Welcome to the team: Zoé Hebinger
She joined the KH Factory Team for the first time this season and has big aspirations. Meet Zoé Hebinger from France, who started off as a mountain unicyclist and just discovered her love for trials.
Bikepark or natural trail?
Natural trail
Trials or Muni?
This question is hard for me because I practice Muni since my beginnings in unicycle. But two years ago, I started doing trials and I love that in competition or in training I can surpass myself all the time. Especially in competition where a mix of adrenaline and stress allow me to try higher jumps or more technical zones.
If I had to choose between Trial and Muni, I would choose Muni for the great expeditions or mountain trainings.
What do you think makes the French unicycling scene different from others?
Today the image that stands out of the French unicycle is a mix between competitiveness and good atmosphere. We are like a big family which meetup to share our sport. Most often, clubs have one or more disciplines in which they specialize in relation to their geographical location, their local means or simply by the cravings of the unicyclists. Throughout the year we can meet several times, thanks to the many competitions and training camp that takes place all over France, there is really something for all disciplines and for all clubs. The unicycle is unfortunately not recognized as a real sport yet but if more people get to know unicycling it could!
What are your plans as a member of the KH Factory team?
My plans are not yet very defined but I'm full of big ideas even if some may never be feasible like riding big mountains(I don’t know yet which one!) or video projects. However, I am going to train for the next European Unicycle Championships which will be held in the Netherlands this summer, I will participate in more events like the Grischa Muni challenge in Liechtenstein and other competitions like the French Unicycle Cup. I will do some trips like spending a week in the Alps to ride some DH with people from my club, or find friends unicyclists in the south of France to ride Trial.
What motivates you to ride, continue improving, and teach unicycling to young riders?
What motivates me to ride unicycle is mainly competitions, it still motivates me a lot to see great unicyclists get to a great level, it inspires me and it also makes me want to achieve (maybe someday) a level like theirs from a technical or fitness point of view. Ride with a club is always very motivating too and it's really nice to ride with a good group of friends. I find it motivating to teach unicycle to children because it's very rewarding to see them progress fast and have fun on a unicycle. For me it is the future of the unicycle to teach because I think this is what will make it better known as a sport in France as in the rest of the world.
Where in the world do you want to travel with your unicycle?
There is a lot of places I'd like to go to like Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, Bolivia or the Dolomites … But one day I would really like to go on a unicycle adventure in the big mountains like Stephanie, Lutz, Kris or other riders are doing.
It's great to have you on the team, Zoé!