He Built a Unicycle THEN Rode it Around The World in the 1970s! [Wobbling Wally Watts]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 มิ.ย. 2020
- Canadian Walter J. Watts rode a self made 43’’ unicycle around the planet from April 1976 to October 1978. For over 2 years he pedalled alone and self supported across 16 countries.
As the only other person to complete a round-the-world unicycle tour, I was very keen to learn more about his epic ride. But minus a couple of photos and newspaper clippings, I really couldn't find much info about Wally and his incredible feat. So I reached out and had the pleasure of chatting with him over a video call recently, very excited to hear about the challenges he faced while unicycling 10,500 miles back in the 1970s.
This is a kind of Part 2 to my previous 'world record' vid. Watch that here: • Why I DIDN'T Receive a...
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He seems so excited to talk about his trip to someone who understands what he went through.
Yes. They should be uni buddies and do some shorter local rides together.
@@KandiKlover They live a tad far apart if Watts is in Canada
He unicycled around the world.... in jeans, thats insane
Yeah, but specially-made, oiled, LEATHER Crotched jeans!
Underneath still had to be quite leathery, haha, so thankful we have bib shorts now!
nah...the insane thing is he rode 43" unicycle around the world with no handles
more insane he has no breaks Oo
I remember following his ride, as it was happening
No cell phones, no GPS, no Google Maps - Just road signs and asking for directions
No Google Translate - Wonder if he carried any phrase books
No tent, no sleeping bag, no carried food - His trust in strangers is amazing
The World was a different place back then.
i woulda at least bought a road map for the places i was going cause relying on directions can be iffy and if he was ever on a long stretch of road with hardly any people or buildings having a map and compass would come in handy greatly
theninjamaster67 he probably did have some, that’s how bike touring was always done and still sometimes is. I mainly use maps most of the time and just save my GPS for emergencies.
@@KandiKlover yah that's a great way of doing it so you can save your battery on the GPS and a map works just fine like it always has
@Bamboo Training He could - but as he said, there's god and bad, young and old, wherever you go. Which says to me that people are pretty much the same all over the world. And which means that those people out in the wilds of [insert exotic country name] are similar to those that you know locally.
Prepare for your trip, take sensible precautions - but don't be paralysed with fear by the prospect.
Awesome video to cover some of the trailblazers that weren't around when TH-cam and social media was around. Nice shout out to those legends.
Great to see you here mate
Ed go to Canada and try to get the transCanada one wheel record
dude talked his beard clean off
And when he listened it grew back!
Yeah! I was like... "wait a minute? Didn't he have a beard?" at one point.
Read this at beginning.
Realised and laughed at end
I'm glad he did. This is important personal and human history that went largely undocumented so it's great that Ed chronicled it and finally has it out there before (god forbid) the man ever passes away and we lose it forever. It may sound silly but anyone who bicycle tours understands the importance.
Wally: "So how I'd thought we do this, is you ask me a question and I'll ask you a question."
Ed: "Everyone watching this vid saw my story, here is a platform for your story."
You are a wise man Ed.
What an absolute legend. The emotion that comes back to him while he tells you about his trip had me all emotional. Could see him reliving his trip while reciting it. Really amazing to see someone so full of life
Wally must be 72 years old now ,born 1948 ,but he looks far younger .A real legend .He made his own unicycle .
Anthony Dowling my grandad is 84 years old and my grandmother says he looks like he’s 50, doesn’t make him a fucking legend does it
@@georgjacobsen9928 Did your grandad unicycle around the world?
Teedo did he mention that in the comment?
Fantorangen Official he did mention he made his own unicycle nonetheless, did you grand father do that at the least?
@@georgjacobsen9928 yeah he did.
Me 30 minutes ago: That's too long, Ed.
Me now: More please.
F**k me, his unicycle didn't even have support bars. How come this guy isn't treated as a national hero of Canada. His storytelling talent and enthusiasm is completely infectious! Brilliant guy. Epic.
Wally stayed with our family in New Zealand during his round the world cycle. Such a nice guy.
What do you/parents remember?
Yes, what Wayne asked, are there any memories?
I totally enjoyed this story of an adventurer who preceded you by 40 years or so. You both are amazing people.
You can tell Wally is still so passionate about the adventure. It’s really inspiring.
My hatsoff to you for identifying this mans accomplishments which was before yours. I thoroughly enjoyed following you and your experiences throughout the journey. .. Now, thanks to you I get to hear of anothein my small town I grew up on of 980 people, my brother got a UNICYCLE for Christmas one year.
He mastered it immediately and became the astounding conversation of the town for decades.
Going to store on it, drive through bank.
He rode it everywhere and they even let him ride inside store to watch him shop for bread, pay, and ride home. That was 1/2 Century ago.
Thx again. I will watch this later today for sure.
God bless from USA/Georgia. Alton
this man is a gem, he saw the world and became better for it, the stories people like wally have to tell are more valuable than gold, thank you Ed for bringing this man to my attention, you really are a special person.
