When Tennyson Ha rolled up to Johns Creek High School hefting a giant gym bag on his shoulder three years ago, principal Chris Shearer welcomed the new student, organizing a parking spot for the large wheel. Residents and police officers have looked on wide-eyed as the city’s resident unicycler slipped through swarms of cars and pumped uphill on State Bridge. But the riding, to the young man, has been a matter of course.
In California, Tennyson’s father, himself a unicycler, coaxed his ten-year-old to push off the fence at the tennis courts while pedaling. After a month of falls, Tennyson was off, riding for pleasure and exercise. He cruised the Pacific coast on his wheel and unicycled the mountain trails of Los Angeles with his Dad.
Between the 36” Coker and the baby 12” (the tire diameter), seven unicycles including the Giraffe, filled the family garage before Tennyson moved to Georgia with his mother. Well over six feet on his 29” and impossible to miss, he has survived close calls with drivers on Medlock Bridge whose eyes were glued to their phone. “They also don’t look both ways before turning left or right and don’t see me coming from the side,” says the unicycler.
Safety has remained a conscious value for Tennyson who grew up doing Mixed Martial Arts. Having trained in Johns Creek and Duluth under Krav Maga black belts and coaches of pro fighters, he spars with friends and mentors every chance he gets. “I want to teach women, especially those on college campuses, how to protect themselves and minimize any chance of altercation.”
"He is much, much more than The Unicycle Kid," says JCHS senior and friend Nat Jaswani. "His curiosity about my lunch - without a wrinkle of his nose (a rare response to Indian food) and his ability to fit in a hilarious comment, his kind interactions with everyone regardless of their background, show us that Tennyson is a character you won't find anywhere else.”
He also drums at church, having scored top prizes as a rock drummer in talent shows in California.
But always the unicycler and now a kids’ birthday party entertainer, Tennyson shoots hoops and jousts with DIY foam swords on his wheel to help make memorable celebrations. Through mountain trails, rivers of traffic and birthday backyards, Johns Creek’s unicycler continues carving his own path.
Find Tennyson Ha on LinkedIn.
How to ride a unicycle, from the Unicycling Society of America
How to mount the unicycle:
- Place the pedals so they are at “6 o’clock”.
- Put the seat between your legs. The narrow part of the seat is the front.
- Put your dominant foot on the lower pedal.
- Hold onto the wall, railing, or fence and pull yourself up so you are sitting on the seat.
How to start pedaling:
- Roll forward, slowly, ¼ revolution so that your pedals are at “3 o’clock” (this is called the “power position”).
- Look ahead
- Keep your back straight
- Keep your arms straight and out to the sides
- Put your weight on the seat (not on the pedals)
- Pedal slowly from power position to power position. Try to develop a rhythm by saying “Go. Go. Go.” Or “One. Two. One. Two.”
- Try to keep the motion going forward and fall or step off the front of the unicycle onto your feet
- When you fall or step off, let go of the unicycle and try to land on your feet