Hans Rey: Laguna Beach’s Mountain Biking Legend Shares His Story

Hans “No Way” Rey’s journey to becoming one of Laguna Beach’s most celebrated mountain biking ambassadors began in 1987 when he was just 20 years old [3:09]. A young German trials rider, Hans was invited to America by a friend living in Corona del Mar who told him, “Hey, you should come to America and show Americans what real trials riding is because trials riding was a European thing. And he said, and we have a new sport over here in America, it’s called mountain biking” [3:23].

What started as a temporary visit became a permanent love affair with Laguna Beach. After initially living in Huntington Beach and other areas for three years, Hans has called Laguna home since about 1990 [4:00]. His introduction came through the legendary Laguna Rats mountain bike club, who “made me a mountain biker” and played “a big role in the evolution of mountain biking” [1:35].

The Evolution of Mountain Biking

Hans arrived during mountain biking’s early days when the sport looked very different from today. Back then, trials was part of a triathlon format where “you had to do three disciplines. You had to do a downhill race, a cross country race, and a trials competition on the same bike. Everybody had to” [3:41] [3:58]. The sport has since evolved with specialized disciplines and equipment, but Hans has “embraced even the e-bikes in recent years. It came at the right time for me” [5:19] [5:42].

Laguna’s Hidden Mountain Biking Legacy

Despite traveling the world for mountain biking adventures, Hans chose to make Laguna Beach his permanent home because “it’s obviously one of the most beautiful places there is” [3:09]. What many don’t realize is that Laguna has been rated as the number two mountain biking destination in the US by German mountain biking magazines [6:04]. The town attracts international visitors, especially during winter months when “the Alps are snow covered, this is the great destination to come. The weather’s perfect, not too hot” [6:04].

However, Hans points out an irony: “there’s now thousands of destinations worldwide who have invested millions if not hundreds of millions of dollars into mountain biking infrastructure and this town… Nobody has invested anything into the infrastructure” [7:28] [8:04]. Despite this lack of investment, Laguna’s natural trails and volunteer organizations like the O-C-M-T-B have maintained the area’s world-class reputation.

Changing Attitudes and New Opportunities

Hans has noticed a significant shift in the city’s recognition of mountain biking’s potential. “If you would’ve asked me a year ago, I would’ve said most city officials at the city council or in the city or whatever, the tourism board, they don’t even know what they have with mountain biking” [6:35]. This changed after Visit Laguna Beach produced a film series called “Radical Origins” about the town’s deep roots in various subcultures, including mountain biking [7:09].

Now serving as one of Visit Laguna’s ambassadors, Hans works to “promote Laguna, but in a positive way, you attract quality tourists… people who actually spend the night and spend some money because at the end of the day we visit Laguna trying to help the local businesses” [11:37] [12:05].

Building the Next Generation

One of Hans’s proudest contributions to the community is the Canyon Riders after school mountain bike program, which “has been going on for 10 years now. And we actually had some incredible talent come out of it, kids who won national championships” [29:35]. The program not only develops young riders but “gets often the whole families of those kids into biking. The next thing is the mom buys a bike too and the sister buys a bike” [29:49].

Global Impact Through Wheels for Life

Beyond his local advocacy, Hans and his wife Carmen run a nonprofit charity called Wheels for Life, which has “given away 20,000 bikes” in “32 different countries” [37:39]. These aren’t random distributions – Hans can provide “pretty much exactly 20,000 names. I know where those bikes went. They weren’t just send somewhere with the hope. They land in the right hands” [37:49]. Each bike typically serves multiple family members and transforms lives in villages where people previously had to walk miles for basic necessities [38:22] [38:38].

Vision for the Future

Hans envisions a more bike-friendly Laguna Beach, advocating for infrastructure improvements like dedicated bike lanes and rental systems. He points to successful models worldwide, noting that “if New York City can close entire streets and make a bike only” [34:28], Laguna Beach can certainly implement more bike-friendly policies.

With the upcoming undergrounding of power lines on Laguna Canyon Road, there’s an opportunity to create “a shoulder to build a bike trail class one safe with a barrier” [34:11]. Hans also supports congestion pricing similar to London’s system, where day permits cost over $50, encouraging alternative transportation [36:27] [36:31].

A Living Legend’s Continuing Mission

At the recent Coast Film Festival, Hans premiered his latest film “Maneuver Vancouver,” continuing his tradition of creating urban bike adventures that showcase “a mix between the urban jungle and the incredible nature of these towns” [14:41] [14:57]. Through films, community rides, and his ambassador role, Hans continues promoting sustainable tourism and mountain biking education.

As someone who has witnessed mountain biking’s evolution from its early days to a global phenomenon, Hans Rey remains committed to sharing Laguna Beach’s natural beauty while fostering responsible enjoyment of its trails. His message is clear: “We all love nature. We have the same goals, sometimes we move differently” [20:49].