Wally’s from my hometown - makes me happy to think that there are these totally amazing people who don’t necessarily get much recognition, who could be living on your street :)
He even reminds me of ed even looks a bit like him when he was younger
I was thinking that too lol
ChaoticMatters me too lol
Not one to comment, but the passion that you could see in this video was amazing. I bet it was amazing to be able to chat to the only person in the world that could honestly appreciate the thrill and experience that you went through.
He clearly enjoyed sharing his tales with Ed. A day off for the grandkids from another 'Did I tell you about the time I unicycled around the world'...Not for at least an hour Grandad.
Finally 30 something years later someone who can truly understand. We all need a shared understanding. Fills you with joy and energy to connect and you could see it in Wally.
Loved that he had the final say and summed up perfectly what travel and adventure is all about.
Great watch.
30 something? isn't it more like 45 something.....
It was 1976-1978 right?
Solid maths...gold star, wasn't really the salient point of my comment though.
Two legends...so cool you interviewed W.Watts!
This guy shaves and grows beards at lightning speed :-) Very nice video Ed, Wally's stories are great!
15:40..I wish I could shave that quickly
Wow I googled this guy obsessively yesterday after seeing him mentioned in one of your videos. Couldn't find a thing after 1977. This is great!
That was awesome. Genuinely awesome. You two are World Record breakers and have endless stories to prove it. A book entry is meaningless...Congratulations!
What a great bloke.
My bet is a lot of people would appreciate if Wally would put more pics of his journey up on the net.
This man also holds the record for the quickest shave. Beard gone in second @ 27.17
28:14 Backpackers think they are all adventurous by going somewhere they didn't plan on. On a bike you generally know the next city/village/town and try to get there asking along the way the best roads to take. You know your off the beaten path when you have been 3 days in the desert, not seeing anyone during that time, with your last .75 liters of water and thinking 'I might die'. Explaining my experiences with backpackers in hostels always got wide eyes and 'I'm not sure I could do that'.
15:20 wtf was that. The guy just changed in the middle of nowhere. I'm speechless😂
“Wherever you go there is good, bad,young , and old....” so true
Legend meet the legend❤️
A long one? It was too short! I would've happily watched you guys for double or triple the time.
Wally! Write a book! Ed! Write a book!
This made me so happy.
Wonderful that you helped this humble man to get a little bit of late internet fame. This video could have been hours long, and most people around here would have watched it all!
Amazing When he talks about fabricating the unicycle.
Old school adventure, I probably watched that episode of Blue Peter when I was a nipper, nice one Ed and Wally.
Love it. Records are meant to be broken. I love watching the kids coming up just killing it.
To summarize this video, its 2 legends talking to each other
Ed, you need to make a larger documentary with him. For real. Actually, you guys should talk to network and see if you guys can't revisit places together and compare notes.... all on Unis. I'd watch that!
I couldn't agree with Wobbley more. The topography is fascinating; the people make the trip.
cellphoneless in the 70's - truly you, the road and only whatever was directly in front of you.
That was a total different ball game in the 70ts.
Actually there were wireless phones. Also ham radio handheld transceivers were easy to use and get and lots of repeaters had an auto patch that let you place phone calls through it.
Really interesting interview thanks!. It made me laugh when he said the the British constable had no common sense, Nothing changed there then!.
I have a strong feeling that I met Wally on his travels. I am having trouble remembering where I met him.
I had heard about Wally back in the day. Thanks for making this video, Ed, it really helps complete the story and fill out the person he is.
It is wonderful to see how upbeat and happy Wally is.
I see so much similarities in their both young faces. Fascinating.
That part about people being varied at the end is too true. I live in a small village where it is the norm to say hello to anyone you pass, but 2 miles away there is a town where people don't make eye contact, let alone say hi.
That was amazing, thanks Ed and Wally!
Thanks Ed for introducing Wally to us!
Thanks for recognizing Wally's accomplishment.
thx for sharing this guy's enthusiasm
ed, this was an amazing interview. this guy was/is just an incredible person.
i remember when i was 9 years old and Uncle Wally called at 6 am on a Saturday morning to have me ready in half an hour so we could ride a bike-a-thon in ST. Albert (outside Edmonton at the time). I brought my cool new Mustang bike and he brought his unicycle. We met a lot of people as he certainly stood out. A really cool memory of my childhood. This was before any trips and he was teaching himself juggling on a unicycle because he thought it looked cool.
Wally is my second cousin... Coincidence!
in jeans!! what a legend!
Good, bad, young and old. perfect resumen.
Thanks you guys for letting us listen to your stories. That was really lovely in the most sincere sense of this word.
Man, I really enjoyed that chat. What a special guy! Thanks for posting that!
