Biography
From humble beginnings, Ryan has grown to be one of the best-known trials riders in the world. Through a unique combination of riding talent, effort, and great people skills, Ryan’s career shows how the important things are to follow your heart, focus on what you are good at, be creative, and think independently.
Ryan developed a passion for trials as a young teenager, but like many successful athletes, had already secured grassroots sponsorship for cross-country racing before even coming to the attention of the trials world. The proprietors of his local bike shop were the first to recognize (at fourteen) the combination of focus and maturity that would underpin his future success, and a broadly appealing personality that you would want to associate your brand with.
Ryan organized a couple of trials contests at his parents’ house in 1995, (winning one) which led him to join team ORB in 1996, which became the Norco Factory Trials Team the same year. As former teammate Robin Coope notes, “Ryan’s joining the team (at sixteen) was not some youth outreach project: he was the best rider with the most attractive personality in the whole country.” The timing was good too, as Ryan grew old enough to take over management of the team, in 2000, his older team mates were able to hand the reigns over at the right time. From there, Ryan built his program from success to success, including many film appearances, stints with Cirque du Soleil, the Warped Tour, and the Calgary Stampede. There have by now been three self-produced DVDs as well as his Trials of Life school presentation that combines his action show with an inspirational message.
An important skill Ryan has always possessed is an ability to ignore conventional wisdom and think independently. For example, he pursued his trials career from a professional standpoint, when it was impossible for others to imagine how such a thing could work in a small-market like Canada. He was nearly unique in recognizing that, despite early success in British Columbia, winning trials competitions on this continent was not a commercially useful goal, and neither was pursuing the hybrid BMX/trials style, which has recently emerged. He instead focused on the development of a smoother and more flowing style of trials, more fun to watch for mainstream audiences, which has made him the only trials rider commonly appearing in mainstream media and mountain bike films.
There are many paths to success, but some, like Ryan’s, require an exceptional combination of semi-unrelated skills: riding, business, communications, artistry. In that way, his career has been truly extraordinary.