As a child, Marcus Garland had a passion for juggling, football and unicycles. He entertained the thought of combining unicycle riding with his favorite sport, but the dream didn’t come to life until he got to college.
“I kept toying with the idea and thought it was going to be impossible to find unicycle riders,” Garland said.
Garland started a juggling club while attending school at Texas State, and he taught some of the members how to ride unicycles. He shared his idea of unicycle football with them, ultimately leading to the formation of the Unicycle Football League.
“I called a local bicycle store and asked the owner if he would sale us unicycles at wholesale if I started a league,” he said. “We ordered 15 unicycles, and we wound up making two teams. It just keeps growing.”
Today there are six unicycle football teams in San Marcos, and the league has spent the summer working towards expanding to Austin. Angel Serda is spearheading the Austin effort.
“One thing that we have been doing since March is the summer ‘gore-illa’ season,” Serda said. “We’ve created two new teams for the summer that are comprised of any player that shows up and wants to play.”
Serda said he has spent the summer season showing up to public parks and events in Austin, and those who want to participate in the gore-illa games are provided with a jersey. At half time there is a unicycle clinic to teach people how to ride.
“They’re not official games, so the rules are different, and we can sort of amend the rules as we please,” Serda said.
Serda, who got involved with unicycle football about a year and a half ago, said the next logical step for the growing sport is to expand to Austin. He said the league is hoping to have two steady teams in Austin by September, and if that happens they will begin their first season.
“And then hopefully after the first season, we will have drawn more excitement and more riders and the league will grow bigger in Austin,” Serda said.
Until then, Serda said they will hold events in Austin to raise awareness about the sport.
“On August 11 we will be throwing a new type of unicycle football game called a gore-illa warfare. We’re going to incorporate this game into the Thursday night social ride that takes place every week in Austin,” he said.
In San Marcos, the seventh unicycle football season will kick off August 21 at the San Marcos Farmer’s Market field, located at 104 Edward Gary. The event will be a doubleheader, meaning there will be two games. The Unicychos will compete against the Berzerkers at 2 p.m., and the Gnarwhals will play the Hot Dogs at 4 p.m. The complete schedule can be viewed at unicyclefootball.com.
This year, the UFL was invited to make an appearance at the National Unicycle Convention that is taking place on Labor Day weekend in New York, but they could not attend due lack of funding. However, the UFL will be holding benefits during the next 12 months and hopes to be in attendance at the event next year.
Dane Walter got involved with the UFL in its third season and plays for the Ill Eagles, a team he calls “the sickest birds of prey on one wheel.” Walter is looking forward to season seven.
“I think this coming season is the year of the Ill Eagles,” Walter said. “The Ill Eagles dance party 2009 was just so ridiculous that I think it’s just spilling over into all eternity. I imagine us riding across the horizon against a cherry-hued sunset, glory spilling from our hearts and a champion sweat dripping from our brow.”
Garland said he is surprised by the amount of success the UFL has experienced since its formation in 2008.
“Honestly I didn’t think it was going to get off the ground, you know. I thought we might play a game or something like that, but I didn’t really expect it to take off as much as it did,” Garland said. “But I’m glad it happened.”
Serda, who the league refers to as Darth Vato, said he has big hopes for unicycle football’s future and wants to see its popularity catch on in other regions.
“My ultimate dream is to receive a phone call from somebody in Anywhere, USA saying, ‘hey we have a unicycle football team, meet us halfway. Let’s play a game!’ That’s what I would like to see happen some day,” Serda said.
Garland said unicycle football has become more serious and competitive since it began, but he believes the sport is still mostly about fun.
“We’re trying to keep it from becoming that serious. We have to give people a reality check sometimes and tell them not to take it so serious,” he said. “The crowd that comes out and watches the spectacle has a lot of fun, and I feel very lucky to be part of that. As long as people keep having fun we should do well.”
UPCOMING EVENTS:
August 5 (San Marcos) – Benefit show @ the Triple Crown
August 11 (Austin) – Gore-illa warfare game and Thursday night social ride
August 21 (San Marcos) – Season 7 begins
If anyone is interested in having a unicycle football game in their area, e-mail the UFL at unicyclefootballleage@yahoo.com.
