Ken Looi
Age: 47
Home: Wellington, New Zealand
Years riding: 25
Occupation: Specialist generalist
Preoccupation: building our new medical centre, trying to keep up with my 3 kids
Why I’m going to Bhutan: Nathan Hoover and Kris Holm’s 2003 ‘Into the Thunder Dragon’ documentary inspired many of my unicycle adventures
What I’m most looking forward to: riding in a place very few people have unicycled
The weirdest thing I’ve done in public: riding around in circles 1165 timesI
Comfort food: Instant noodles (Trident Hot and Spicy Thai)
People don’t know this about me: I once had a tongue piercing. See below
My superpower: the ability to commit to something without thinking it through!
This is what I would tell 18 year old me: you’ll figure it out as you go
Ernst Glatzer
Age: 56
Home: Austria, 30km south east of Vienna
Years riding: 15
Occupation: Software maaintenance in personnel administration
Preoccupation: Unicycling
Why I’m going to Bhutan: Because this year’s Unitour is Bhutan (Samoa would have been nice but too far away)
What I’m most looking forward to: The landscape
The weirdest thing I’ve done in public: Commuting regularily (according to my non unicycling colleagues)
Comfort food: Pasta
My superpower: Persistence
This is what I would tell 18 year old me: Just try it!
Bruce Dawson
Age: 60
Home: Vancouver, BC, Canada (near downtown, near the seawall bike path)
Years riding: 42 years
Occupation: Retired software developer
Preoccupation: Kiteboarding, tennis, pickleball, and so much more
Why I’m going to Bhutan: It was Ken’s idea! I’d been thinking about a bike tour for years but not doing anything but then I saw Ken’s message and it spoke to me. A unicycle “bike” tour through an exotic country that most people can’t find on the map? Count me in!
What I’m most looking forward to: Seeing the people, buildings, and other wonders of Bhutan
The weirdest thing I’ve done in public: I unicycled through the streets of Seattle wearing only body paint. Several times.
Comfort food: Baked chicken and mashed potatoes
People don’t know this about me: I’m a university dropout (an uneducated software developer)
My superpower: I’m willing to go for it – failure doesn’t worry me
This is what I would tell 18 year old me: It’s gonna be a windy path but it is all going to work out
Words of wisdom: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. Nothing exceeds like excess!
Michele Manna
Age: 62
Home: grass valley California
Years riding, 26?
Occupation: RN
Preoccupation: playing in nature
Why I’m going to Bhutan: why not?
What I’m most looking forward to: meeting the Bhutanese ppl