Jan-Erik (JE) Paino is the man behind the vision of what you see today at Ruhstaller. JE is also the reason we get to play bikes on the Ruhstaller farm in Dixon, CA later this November for the Nutty Cross Cyclocross race. We at Boundless Locomotion have been avid consumers of Ruhstaller’s stellar assortment of beers since 2014, before Boundless was even an idea, and since then have partnered with the Sacramento brewer and grower for our Flannel Grinder events. Both JE and I are thrilled to dive into the world of cyclocross and hope that we can spark some interest in bicycles from casual onlookers who wouldn’t find this wonderful sport if it weren’t for their need for a relaxing Sunday beer at the farm in Dixon.
JE has a fascinating story that is well documented across various articles on the internet but today we wanted to focus on something that isn’t talked about as often: his passion for bicycles. Some of you may know that JE is an avid cyclist and that’s a big reason we were able to partner with the Ruhstaller family back when we got started putting on events in 2016.
See below for some background and photos of what bikes have meant to JE over the years. If you find yourself at the Ruhstaller farm in the coming days before the Nutty Cross you’ll see his mountain bike hanging up near the entrance - it’s pretty sick!
“Cycling began for me as a source of freedom. I could go “wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted” without having to ask mom for a ride… But the love affair did not begin until I moved to Sonoma Valley in my 20s and found Cave Dale & Trinity Road along the Mayacamas Range.… A slow hard climb up the mountain with beautiful views…the exhilaration of reaching the top…and the speed of the descent… Reminded me much of my other passion which is creating things… And the similar struggle to solve a problem with materials you have (the climb)… Figuring it out (the top)… And then executing that vision (the road down).
After working a few years in construction these two passions merged on an eight month bike ride through Europe seeing cities and the countryside while feeling the design and culture of these countries in a way that movement by plane, train or bus could not convey.
Coming to Davis and Sacramento later in life allowed me to safely bike on a daily basis and look for more mountains and majestic views to enjoy.
Some friends and I breathed life back into Ruhstaller… Inspired by the man himself… A man who came here with little and through hard work and courage truly helped shape the Sacramento area into the beer capital of the west coast and the largest hop growing region in the world… Perhaps in a small way that’s what we hope to remind everyone. We all have a little bit of Captain Frank Ruhstaller in us… And in our own way… Big or small… We can touch those around us.”
Jan-Erik Paino - Manager - Ruhstaller