How To Start Doing Extreme Sports As A Hobby - Zoda - Versatile Athlete

SPEAKER_01 0:04

This is the Beyond the Story Podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. And now, Sebastian F. Zoto, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Thank you. It was uh nice to meet you, Sebastian.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

It's great to meet you too. Did you ride your one-wheel here?

SPEAKER_00 0:31

No, I I took an Uber.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Okay, good. That's smart. You could throw the one wheel in the back of the Uber.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Uh true. True.

SPEAKER_01 0:39

I mean, you never know where you're gonna go. It's kinda hot, it's kind of a little bit hectic to lug around, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 0:44

It's very heavy. Yeah, it's close to 20 pounds. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

I mean, come on. Maybe they're gonna make a you know, maybe they got those dog and baby carriers. They can make a one-wheel carrier.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

True. Or uh I could get an electric unicycle that has a trolley.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Oh, the unicycle. Yeah, we're gonna have to talk about that. So um Zoda and I connected on Instagram because she had a video that went viral down here in in um, I think Only and Dade shared it or one of the rag mag uh news outlets on here. Mad Love for Only and Dade. Mad Love. Um and uh you were riding a one-wheel. Well, you were sit were you sitting down on a one-wheel.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

I had a beach chair that I was riding on the one-wheel and I was juggling while I was on it.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Okay, so first of all, let just for context, listeners, a one-wheel is one wheel and a board. Like you have to have some sort of skill set to even stand on this thing. And I believe it speeds up and slows down based on pressing forward or backwards, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:41

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Okay, cool. So if that's not crazy in and of itself, um, but they're a lot of fun like on soft surfaces like the beach in the grass. I don't know that I'd be charging down ocean drive like this rock star was, but it listen so if that's not enough, let's put a beach chair instead of your two feet on the one wheel. Okay, that's not enough either. I'm gonna need to juggle something. So those, I mean, that that is a skill set, and it's no wonder the video went viral. And um I commented, I'm a comedian, so I was like, where have you been all my life? Right. And uh and I get a text a couple days later from my good friend Jeff Saviligo, an incredible uh MC and entertainer, an incredible juggler. Uh, and so and a friend of his had sent him a screenshot of my comment. No, has said, no, no, has sent a screenshot of Zoda pulling this act off. Go imagine, just an imagine for a second, one wheel. Go Google it if you don't know what a one-wheel is. But okay, one wheel, we're not standing on it, we're putting a chair on it, and then a human being on the chair, and then we're gonna juggle down ocean drive, too, which is pretty much the norm. You got the rollerblade guy in a bikini, you got Zoda on her one wheel on top of a beach chair juggling. Um, and he was like, I had a friend of mine just send me a picture of this girl uh juggling on a one-wheel um down ocean drive, and lo and behold, who's the next comment that's part of the screenshot? I was like, that would be me, Jeff. So that's how we connect these days, ladies and gentlemen. Social media uh is is a crazy place, and you just never know where you're gonna connect with that next person. So um was glad I so I invited you to be on the show, and you said to me, I've never been on a podcast before. I was like, even better. So I've never been on a one-wheel before. So we've already got we've already got the uh we'll we'll explore the unfamiliar together. Uh so it's great to have you here. And um where did this whole desire for extreme sports um start? Because I I ride a skateboard, but I cruise like dad mode. I don't go crazy. Um I just cruise on it. It's an old school skateboard. Um, and that's the extent of oh, I have a powder board too. And sometimes I'll ride my mountain bike. That's the extent of my extreme sports, and those aren't even extreme sports. So, where did this all start?

SPEAKER_00 3:54

It was very gradual. Um, I I I I guess part of it started on the one-wheel um that I purchased back in November. So I haven't even had it a year. Um and I I don't know. Uh, and at the time when I purchased a one-wheel, I was also able to juggle then. Um since I picked up juggling last year.

SPEAKER_01 4:17

How'd you learn how to juggle?

