We Talked to the Unicycle Guy Carrying His Skis During the Worst Winter Storm of the Year
Credit to Author: Sara Barrière-Brunet| Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2019 17:56:09 +0000
This story first appeared on VICE Quebec.
On Sunday, Karim Kammah decided to buy a pair of skis at the Poubelle du Ski store in Montreal. That’s nothing extraordinary.
Except this 32-year-old Frenchman from Bordeaux made the round trip from his home on a unicycle, and back with his pair of skis on his shoulders. Of course, his ride through the coldest snowstorm of the weekend was widely documented on social networks and shared on the Instagram account @Fucknomtl.
One could say that it has become a kind of emblem of the Quebec winter. We spoke to him Monday morning, before he left his home for work … on his unicycle.
VICE: Hello Karim! Yesterday, during the storm, you decided to ride a unicycle to buy a pair of skis?
Karim Kammah: Yeah, that’s it. There is no bad time to ride. I never take the subway, I do not like it. I always move in the city like this. For me, it was not exceptional. Of course, the conditions were a little, but when you drive on the road that is cleared, it goes well.
What is the longest distance you have traveled in a unicycle?
Once, it was the end of the winter, I traveled 80 kilometers. It was not the best idea I had, because I was clearly not prepared, not covered enough. It was not a great idea! It was to train for Ride to Conquer Cancer. It’s a bike ride at the base. And we went from Toronto to Niagara, it was 130 kilometers. It’s pretty much the longest I’ve done in the summer.
How fast do you roll?
I drive at 18-20 kilometres an hour. Of course it’s a lot slower than cycling, but it’s more fun. It’s a big feeling of freedom.
Have you ever had an accident?
No! Already, I do not fall often. It happens like everyone else, like someone skating, or cycling. A pothole, chances are you’ll fall if you did not see it coming. It happens, but 99% of the time, the unicycle stays behind me, and I fall on my feet. I have never had an accident or dangerous situations.
How long have you been doing the unicycle?
It must be 10 years now. This is my fifth winter here.
If you want to ride with Karim Kammah, he is one of the organizers of the event No Off Season, on February 23rd .