Mention unicycling as an extreme sport and you might get a few odd looks. However, German unicyclist Lutz Eichholz is breathing new life into the sport of the mono-wheel by literally scaling mountains. According to The Local, the 26-year-old has been riding unicycles since he was nine and soon began competing in world tournaments. With a handful of tricks under his belt Eicholz then had a fateful meeting with Kris Holm, a consummate thrill seeker, when they were both in China.

Their meeting set Eichholz’s sights on greater limits, such as the Dolomite mountains in Italy.

“That started me on the extreme unicycling route. It was totally cool. I was in New Zealand and went to the mountains and realized it would be possible, but that it would be difficult. Then in 2010 three friends and I went up the Zugspitze mountain and came down on unicycles.”

No longer reserved for well dressed gentlemen in the 1800s, Eichholz is using his unicycle to inspire others to take up the sport. Although the idea for mountain unicycling had originated several decades ago, the efforts of Eichholz and his contemporaries have brought it to the forefront of the extreme sports world.

The following is a video of Eichholz and a few friends riding down the Dolomite mountains:

httpv://youtu.be/GUZuyMVdVcc