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Um one day I just spent two hours at the pool just looking at YouTube videos, just doing that for two straight hours, and I got it.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

It wasn't great, but I like I got it. You know, I could do a couple passes with three balls, and then I just kept practicing over and over.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

I heard if handkerchiefs are the easiest way to learn.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Um, actually, I bought balls that were like more like sandbags. Yeah. And that really helped.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Like hacky sacks.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Yeah. Yeah. Um hand um handkerchiefs would probably be too light, but the balls that I learned on were perfect.

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 4:51

And it was just it was just so much fun. I would do it all the time. I was like, I'll do it in airports at the You're in the grocery store with some mangoes.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:00

That's a good idea, actually. That's a great idea.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

We could go film this right after the interview. Yeah. Publix is right downstairs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Uh but yeah, so basically I bought the one-wheel, rode that for a while. It was amazing. And then I was like, hey, I also love juggling. Why don't I just combine the two? You know? Because why not? And I've never really seen it done before. It it sounds fun. And so it was when I tried it, it was less difficult than I thought. And then so I just kept doing it over and over. And then I noticed the more I did it, I could go longer and longer distances and just gradually get much better.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Yeah. So um who did you get to film it for you? Because like you're moving at a pretty rapid speed. So how does that all work?

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Uh it depends. I have one-wheel friends and we have a very tight-knit cult-like community here. I I love them. So uh here and there my friends will come out, they'll help me film. Yeah. Um, usually we're just hanging out. We're like, let's do something cool, let's also take a video.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Sure. And where did you meet this uh this one-wheel crew?

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Uh so it's kind of funny.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

And are you guys accepting new members?

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Absolutely. Okay, cool. Yeah, it's a very friendly crew.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

The way it happened was I purchased a one-wheel at a used car dealership in Hallendale called Kosher Motors. And the guy that I purchased it from, he he took a video of me to put as like a review on his Instagram. And ever since he put that out, I got a bunch of One Wheel followers, like people whose pages were dedicated to One Wheel. And at the time when I purchased it, I had no idea it was like this cult-like sport. And one of those people that started following me was a key member in you know the local group here in South Florida. And um he was like, Hey, you know, we should come out. We have group rides, you know, we do all this stuff, we have racing events. And at first I was like, like, this is weird. Like y'all are crazy. Why do you want to why do you want me to come to this? Like, this is I've never heard of this. Yeah. Uh, but I, you know, I joined the Facebook group. I kind of saw like for a few weeks the kind of events they were having. It looked really fun. And so I just came out one day, um, met everyone, had an amazing time. And the the guy that uh that initially reached out, he's a good friend of mine now. He's you know, his name is Jamie, and the rest is history.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Love it. So um one wheels aren't cheap. I don't blame you for buying a used. I mean, there's uh they're like what? No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

It was from a used car dealership.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Oh, but it was new.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

Yeah, but the guy sells one wheels because brand new one wheels because he loves it.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Wow. And how much are they? They're like 1100 bucks, something like that.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

The cheapest model is I forget, but the one I have is like one up from the cheapest model, and that was 1400.

SPEAKER_01 7:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Um, yeah, it's it's the way I see it, it's like a MacBook of electric skateboards.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Yeah, it totally is.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

It was tough to make that commitment, but once I did, it was one of the greatest purchases of my life, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Uh, because I I basically like I I bought some friends with it.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

You know, it could buy, yeah, buy one one wheel, get ten friends.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Um it's kind of like CrossFit, no lie. Oh, okay. I got it. When you buy into CrossFit, you get the friends that come with it.

SPEAKER_01 8:27

Sure, okay.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Hardcore friends.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Amazing. Actually, that's that's a good idea. I never thought about that. I do I have thought about and considered that before. I've never been to a CrossFit class before. Maybe I should check one out.

SPEAKER_00 8:37

Um I wouldn't really recommend.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

No. Don't you go to some type of CrossFit gym?

