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..Top BMX rider’s got medals –
..plus action figures, clothing, video games

..By PAUL MOSER Special to AllAroundPhilly.com



Ryan Nyquist strolled out to the pitcher’s mound at Veteran’s Stadium. Although the professional BMX rider usually does backflips off of a heap of dirt not much larger, this time was different. For the first time in his life, Nyquist was preparing to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game.
Photo by Shazamm/ESPN


"It was kind of crazy," Nyquist recalled with a laugh of his ceremonial toss last year prior to a Phillies game. "When I was growing up I was a big fan of baseball. You hear about the President throwing out the first pitch or some famous person throwing out the first pitch."

It remains to be seen whether or not the California native has any future in politics, so logic would say Nyquist is a famous person.

There is no doubt about that. 

With video games, action figures and clothing lines bearing his name, Nyquist is one of the most recognizable athletes competing at the First Union Center this week for ESPN’s 2002 Summer X Games. So popular, in fact, that ESPN includes the 22-year-old in its marketing campaign commercials for the action sports event. Not to mention, Nyquist is one of the main athletes on the network’s Dave Mirra BMX Super tour as well.

"I don’t know if there is a secret to (popularity)," Nyquist said. "You have to be talented at what you do and love it. In my situation it was one of those things where I ride a bike well. I don’t know how to explain it."

This week at the First Union Center Nyquist will compete in the dirt and park BMX events. In dirt competition riders show off their best aerial maneuvers over hills of dirt. The park has riders put together a technical run on a course where points are earned through tricks.

A former gold medalist in dirt, Nyquist is looking forward to besting his silver performance last year in Philly. Coincidentally, after a bronze-medal performance in the park in 2000, the rider is looking to improve on his 7th-place finish last year. Though Nyquist left Philadelphia with his sixth X Games medal, the showing was significantly less than expected.

"I was definitely a little disappointed last year," Nyquist admitted. "I kind of seemed to blow up and it was just a bad day. Unfortunately the X Games was the day that was a bad one for me. I felt I rode awesome in the dirt but the judges obviously felt I didn’t have enough for the gold."

He will be among those expected to have the chops this year though, along with returning dirt gold medalist Stephen Murray, Allan Cooke and T.J. Lavin. In the park Nyquist will try to upset returning gold medalist Bruce Crisman, silver medalist Alistair Whitton and bronze medalist Jay Miron.

No matter what happens this week, however, Nyquist has come a long way. Beginning his career jumping curbs as a skinny short kid from Los Gatos, Calif., Nyquist graduated into performing tricks with friends on mounds of dirt. In 1996 he turned pro at 16.

"Then," Nyquist said, "I started doing well."

He has not looked back. Mostly because he is doing what he loves.

"Any given day, even if you’re having a bad day," Nyquist explained, "it still beats what most people are doing."

With that being said, one of the biggest fringe benefits to the job – ESPN’s Summer X Games – is what Nyquist most looks forward to these days. With one more chance to wow the Philadelphia crowd, Nyquist is taking the next couple of weeks seriously.

"The X Games is the biggest event of the year," Nyquist said. "It’s the event that everybody looks forward to and holds the most respect for. I obviously want to do well."

If fame was all that mattered to the driven Nyquist, he already has.
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