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BMX rider Bruce set to compete in China
Rider recovering from broken collarbone that idled him for 3 months
By Greg Gulas
Former Hubbard resident Nick Bruce will be among the 120 athletes competing in the UCI BMX Freestyle World Cup Championships from Friday through Sunday in Chengdu, China.
A resident of Lakewood, the 2011 Hubbard High graduate, 26, also will take part in the UCI World Championships from Nov. 9-11 in Chengdu.
It’s an exciting time for the former Eagles baseball player, who has been riding since junior high and professionally since he turned 21.
The current points leader in this year’s UCI BMX Freestyle World Rankings has two first-place championships and a runner-up finish this season. He’s been idle since July to heal a broken collarbone, which he suffered during his practice round at this year’s X Games competition in Minneapolis.
“While I haven’t competed since July, I’ve still been able to train and feel like I am set and ready to go,” Bruce said. “I’ve been focusing on China [but] my immediate goal is to stay on the bike.”
In a sport that doesn’t boast household names to casual sports fans, Bruce has worked hard carving out his niche and is highly-respected among his peers and those aspiring to become professional riders.
He’s taken a rather circuitous route to get to where he is today.
“I grew up riding at Section 8 Skatepark in Hubbard, an indoor facility that was ranked No. 2 in the world at the time,” Bruce said. “They had to close in 2006 due to damages from [a] flood.
“We had a couple other indoor skateparks in the Youngstown area, but they closed as well so that really limited my riding,” Bruce said. “The closest parks were in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, which weren’t easily reachable due to my work schedule, school and baseball so in high school I didn’t ride much at all.”
Upon graduation he enrolled at Youngstown State University, studying nursing and then dietetics while working for his father’s business, EGB Construction.
“It gave me more free time so I secretly scheduled classes so I could drive to Cleveland and ride their parks after class instead of heading straight to work,” he said. “School was a high priority in my parents’ eyes, so I’m sure there were times when they probably thought I was studying and I was actually riding in Cleveland.”
He increased his riding schedule and became motivated to compete. Bruce attended several amateur competitions on the Free Flow Tour Series in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
“The winner of that tour won a free trip to San Francisco and Ocean City, Md.,” Bruce said. “I ended up winning both finals and competed with all of my childhood heroes.
“It felt surreal back than and still does today. I knew at that point that I wanted to do whatever was necessary to keep riding. The motive has always been to do what’s necessary to sustain more time on the bike, which is what I’ve enjoyed most since I was a little kid.
“With that mindset, I saved my money so that I could attend more pro competitions.”
Bruce performed so well that the money he earned at his competitions became enough to pay for his trip and bank what was left over.
“I met so many people, sponsors then came around and provided support which helped me grow each year,” Bruce said. “This is far beyond what I could ever have imagined happening to me as a child or when I turned pro.”
Bruce takes part in roughly 15 events each year. Since 2012, he has 16 first-place finishes, earned runner-up 11 times and sports a bevy of third-place and best trick winner finishes.
“I dropped out of YSU after spring semester in 2014 to devote more energy to this and work at it full-time,” Bruce said. “I’ve made more money riding than I ever dreamed I could and I’m traveling all over the world. It has been such a great experience.”
His sport will debut at the 2020-Olympics in Tokyo.
Bruce was named as one of the athletes to the first U.S. Freestyle BMX team last December and is on their silver-level team.
“This is another opportunity for my career to grow along with the sport,” he said. “It’s also another path for anyone interested in riding BMX.”
Bruce said Youngstown has expressed interest in building a public concrete skatepark with 2019 set for its unveiling.
“Though still in the development stage, it’s amazing to know that there is a chance for a proper public establishment in the city for everyone to enjoy,” Bruce said. The public can follow Bruce’s journey through his social media pages, on Instagram @NICK_BRUCE or on Facebook.
His athlete page is Nick Bruce BMX.