stuff. The internet is the best place to get started - check out www.unicycle.com and www.unicyclist.com.
Check out www.krisholm.com for more information on Kris and his adventures!
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