Two-for-one this week, George and Lora Leyner are bumbling along the rockcrawling trail. With challenges and trials getting them to the support and friendship they didn’t even know they needed. Join us for a fun conversation with a great couple. Be sure to listen on your favorite podcast app.
8:48 – Gone in 60 seconds
11:45 –I had two instructors who really cared about their students, they made an impact on me.
16:24 – when we met we both said, I’m not looking for anything serious
21:10 – I had never been rockcrawling before, it’s so much fun, I rarely get out of the passenger seat
24:43 – my buddies pitched in and bought me a chassis to build as a divorce present
29:06 – The buggy did a lot better than I was expecting since I am not a professional buggy builder
33:25 – we decided it was time to live our lives and follow dreams and just enjoy life
39:10 – We take extra care of making sure I can see where she’s at; it was a freak accident
Special thanks to 4low Magazine and Maxxis Tires for support and sponsorship of this podcast.
TRANSCRIPT
[00:01:40.080] – Big Rich Klein
On this week’s episode of Conversations with Big Rich, I’ll be speaking with a couple who are enjoying life together. One of those couples that are stronger and better together than apart. Rockcrawler’s George and Lora Leyner. George and Lora, it’s great to have you guys on the podcast. I’m really looking forward to finding out your guys’s history, not only individually as you grew up, but also together and how you guys got into rock crawling. This will be fun.
[00:02:12.210] – George Leyner
Hello. Hi. Glad to be here.
[00:02:14.300] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, okay. Okay, so let’s get started with George, where were you born and raised?
[00:02:24.160] – George Leyner
I was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado.
[00:02:27.590] – Big Rich Klein
Wow, another one. Okay. I I just interviewed Michael Brassanini, and that’s where he was born.
[00:02:38.570] – George Leyner
I didn’t realize Brassanini was born in Boulder. I knew he was from Colorado, though.
[00:02:43.090] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, he was born in Boulder and then grew up in mostly an Island Park area or the Southeast, Idaho there. Okay. Lora, how about yourself? Where were you born and raised?
[00:02:57.720] – Lora Leyner
I was born in California, but I’ve lived a little bit of everywhere. My mom was in the military for 24 years, so I bounced around with her a lot.
[00:03:08.240] – Big Rich Klein
Military brat.
[00:03:08.580] – Lora Leyner
I consider Colorado home, no. That’s probably where I’ve spent most of my life and the place I’ve enjoyed the most. Excellent. Aside from Utah now.
[00:03:19.760] – Big Rich Klein
Yeah, Shelley was a military brat. She was born in Germany, but was all over the place until high school because of her dad jumping around. Okay, so anyway, what was it like, George, growing up in Boulder for you, and how long were you in Boulder?
[00:03:46.970] – George Leyner
I was in Boulder until after graduating high school, ’87. Most of my childhood, we lived in the mountains outside of Boulder. Most of my childhood was chopping firewood and taking care of the horses and riding motorcycles around the trails up there. Don’t forget your BMX. I got into BMX racing, probably about the age of nine or 10. I did that competitively until I was 15, 16.
[00:04:19.170] – Big Rich Klein
Nice. Did you travel a lot or was it all there on the East slope?
[00:04:24.070] – George Leyner
I did get to travel a lot. I was very fortunate. My mom actually worked at United, so we got flight benefits. So made it easy for me to fly to national races across the country. I got to go to places like Florida and Pittsburgh and Ohio and California for national races.
[00:04:46.020] – Big Rich Klein
Wow, that’s awesome. That’s pretty good. And was BMX your sport or did you play any school sports?
[00:04:54.090] – George Leyner
I didn’t play any school sports. I was in marching band, believe it or not. I was a band geek for most of my- I wouldn’t have guessed that in a thousand years.
[00:05:05.560] – Lora Leyner
I wouldn’t have guessed that I’d marry a band geek.
[00:05:07.970] – Big Rich Klein
One summer at Band Camp.
[00:05:12.310] – George Leyner
Yeah, I did several summers at Band Camp, I was in marching band all throughout my high school years. READ MORE