SPEAKER_00 8:43

I used to here and there, but um, it's very expensive. Yeah. And you could do the same workouts by yourself.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

I love it. Um, so you're not just adventurous on the one-wheel, you uh you're pretty adventurous in the gym too. Speaking of the gym.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Yeah, and I think that's where um part of my interest in extreme sports comes from because in the gym, gradually over the years, I've always trained um differently than uh one set way, because for many years my mindset has always been I want to be the best athlete that I can be. And the the best way I can label my training is you know, functional fitness. Like I wanna perform in the gym that'll that will actually help me in you know day-to-day life. Um, and also maybe it's like American Ninja Warrior training. Sure. Yeah, so most people, you know, they have one style, they they'll do like um, you know, hit style or crossfit, or they'll do bodybuilding or some other style. For me, I'll do a mix of everything. Uh and I'll kind of switch it up depending on the month or the year. Yeah. And I've been training for close to a decade, so I I get bored, you know, I don't want to do the same thing. I have different goals. I want to um I want to improve my strength, but also my flexibility, my muscular endurance, my hand-eye coordination, my balance, agility, everything. Because that stuff helps you in day-to-day life.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Sure. Wow, I never thought about it. I mean, I I think, you know, exercise for me, it helps me not punch people in the throat. It's on a daily basis. So it's very, you know, it's very very useful there. So the stress factor in the literal sense, I don't punch anybody in the throat, disclosure. Um, for the stress part, but I never thought that, you know, the all the other things that are very that that that come into play, uh, or the benefits rather that you get from exercise and working out are so applicable to life.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

Right. And there is a huge mental component. I I think part of that drives me to perform as intensely as I do. Um, but that was just more of like the physical benefits that uh I mentioned. And those things, improving in all those skills really helps me when I uh try to pick up a new sport and that just becomes really fun instead of like, oh, I can't do this new thing at all. To instead like having the mindset of, okay, that's challenging, but here's how I can get, you know, how here's how I can excel at it, or here, or here's how I can try and give a solid attempt. Yeah. Safely.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

Well, you're also building um, you know, your your it's almost like m muscle memory for like your your your your mind's already used to trying new things, hard things. Exactly. Um and you're you're more apt to just dive in when when when that happens. So what what sport are you taking on next?

SPEAKER_00 11:32

Um I would say electric unicycle.

SPEAKER_01 11:35

I did see you on a unicycle recently.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Right. That was my friends. Uh I'm I'm sold on it.

SPEAKER_01 11:40

Really? I mean why electric though?

SPEAKER_00 11:43

Well, I I can already ride a mechanical unicycle.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Um, but I can't go very far on it. Uh electric unicycle is I would say it's more fun. You you go further, it's uh it's actually easier.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Why why but why is it easier than because you're not moving your feet?

SPEAKER_00 12:01

Well, it's easier to balance.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:03

And it's it's more fun because you could twirl on it. You could uh you could ride down like whole cases of stairs. It goes faster.

SPEAKER_01 12:10

Like I I I I was like, maybe I'll ride down a sidewalk on a unicycle. You're like, oh, you can go down stairs on here.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

You could go downstairs. Like a wow.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

My palms are sweating just with the thought of it on here.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

That just excites me.

SPEAKER_01 12:22

Yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:26

We're gonna have to have some fun with some content. You're gonna have to let me know when you go out and uh I do a lot of sunrise stuff down by the beach. I know you're doing sunset. That's real popping down there at South Point, right? Is that where you cheat a lot of your content?

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Uh it varies, but I would be down.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Yeah, we need to we need to we need to have some fun with some content on here because if I'm not doing it, I definitely like to capture somebody being I appreciate it. Absolutely. So um I'm gonna have to check out that one wheel. I've been seeing them for a while, but I'm you know, I come from the school of you know, four wheels or no wheels.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Well, if you skateboard, um you're you'll easily excel at one wheel. It is uh I am never skateboarded.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

I'm just scared of eating it at 30 miles an hour.

