Disc Golf Dreamer- Ryan Lane Q and A

As I continue to reach out in my local area, I learn about more and more new and great people. One of the newest people I got the chance to meet and interview is Ryan Lane! Ryan throws for Innova and plays a huge role in his community in Oregon! I am so glad I got to talk to Ryan and get his story out there. Enjoy!

1) How did you get your start into Disc Golf?

I grew up playing both golf and Frisbee but didn’t mix the two until my college days in the late 90’s. My freshman year, I designed a campus course with light poles as targets so we could play at night. We always played with lids, but as the layout grew more popular we started to see all sorts of unique discs in the air. I borrowed a Discraft Shadow and a Marauder from one of the guys and was instantly hooked. ​

2) Who or what inspires you to continue to play?

About a year later I met Coury Coates (pdga #18175) at the restaurant where we worked, the Traveler’s Club International Restaurant and Tuba Museum. We started to make frequent trips to the local courses, Grand Woods & Fitzgerald Park. He carried a bag of discs and wore shoes instead of Birkenstocks when he played. To say he’s an inspiration to me would be an understatement. He would literally wake me up and drag me to tournaments with him. He continues to motivate me to be better in many aspects of my life.​

3) What is it like to be sponsored?

Sponsorship is a badge of courage. It’s about putting your reputation on the line for somebody else. My relationship with Innova is a mutually beneficial partnership. It’s easy to promote a company that is truly great and likewise I benefit from having their support. Innova shares my interest in growing the sport and giving back to the community. ​

4) What’s it like to be on Team Innova?

Being an Innova teammate has allowed me to collaborate with some of the most knowledgeable and talented individuals in our sport. There have been a lot of opportunities to learn, improve, and share in the successes.​

5) Favorite Disc?

Tough question, depends on the situation. My Aviars definitely get the most throws. ​

6) Favorite Course?

Whistler’s Bend DGC in Roseburg, OR – It offers a great mix of holes with variable elevation, scenic views, and makes you throw a variety of shots in order to score well. I do also have a special appreciation for any course that requires a chairlift ride to access the first tee.​

7) What do you do to help grow the sport?

These days, I watch. I hit the like button a lot. I donate to events. Our sport needs spectators, our players need fans, and our local clubs need supporters. ​

8) What can we expect from you in 2018?

I will continue to put my family first, career second, and find time to play golf whenever it’s possible. I have my own foursome now and the stroller helps carry my plastic. There will be new courses and fundraisers and events and clinics and lessons and corporate retreats. I’m excited to announce more of these details when the timing is right. Disc golf affords me the opportunity to network in the community and I have made a lot of great friendships on and off the course. ​

9) What do you do to help your community?

Whatever is needed. I have worn a lot of hats and sweat through most of them. I’m kind of a ball hog. As contradictory as it may seem, my community needs me to step away so they can play a bigger role in building their own field of dreams. It’s still hard for me to visit a local course and not empty trash cans or sweep the tees. I have put so many thought hours into the conceptualization of these places that I hate to see anything out of place. ​

10) What is Discventures all about?

Disc Ventures is a disc sports consulting business. We help build and design courses, organize events, and coach players. www.discventures.com ​

11) What advice could you give someone who wants to step up their game?

Regardless of individual skill level, consistency is the key to improvement. As your skills develop your confidence will improve. You have to take shots to make shots. Play. Practice. Putt. Putt some more. Learn to embrace pressure and use it to your advantage. Most importantly, have fun.​

12) Is there anything you would like people to know about you that they may not?

Sometimes when I can’t fall asleep at night I will mentally visualize myself playing disc golf on one of my favorite layouts. I’ve played some of my best golf with all sorts of different groups and thrown lots of aces! I usually get through about half of the front nine before I fall asleep.

I would like to thank Ryan Lane for letting me interview him and for taking the time out of his day to answer my questions. If you would like to know more about Ryan you can find him on all forms of social media! Look out for more coming soon.

Picture credit goes to Ryan Lane