ITALY’S BEST KEPT SECRET?

Walk down the street in Molini with René Damseaux and it’s hard to get anywhere fast. Locals in the small mountain village queue to say “Ciao!” and have a bit of banter. A tradesman even secretly pays for René’s co ee and croissant before leaving the bar we’re in. That’s because the whole community respects how hard he’s grafted to make the local trails some of the sweetest in Liguria, if not the whole of Italy.

For René, building here and guiding guests with his Rad Rides outfit is a passion. He’s spent three summers sculpting trails in the beautiful woods with other locals. Not just clearing ancient paths, but opening tons of new ones and giving the hills a helping hand with berms, lips and shapes to make some of the craziest natural trails more shredable.

With their massive elevation, good climate, easy uplifting and hard digging, Molini and other local towns can stake a claim to being some of the best riding spots in the world. Just don’t say it too loud, because there’s little desire to catch up with the visitor numbers in Finale Ligure, an hour down the coast, just yet.