Hans NO WAY Rey
If you happen to have owned a set of Rock Shox Quadra 5’s or a set of Judy’s or my personal fav the old Quadra 21r !!! then you’ve most likely been around the sport for quite a while and will know how rad Hans "No Way" Rey really is ! Sure most people know of him and that he rides trails bikes .. but do you know his journey to fame or his impact on the sport of Mountain Biking ?
When Backlash Productions sent me their massive extreme sports film catalogue to browse through I was asked if there were any older films I wanted to check out and as I browsed through the huge list of movies my eyes stopped on Hans Rey ! I had no idea they had made a dedicated documentary on Hans so I got straight on the email and demanded this DVD be on my door STAT !
Hans Rey as he was to most people in mountain biking in the early 90’s was a biking hero ! Back then trails riding was the most amazing thing I had ever seen and watching guys like Hans and Libor Karas at the MTB World Cups held in Cairns, Qld was breathtaking to say the least ! Trials riders were getting big slots in all the older MTB movies like Hammer Time and even other extreme sports movies like extreme skiing.
This professionally made documentary produced and directed by Diana Graber and narrated by competitor magazine's Bob Babitt takes you on a journey through Hans life from back in the early days of Mountain Biking when Hans first became a trails legend in Europe through to his present involvement within the industry. The presentation discusses each point of Han's career whilst also providing you with important information about mountain bikings early development. Everything from Hanss first of their kind sponsorship deals through to the popularity rollercoaster this sport has been riding for the last 20 years. This documentary will educate those new to the sport on how things were in the old days whilst also entertaining the old skoolers who will find the tight fluro bike nicks, straight bars and fully rigid downhill bikes as a real laugh. This documentary will also take you to some of the most extreme riding spots around the world as Han's embarks on some truly amazing mountain biking adventures.
I knew Hans played an important part in the development of this sport but it was quite interesting to see the journey take place in the form of a documentary which steps you through his rise to fame as one of Mountain Biking's biggest stars. I recommend this flick to all of you as this is a real eye opener if you have only been involved in Mountain biking in the last few years the documentary also features words Lopes, Peaty, Zap, Super T, Gary Turner, Tomac, Schley and more. The Music by SurfDog Records and Common Sense.
I’d also like to give a shout out to Local Cairns Mudcow Legend Benny Bramham who 11 !! years ago scored me a signed poster from Hans Rey whilst he stayed with him in the US. You will notice in the documentary that Hans has a very close relationship with the mountain bike culture in Cairns as this was one of his all time favourite places to visit. Hans also starred in many of the classic Mudcows films and you will notice the "Minjin" symbol proudly worn from Hans neck throughout the film. Bit of history for you.
I think everyone should check it out !
Thankyou to Adam @ Blacklash Productions for the review copy !
7/10
