Above and Beyond in Extracurricular Activities
Senior Hans Schulze practices his dirt biking outside St. Elmos in Colorado
Senior Hans Schulze finds enjoyment in riding tough trails.
“It’s the thrill of going fast, just going out for a day, exploring and off roading, there is nothing else like it in the world.”
Hans Schulze is just one of the many kids at Regis who have a unique talent. Kids are always trying to prove to colleges that they have unique talents to offer. About three years ago, Hans found he had a passion for dirt biking that he never knew he had.
“My family and I were watching a documentary called Long Way Round,” said Schulze. “After a couple of months, my dad came home with the exact bike from the movie.”
With help from a friend who was already an experienced dirt biker, Hans bought the necessary equipment and his first bike, a Honda 250 XR. Once he had all of his equipment, Hans started practicing.
“I had to start in our backyard till I was good enough,” Schulze said. “It was fun at first, but I couldn’t really get going fast and started planning trips around Colorado.”
Hans has gone on multiple trips with his brother and dad around Colorado and Wyoming. He will continue to work on his skill over the summer and plans to go into motocross and, hopefully will enter the Baja 1000, an off road race on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula open to trucks, cars, bikes and other racing vehicles.
Sophomore John Dowling finds new passion through the Rock Climbing Club
John has become an avid rock climber through the Regis Jesuit Rock Climbing Club. Through their weekly meetings, John’s skill has rapidly improved and he is hoping to start tackling larger mountains.
“I try and climb at least twice a week, sometimes more,” says John. “I need to learn how to lead climb before I can start climbing outside.”
Lead climbing is where a partner belays the leader and is ready to hold the rope should the leader slip. The leader’s job is to climb up higher, periodically placing protection in case of a fall.
Once John has learned the basics, he is planning several summer trips to Moab and other climbing locations to improve his skill. He plans to go with his family and go for enjoyment, not competition.
“It’s the thrill of bringing yourself up to the next ledge,” says John. “It’s not so much a physical challenge as it is a mental one to keep driving and not let go.”
