This interview with a professional mountain unicyclist is interesting mostly because if asked a lot of people wouldn’t realize there was such a thing in existence. But Lutz Eicholtz has made it his life’s ambition to make it up and then down some of the biggest mountains in the world in order to perfect a sport that he might very well have invented. It’s uncertain since there are a number of people that could lay claim to so many things in this world but I’d be inclined to believe him on this one simply because when it comes to riding a unicycle you don’t hear a lot of people with the note of pride in their voice other than the fact that they can do it. Plus, you don’t see a lot of folks making their way down a mountain with only one wheel beneath them for support.
Lutz has made it kind of his mission to find the biggest and most interesting mountains to climb and then descend on his unicycle. He started by simply riding on the street when he was a child but obviously things progressed to a point that he wanted more of a thrill. That seems to be the way a lot of things like this get started since he’s gone to five different continents and so many different places to practice his hobby that it boggles the mind to think of how many different surfaces he’s been on. Watching as his cycle moves along you can see the mastery he has over that allows him to remain upright even when you think for certain that gravity is about to have its way with him.
He’s very aware of the danger that’s posed by overthinking the situation when he’s riding and states that if he doesn’t think then things tend to go okay. That’s a strange thought that some people can’t seem to wrap their heads around but it’s very true for many things in life. If you’re good at something and know how to do it on an instinctual and physical level your active thought processes tend to get in the way more often than not. With Lutz’s hobby there’s no room for second-guessing. Making his way down a hill at high speed with one hand on the brake and the other out for balance doesn’t allow him much time to think, only to react in the best way that he knows how. This is how many people handle many aspects of their lives. So the saying “don’t think” doesn’t mean turn your brain off completely, it means let your logical side take a backseat for a moment.
After all logic would be the greatest enemy of a lot of us if we allowed it to rule every facet of our lives. For Lutz, logic might dictate that most of the mountains and other locations he decides to cycle in are simply too dangerous. It would likely state that he shouldn’t be risking life and limb for what amounts to no better reason than because he can. There’s no room for logic when it comes to something you love to do.
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