SPEAKER_00 13:07

Uh you don't well, it doesn't go that fast. Um, I think the top model goes up to 25.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Um that's ludicrous.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

I would never go that fast. Like as much as as extreme as I seem, I actually always just cruise on it. I because I love uh being very flowy and carving with it and also juggling. I am not a speed demon, at least not yet.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Next thing you know, the one-wheel race of Miami starring Zoda.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

There are races.

unknown 13:38

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

Like throughout the country. There was one in Arkansas like a few months ago.

SPEAKER_01 13:42

Um and I'm surprised somebody hasn't been like, I'm raising money for such and such. I'm riding from Key West to Seattle on a one-wheel.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Um, I promise you, if people have ridden from Key West to Miami.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

No.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

No, there's it's a grow, it's honestly a growing sport. And one wheel has only been around for I just saw us other, it's only been around for eight years. Most people still haven't seen it, but the people that have and ride it, like, if you know, you just know. Like when you own one, you know how addictive and therapeutic it is.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

I like the therapeutic part. That's sound, that's that's very enticing. So right now you're you uh you got a full-time job, you work for a technology company, but you've got grand plans to try and figure out how to cross-blend your extreme sport, love for extreme sports, and lighten your lifestyle uh into what that could look like, you know, for you know, and that's in the the crazy part about it is that there's never been a more exciting time to have that type of desire of, hey, what else is possible based on my existing lifestyle here? We were chatting a little bit about it before the show. Um, and I 100% think you and I encourage you to continue to go after that. So such, I mean, I envision you, you know, you got a you got a an activeware brand that sponsors you. You got one wheel sending you the most recent model, which allows you to sell your old one. You know what I mean? So you see what I'm saying? There's all kinds of there's a one wheel. If you're listening, I'm gonna I'm gonna introduce you to Zoda. So just hit me up, have your people call my people, we'll figure it all out here. But yeah, I think that I'm excited for you. I think that's a that's a good place, you know, to to to figure out like what does it look like to create. I learned a long time ago. If you want to have a lifestyle brand, you gotta have a lifestyle. So you've already figured that out. You got a lifestyle already. So now it's like, well, how do I how do I monetize this? And there has never been a better time to do that than right now. Like there's like it 15 years ago, I don't know it was that easy, you know? So um that's cool. So I'm excited about that.

SPEAKER_00 15:33

I uh I very much appreciate that feedback. Yeah. Uh yeah, a lot of this is new to me, just um, you know, kind of doing more and more of what I want. And the more I do it, I'm like, the more I the more time I want to spend doing it and the more things that I want to do. Like I have all these ideas that I never had before. And I'm just, you know, I know I can do these amazing things. I just kind of need the time and resources to make it happen. And over time I know I can achieve that. Yeah. Um, so I'm just very driven to uh towards those things and making uh you know everything else work around that. Yeah. Because I really feel like I have something amazing to just kind of uh not only do, but just show the world.

SPEAKER_01 16:15

Sure. Um I mean, look at what's happened so far. I mean, there's been you've put a lot of you put a lot of cool stuff out that you know people are not doing. Like people are this is not the norm of what people are doing. So by default, people are entertained uh in a productive way, you know?

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Yeah, I mean, for one, um it feels so amazing for me to be able to do these things and take on these things. And uh the other you know, benefit that I I didn't really account for was the positive impact that it has on other people, you know. And and of course, like I like the attention. I mean, that's that's normal, you know. I sure uh and I want to be in an area where if I'm doing something cool, obviously I want to be in a you know, preferably an area with more pedestrian traffic because I'm like, I'm doing something cool. Like obviously I want people to see it. Uh so I feel great because I'm doing it, and other people feel great because this is the coolest thing they've seen all day. Yeah, yeah. And like the um the crazy thing is, like you know, in the times that I vacation in Miami, um, they've just always been great, but I have never seen something as cool uh and just spectacular as just seeing myself do these things. I love it. Like I just feel part of the landscape.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

Yeah. I love it. Yes, you totally are.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

