Hunter Lane
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Who is the “ultimate thrill-seeking athlete” that you know? Who is set to “conquer extreme obstacles and celebrate their feat with music, beer, warrior helmets and muddy shorts?” To me, only one name comes to mind, and that is none other than the new East Nasty of the Week, Hunter Lane. Perhaps he will be the King of the upcoming Warrior Dash!
Although Hunter (named after famed “Gonzo” writer Hunter S. Thompson) was born in Sikeston, Missouri, he grew up all over the Southeast, including Columbia, MO, Baton Rogue, LA, and Chattanooga TN. The Lane family finally ended up in Valdosta, Georgia, where Hunter attended school from 5th grade through his collegiate years (at Valdosta State.) Running was not his original forte into the sporting world, though – back in the day, Hunter was all about soccer (also known as futbol, in case Andy Moss is reading this). On the American football field Hunter also took care of the field goals and kick-offs as part of his high school team that happens to have the largest winning record in the history of high school football! It’s true!
Post college he moved from lower Georgia to Nashville. How he came to East Nasty is a bit of an interesting story however, and for that I turn it over to the source herself, the great Annie Parsons!
That’s right, Rod. I don’t claim to have accomplished much in my life, but if there is one thing to be proud of, it is the fact that Hunter Lane – O Mighty Quads himself – would not be a Nasty if it weren’t for me.
See, a few years ago, Hunter and I were both new to Nashville. A mutual acquaintance from Seattle (a guy Hunter had worked for in Georgia, and whose boat I had barfed off the back of in Seattle – don’t worry about it) hooked us up via Facebook, saying that we should be friends. We met at a Starbucks, and after Hunter learned to stifle his undying attraction toward me, we became great pals.
Hunter had just run a marathon, which I found very impressive, since I couldn’t run further than 2 miles myself. But Hunter’s encouragement drove me to start training, and I joined East Nasty. At first, I couldn’t convince Hunter to show up, because he was too busy, you know, growing his quads. But then I mentioned the two magic words:
Beer and girls.
A little introduction to Graham Stoner later, and MY WORK HERE IS DONE.
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Hunter definitely falls under the moniker “Fasty Nasty,” as he is consistently lapping people at speed sessions, and already out running the extra two miles by the time most of us finish on Wednesday nights. In the career world, he works at REI and is a seasoned expert in all things outdoor recreational. In fact, one of his favorite things in the world (next to East Nasty of course!) is his annual New Years’ Eve canoe and camping trip back in Missouri with his dad.
And if that isn't enough already, Hunter can also be found leading the East Nasty trivia team on Tuesday nights!