Suzie Harrison Hans Rey, who has been...

Suzie Harrison

Hans Rey, who has been to almost 60 countries in his mountain

biking endeavors, said he is living both his hobby and dream.

Rey, a Laguna local for 16 years, is one of the pioneers of Trials

and Extreme Mountain Biking and has won world championships as well

as multiple National Trials titles.

His list of victories include NORBA trials World Champion; 2nd in

Trials ESPN Extreme Games; Trials at the MTB World Championships in

the USA; Trials at the Mountain Bike World Championships in France as

well as being the German, Swiss and US Trials champion at one time or

another.

Even with all his international experience, he says he can always

find a good ride in Laguna.

“Like I told you, Laguna Beach is really a mountain bike mecca,”

Rey said. “Laguna Beach is world famous for mountain biking, a lot of

pros live here and train here. It has some famous trails,” Rey said.

Rey grew up in Germany, though his nationality is Swiss. He was a

pioneer in mountain biking in that country.

“We were one of the first groups that really did trials riding in

Germany and Europe,” Rey said. “I came to the states in 1987, it was

just the beginning of the boom, getting big,” Rey said.

His nickname is “No Way Ray” because other mountain bikers would

propose seemingly impossible challenges to him and would tell him

that there was no way that he could do it -- something that no one

could possibly accomplish.

“Every time everyone said ‘no way’ it was an incentive for me to

try it,” Rey said.

When Rey came to Laguna he got sponsored and hooked up with the

Laguna RADS, a bike club.

“It’s an underground fraternity-style world famous bike club, the

Robin Hoods of mountain biking,” Rey said. “It’s the oldest mountain

biking club in the world.”

Through RADS he said he got introduced to real endurance in the

hills around Laguna Beach.

After 20 years of competing he started the Hans Rey Adventure

Team. He’s been doing that for about five years.

“I’ve been combining extreme biking skills with different cultures

and a real adventure -- in search of something mysterious or

historical,” Rey said.

In Cuba he hiked up Pico Turqino, the highest peak in Cuba with

follow rider Tarek Rasouli. It was a grueling trip.

“It’s in the middle where the Cuban revolution started in the

Sierra Maestra Mountains,” Rey said. “We were the first guys to take

our bikes to the highest peak. We had to carry our bikes 11 hours

uphill, over two days.”Rey has also gone to Egypt and crossed the

Sinai Peninsula and Mount Sinai and crossed from Red Sea to Red Sea.

This year, one of the shorter trips he is planning is the Rubicon

Trail, near Lake Tahoe, that is rich with Gold Rush history. In

November he’ll be riding in Umbria, Italy.

Rey’s plate is full on the media side as well. He will be a

commentator for ABC’s coverage of The Global Extreme Race to Everest

and will cover races in Borneo, Kilimanjaro and different global

spots.

But he says he’ll always have a love for Laguna Beach.

“Laguna is a funny place,” Rey said. “I have been all over the

world and with the combination of everything Laguna is, it’s the

highest in the world -- the lifestyle and standard of living.”

He said he wouldn’t want to trade living in Laguna for living

anywhere else.

“It’s two minutes to the beach and two minutes to the Greenbelt,”

Rey said. “It just has it all here, hard to beat the quality of life

Laguna has to offer.”

For more information, go to www.hansrey.com.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321.