Whether by car, bicycle, Tiger Transit or good old-fashioned foot, every Auburn student has a preferred method of traveling to class.
But freshmen Kevin Tonn, a computer science major, and Clayton Lester, a biomedical sciences major, utilize a more unique form of transportation.
Lester and Tonn ride unicycles.
"It's just a fun way of traveling," Lester said. "It's definitely way better than walking."
Tonn and Lester both took up their one wheeled hobby after they saw someone riding a unicycle at their respective schools. Lester said he started riding in the sixth grade after he saw a demonstration at a school assembly. Tonn's inspiration came a few years later than Lester's and with a little more danger involved.
"A couple years ago I saw one of my friends riding a unicycle around my high school, juggling flaming bowling pins," Tonn said. "I knew I couldn't juggle so I decide to try riding a unicycle instead."
Both Tonn and Lester said they were hooked as soon as they saddled up to their cycles.
"I wanted to prove I could learn," Tonn said. "As soon as I got about 20 feet I knew that was my mode of transportation."
Lester and Tonn both said they have received notable recognition from the students on campus for their hobby. Aside from the countless smiles and waves they receive, there is a Facebook fan page dedicated to Tonn which has more than 2,000 members.
"It's great fun being treated like a celebrity," Tonn said. "I'm a pretty low-key person so it makes me happy that people appreciate weird and awkward stuff like I do."
Lester said he receives plenty of strange looks when he brings his unicycle into restaurants around town, but his favorite memory comes from a pick-up order he placed.
"One time I rode it up to Papa John's to pick up a pizza," Lester said. "Then when I took it back to my dorm I was riding around with this pizza, looking like some crazy delivery guy."
Both Lester and Tonn said they highly encourage anyone interested in unicycles to give it a try.
"Everyone always asks me if it's hard or not," Lester said. "Once you get used to it, it's easier than a bike."
Tonn said he hopes more people on campus take interest in unicycles.
"We're thinking of making a club," Tonn said. "It really depends on if there are enough people interested and if they have time and things like that. We're definitely interested in getting more people together."
Tonn said he and Lester want to find as many unicycle enthusiasts as possible so they can live out their dream, playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee on unicycles.
"I've seen it done once before and its one of the funnier things I've ever seen," Tonn said.
Lester said the unicycle lends itself to many sports.
"Its pretty fun playing any sport on a unicycle," Lester said. "I've played plenty of stuff like baseball or football. Football was cool because you can ride out and catch some long pass and it looks awesome. The other day we were throwing the football around and I hopped on my unicycle and went out for a 50-yard pass and people went crazy when I caught it." Regardless of what sport someone may want to play on a unicycle, Tonn said everyone should give unicycles a shot. "If you think you can do it, you can do it," Tonn said. "It doesn't require balance, it teaches it."
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