Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 04/02) - Even in the dead of winter, Chris Taylor travels by unicycle.

"Riding to work is actually warmer than walking because it takes a third of the time," he explains.

Chris Taylor demonstrates some of his fancier unicycle manoeuvres. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

He rarely even gets strange looks from people anymore as he whizzes by.

"I get more strange looks and comments when I'm walking now," he says. "They ask, where's the unicycle?"

Taylor, a financial services and mutual funds representative by day, teaches unicycling two evenings a week at NJ Macpherson school.

He picked up the quirky mode of transportation after seeing a talented group of unicyclists at a street performers festival in Edmonton. That same day, he ordered one from the Internet. Now he owns seven different unicycles and has competed in both the North American and worldwide unicycle championships.

While unicycling around Yellowknife, people often stop to tell him they would love to learn. He decided it wasn't a bad idea to teach others the skill. The class is offered through the City of Yellowknife.

One of the things that prevents people from learning to unicycle is that they have no idea where to buy one, he says.

But the city solved that problem by "ordering a whole whack of unicycles," which students get to keep after paying the class registration fee.

And while unicycling isn't a necessary skill outside of the circus, Taylor says students want to learn for one simple reason. It's fun.

Plus, it's a challenge. "When you reach any landmark in achieving your goals it's quite a feeling of accomplishment," he says.

Besides, merely knowing the basics of unicycling makes you look good.

"If you're on a unicycle it doesn't take much to impress your friends and family."