It's kind of like working out at Muscle Beach, you know? Yeah. You work out, you're you're just part of the attraction.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Sure, right.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

You know, because people stop and you know, watch and take videos.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

Yeah. That's great awareness. That's that's really great awareness. I mean, knowing that what you're doing not only makes you feel good, but it's making an impact on other people. Uh and it's you're doing it for fun right now, at least, doing it for fun. Um, you know, I definitely think that uh, you know, uh Zoda's doing cool things, uh, you know, platform is in the very near future. Um, because if people enjoy it in person, then they've obviously adapted to enjoying it on online too, because with the content you've been creating. But you put yourself out there. I mean, you do the it's not just you, you know, performing and doing all your crazy stunts and whatnot. You know, you you get on, you talk to you know your followers, your own stories, your voice and your mind, you're sharing, you know, your thought process, the things that you're working through. I mean, I've definitely noticed all those things. And the transparency is an apps and and and vulnerability is an absolute superpower. So that's when that was another reason, too. I'm like, I I can't wait to have a conversation with you, find out what you're what you're how how you tick, what's going on, uh, cuz I love it. And you're you're you really got uh a good head on your shoulders as far as like, hey, this is this is this is the this is life. Life is now.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

Right. Forget about what you gonna, shoulda, woulda do like it's it's right now. And to be able to create that and share that, I love it. I really do.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

Thank you. Um, yeah, that that that's a big part for me too. Uh I find confidence. Um I'm uh you know, in in my past, I've always uh dealt with a lot of self-doubt and confidence. And I've I've always just been, you know, soft-spoken and shy. And I probably always will be to an extent, but so much of my confidence uh comes from me overcoming those physical challenges that I set for myself and really like uh putting myself out there in front of people. Like that is scary at first. At this point, I can just like go in cold juggling, you know, just tune out the entire world. But doing stuff like that really helps me in my personal confidence and um, you know, help me w overcome other challenges that aren't so physical.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Sure. Sure. I love that. A lot to learn from Zoda here, listeners, based on uh, you know, figuring out what this whole thing called life is all about that we all get to do, but really trying to maximize those opportunities. Well, I'm encouraged by what you're doing, and I can't wait to see what's next for you for sure. Uh, we're definitely gonna get a content slash juggling session in because I gotta learn how to juggle. I feel like it's just something I need to learn how to do.

SPEAKER_00 20:01

The one wheel.

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Yeah, the one I might I might get on the one wheel. I might do it. I have a help.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

You can ride a skateboard. You can ride a one wheel.

SPEAKER_01 20:07

No, look at this encouragement.

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Honestly, it's much easier than it looks.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Okay. I'm open.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

I am open. Another major life hack. Fair enough. Until I start pressing on the gas here and there's no more. Yeah. You said you would hold my hand. I tried. I really tried. Uh so where can people find you online? I'm gonna include the link to your Instagram so people can check out your stuff too.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Um, mainly Instagram. Cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

What's your handle?

SPEAKER_00 20:30

At Dietunderbar Zoda.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Okay. Awesome. So a diet underbar, under underbar. I what do I normally say? Underbar now. I can't I can't think of anything else on what it would underscore. That's the other one I'm looking for. Underscore. I think that's I think it's both. But diet uh underscore zoda, z-o-d-a, just like it sounds. I'm gonna include the link in the description. Make sure you follow, you're gonna really enjoy our content and make sure you comment and interact with the content. Say, hey, I heard John the Beyond the Story podcast. So Zoda, thanks for taking the time to come in and hang out. Love to have you back on the show when you're on to your next extreme. Or when the when you know Zoda's cool things is is uh is the thing. Like when that's actually like a platform, which is gonna be sooner rather than later because I'm gonna keep bugging you about it.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Yeah, this has been amazing. Thank you so much for your time, Sebastian.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Anytime. Come back, come back soon. Yeah, until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Beyond the Story Podcast. We sure do appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. We sure do appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, launchlab.com studios. We'll talk to you next time.