To The Extreme

BMX rider Ricardo Laguna goes to the extreme with his reality show.

Ricardo Laguna knows all about extremes. At the age of 13 he and his family were living in the lap of luxury in La Paz, Mexico. Then, everything changed. “In La Paz I was the big kid in the neighborhood. Our house was like a mansion; we had a boat and we would water ski. I was the only kid who had a Nintendo. Then we sacrificed everything to follow an opportunity in the US and ended up in a run-down trailer park in Las Vegas.”

As he would quickly learn, sometimes good things come out of tough situations. While riding his bike and looking to make friends, Ricardo discovered BMXing and the rest is history. Today at the age of 30 he has created BMX events like The Ricardo Laguna Pro BMX Dirt Challenge and he holds titles like the “South American King of Dirt”. His latest endeavor is his reality show The Ricardo Laguna Project on Tr3s which is produced by his good friend, the famous actor Wilmer Valderrama. Laguna remembers talking to Valderrama at the back-yard barbecue of a mutual friend. “It came up that as a BMX rider, I never really had a hero. There was no Latino dude that I could look up to. Wilmer then said ‘what do you think about being that hero?’” The result is a show that gives you a view of the sacrifice, risks and temptations that Laguna faces as he tries to stay grounded and true to his roots; all with the help of his family and friends. “The show is about someone that comes from Mexico and chases the American dream.”

Laguna is also considered one of Las Vegas’ hottest bachelors, a title his mother is actively trying to change. Viewers can watch her methods on the show. “My mom wants me to get married and put the bike down. I think she is trying to set me up on blind dates,” he says with a groan. ” So what is that perfect girl like? “I like someone I can grow old with. I don’t care if she’s green, purple, short, tall as long as she supports what I do and I love her to death, like I do my family and my bike.”

Looking back at all his successes, Laguna wants to be an inspiration to everyone. “There are so many dreams that you can make into reality, whether you want to be a pilot, doctor, baseball player or BMX bike rider. If I did it, you can do it too.”

The Ricardo Laguna Project
Wednesdays at 9pm/8c