When KariAnna Clausen’s dad taught her to ride the unicycle last fall, she made him promise that in five years he would ride with her across the nation.
But Lars Clausen couldn’t wait that long.
On April 29, he set out on his own journey from sea to shining sea.
Lars Clausen is making the trek from Washington state to New York City on his unicycle to raise money for the Seward Peninsula Lutheran Endowment Fund, which aims to preserve the 12,000-year-old culture of the Inupiat Eskimos.
The Lutheran pastor, who served at University Lutheran Church, 1020 S. Harrison Ave. for four years, returned to East Lansing this weekend. His trip, dubbed “One Wheel, Many Spokes,” is scheduled to end at the Statue of Liberty on Aug. 10.
“It’s the first place I’ve ever been where they’ve called the police on me when I came back to town,” he joked about returning to his former hometown with a police escort.
“I like being able to do something that’s totally ridiculous but is really making a contribution.”
In addition to raising $1.49 for each turn of his unicycle wheel on his way to meet a $5-million goal, Clausen also is about to smash a 17-year-old world record for long-distance unicycling.
He already has traveled 3,730 of the 3,877 miles he needs to set the record. He plans on topping the record soon after he leaves Toledo, Ohio, on Wednesday.
The unicycling pastor, who was scheduled to leave town at 5 a.m. today, already has wheeled his way into the record book for the most miles unicycled in one day - 202.7 miles.
Although he’s now pedaling for charity and Guinness world-record fame, Lars Clausen said he originally acted on the idea planted in him by his 8-year-old daughter just for the fun of it.
“It’s totally just for kicks,” the 40-year-old said. “I don’t know that I’ll ever get a chance to do this ride again.”
The unicycle trek is being funded though the Clausen’s personal savings and gifts.
“People aren’t buying me tires,” Clausen said about the donations he’s received along the way.
Clausen is being followed on his journey by his wife Anne, and his two children, KariAnna and Kai, 6, who travel at his side in the family motor home, which his wife dubbed “Harvey the RV.” The Clausen family also is joined by their friends, Ron and Amy Martin, and their two children. Ron Martin accompanies Clausen on his bicycle.
The Clausens met their travel partners through a mutual friend at a Christmas party in December.
“I’ve been really interested in doing a cross-country bike trip for 10 years. When else are we going to do something like this?” said Ron Martin, who said his family was ready to join the Clausens in less than a half hour upon hearing about the planned adventure.
And although Lars Clausen doesn’t think he can meet his $5-million goal on the adventure, he said he hopes the trip will bring enough attention to the cause that it will be reached even after he stops pedaling. Clausen served his first Lutheran parish in Nome, Alaska, for the Inupiat Eskimo people from 1993-97,
While in East Lansing this weekend, the family parked “Harvey the RV” in the University Lutheran Church’s parking lot. He led Sunday services at the church and presided over a former member of his congregation’s marriage ceremony while in town.
University Lutheran Church leaders have set a parish goal of raising $10,000 for Clausen’s cause. As of Sunday, the parish was about $500 away from meeting its goal.
Clausen was taught the art of unicycling by his father, Hans Clausen, who began the family tradition with an orange unicycle he bought while in college in 1961.
“I’m pleased and proud,” Hans Clausen said. “He’s exceeding all my expectations. He’s way beyond me.”
Although Hans Clausen has not made any long-distance unicycling trips of his own, he said he’s happy that the hobby he began more than 40 years ago has blossomed across three generations.
“I remember getting really mad at that (orange) unicycle,” Lars Clausen said while recalling his first rides.
Even Kai Clausen, the youngest Clausen son, is taking baby rides on his 16-inch unicycle.
And although KariAnna Clausen isn’t making the whole cross-country trip along side her dad on her 20-inch unicycle - as she promised when he taught her to ride - she did travel beside him for about 4 miles in Idaho.
“In five years, he’s going to have to do it all over again,” said Anne Clausen, laughing about the father-daughter deal.
“But I told him next time, I’m riding and he’s driving ‘Harvey.’”
Amy Bartner can be reached at bartnera@msu.edu.
