Roll up, roll up! Visitors to Bournemouth beach might spot something a little out of the ordinary this summer. But before you run off to change your contact lenses or get your eyes examined, take another look. This isn't a case of double-vision - more of a mono-spectacle.

On a sunny day, when the wind's not too strong, local resident Dave Earp can be observed traversing the promenade on his bike. But this is no ordinary motor-less machine - Dave is out for a spin on his unicycle.

"I don't know why but it just seems to make people smile," Dave remarks as his hands-free, one-wheeler antics earn him beaming grins and waves from passers-by.

Perhaps it's the intrinsic connection to clowns and the circus, but unicycling isn't just about the entertainment industry. Over recent years it's gained recognition as a recreational sport with disciplines from trials (riding over obstacles) to mountain unicycling and even team sports such as hockey and basketball becoming more popular.

There's even an International Championship (Unicon) where thousands of participants compete in a variety of track and field events including sprint races, high jumps and freestyle tricks. Indeed it was this event which first tempted Dave to downgrade from his sturdy two-wheeler.

"I'd thought about getting a unicycle before because I like trying things that are slightly different. When I discovered there were world championships for unicycling I decided I definitely wanted to take part. This was last October and I'd just missed the event in Switzerland so I set my heart on doing the marathon at the next championships in Copenhagen in 2008.

"It's quite common for me to just randomly pick stuff up like that. Just before my 30th birthday I decided I wanted to cycle from John O'Groats to Land's End. At the time I didn't even have a bike and only a month to prepare. But I did it in just five days and raised about £900 for Macmillan Cancer Research. I'm quite determined once I set my mind to something."

Dave, who turned 48 this month, taught himself to unicycle in just four-and-a-half hours. As a facilities manager for Britannia-Leatherbarrows at Bournemouth Airport he found the perfect place to practice during his lunch break.

"We have a big warehouse with an archive. I discovered a 50-metre run with wooden containers either side so I could reach out and steady myself. Each day I'd try to reduce the number of times I touched the side until eventually I could cycle round the carpark!"

Dave says his colleagues find his unicycling a little strange but apparently they're getting used to his eccentricities. He's even managed to encourage one of his work mates to take up the sport and his brother also bought himself a unicycle for Christmas. He's since lost a stone-and-a-half and will be going head to head with Dave at the championships in Copenhagen.

"People either want to have a go or else think they could never do it." Dave says.

"It's really just a case of mind over matter, though. If you're patient and stick at it I believe anyone can unicycle."

Dave does make it look easy, which, after taking to the saddle, I can categorically say it's not!

I did, however, learn the first rule of unicycling - falling with style, AKA stepping off the front of the unicycle rather than landing on your nether regions. That said, I'd definitely advise investing in some shin pads, wrist guards and a helmet if you're serious about taking up this sport!