PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Creative inspiration: that’s how Tyson Bendzak describes his passion.
“That can look a lot of ways,” he said.
Bendzak’s way certainly falls into that category.
Two years ago, Bendzak’s father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He wanted to encourage his father to fight through his cancer. But Bendzak has a tendency to go big, and inspiration has no limits. So, in March of 2016, Bendzak hopped on his unicycle, put a basketball in his hands and did exactly that, hoping to inspire anyone and everyone who has been touched by cancer.
He called it his One Wheel Shot of Encouragement, and it only took one take.
“I was like boom!” Bendzak said. “This is it.”
The one-take trick shot caught the attention of the group that has made attempts like that famous.
“I had the Harlem Globetrotters reach out to me,” he said. “That was really cool.”
But everyone wondered the same thing: could Bendzak go bigger than that? He figured if he could find a higher jump shot, he could do just that. Then, one day at work, he saw a photo of the St. Johns Bridge — a location he’d never seen or been to before. He saw the park underneath. The light bulb went off: it was a perfect spot for a unicycle trick shot.
It was a year-long process, but eventually he and his unicycle joined 60 basketballs at the top fo the bridge. The height was daunting, and the odds slim.
“I just kept thinking I just need one, one to go in,” Bendzak said. “One to go in.”
Twenty takes later, swish.
“I looked over and watched it come down,” Bendzak recalled. “It looked like it was sucked down in a vortex, boom — such an awesome swish.”
Bendzak’s big shots have a big effect. He said his father is back to his normal self, reffing high school basketball for the 47th year. He said his encouragement has also reached those touched by cancer.
“The biggest thing that means the most to me is hearing people (and their) personal connection to cancer and what that means to them,” Bendzak said. “And encouraging them to go big.”
Speaking of going big, what’s the next trick shot location, Tyson?
“If somebody has access to a higher spot, or crazy location, I’d be willing to go big again,” he said.