I remember watching the Blue Peter episode with Lesley Judd and Walter Watts as it was broadcast. Although it didn't inspire me to ride a unicycle it did inspire me to spend my life cycling a conventional bike and for that I am very grateful.
Ed you are looking at yourself 50 years down the road and Walter is seeing the young man he was 50 years ago as if it was yesterday.
Fabulous interview. You made an old guy very happy. Thank you for making.
what a legend....trainers, jeans, t-shirt and a backpack. such a og hipster adventurer seeker
15:21 It was nice of you to let him shave in the middle of the interview. 😆
Thank you Ed, thank you Walter.
It’s crazy to me that a young man in 1976 would be in their late 60’s now, 1976 feels recent to me to this day
Such a beautiful conversation.
Ed, Wally, you guys rock. Ed thanks for paying respect. You told the world. Love both of you. As to Guinness, I will have a Pale Ale.
I'M LITERALLY A UNICYCLIST FROM EDMONTON. THIS GUY IS INSPIRING
CAPS LOCK
I KNOW RIGHT, HE IS SOME OF THE MOST INSPIRING PEOPLE
So, he had a beard then he lost it and it came back again. I couldn't do that in 30 minutes. Anyways, it's really nice to see you relate to someone so much edd.
That was a great adventure! Thanks for sharing :)
amazing how he shaved his beard and regrew it all in the span of one interview!
Great stuff Ed, you let the man speak. So many make the mistake of thinking it's all about them.
Fascinating. Funny. Touching. Thank you Ed and Wally.
Great chat by kindred spirits. Looking forward to seeing what's next. Good luck.
I have been unicycleing science 9 years old
Thank you so much for making this Ed! You have shone a light on a fascinating character who didn’t have the same opportunity to thoroughly document his own adventure. Great message from Wally at the end as well.
Two amazing people, two amazing journeys. Thank you for the great video. Nice to see and hear your conversation on your respective travels (40 years apart).
What a super pair of interviews.... a bearded and an unbearded Wally! I'm now going to watch your various 'round the world' videos. Thank you.
He's such a great guy!
Shaving and regrowing a beard in 30 minutes is impressive. In all serious really loved listening to him, thanks for the video
Wow, proves life is what you make of it. Good job, thank you Ed And Wallis
I really like the words at the end of the video so heartwarming and truthful.
Is there 4 hour cut of of this interview?
I would like to see that too
Archock Encanto for real though? No lies?
Another brilliant film
Ed, your interview skills are as good as your unicycling skills. Fantastic job keeping it real yet very entertaining. Love the beard on, beard off edits. What's next?
I met and had dinner with Wally and tried to ride his uni! We also had an Indian wrestling match - can you imagine with his legs! It was during his ride around the world and was in Preston when he stayed with a Unicycling friend of mine Roy Rivers. Very nice guy.
Thank you both
Fantastic doc, Ed! Well done! I've recently taken up unicycling in the last few months. Wally's explanation about being able to complete 2 revs, then a few feet and further and further really resonated with me. That's been my experience so far. Long distance uni riding has become my passion! I rode the equivalent of a 10k, just the other day on my 26" road unicycle. Your posts inspire me to keep going, thank you for sharing!
Thanks Ed enjoyed hearing you both sharing your experiences.
I’m so glad that these people exist😜
Amazing, what a beautiful story!!
Hope it doesn’t need to be said, but your filming, video editing, interview and story telling skills are really on point, it’s clear you’re passionate in adventure and sharing it. Look forward to see your future content (good luck on the tandem!)
Wow. Amazing story. Amazing life. Both of them. When I ride my unicycle I feel a little bit of pride and motivation knowing their story.
well that was just wonderful, what a guy, a person as ease with a life well lived,
Well done Ed...this is such an informative interview covering the wonderful aspect of touring. I loved Wallys passion, as he shared his memories to someone who understood. What I loved the most, was when he said, "I don't care if you believe me or not, I did it...as he talked to those in disbelief.
What an absolute treat this must have been for both of you, I know I was sporting a grin throughout the video. Thanks Ed!
sounds like yall should of talked over a few beers. thanks for taking us along.
Wow, what a great guy.
Hey Ed!
It's great to see you still making quality content in this chaos!
Keep up the good work
He's not lost the unicycle passion, it's great to compare
I'm sorry Wally, I had to do this..
Wally: "Here's how it's going to go. You're going to ask one question and I'm going to tell you my life story"
It took him two years and the story 30 minutes... I'll bet there are a lot more stories, if anyone ever took the time to ask!
This was great, thanks!
Wobbling Wally stayed for a night with my family in southern Minnesota, USA! He had stayed with some friends of ours in South Dakota, and they arranged for Wally to stay with us when he got here. Then he was off to Wisconsin, I suppose! Nice guy. Just amazing what he did. Was just wondering what became of him, wound up watching your vid. Enjoyed the vid. Thx!
Absolutely awesome video. Thank you Mr. Walter J. Watts it was an amazing interview. Great job Ed