When you talk about consistency, tenacity, and natural talent, you must be talking about Ryan Nyquist. Ryan is one of the few riders able to pull the hardest tricks under any condition (on park or dirt), and he’s got the resume to prove it. Ryan suffered a knee injury that should have put him on the sidelines for the entire 2006 season, but not only did he continue to ride, he killed at every contest he hit. Ryan did his homework during the off-season to make sure his knee was as strong as possible, and with the work he's done at his private warehouse—The Unit in Greenville, NC—2007 could be Nyquist's year.
Bell Report: Ryan Nyquist on the Mend
Bell Rider Ryan Nyquist has been a fixture on the pro BMX contest scene for over a decade who, aside from being a great guy and awesome rider, has had remarkable luck staying healthy. The injury pendulum swung the other way for Ryan in 2006, however, as a string of bad luck threatened to sideline the Greenville, NC resident. Not one to let anything stop him, Ryan donned a knee brace and endured constant pain to earn remarkable results through the end of the ’06 contest season. Now with the 2007 season just around the corner and knee surgery behind him, Nyquist is back on the bike and on the way to top form.
One Rough Year
Last year was a rough year for me. I broke my left hand, I severely strained--may as well have broken--my right hand right after I got over breaking the left hand. Then as soon as I got over that, I tore my ACL at the X Games during practice,” Nyquist recalled. “I’ve just been trying to heal up. I finished up the year last year and then got knee surgery in November. I’m just starting to ride and starting to do tricks and feel confident again. So basically that’s what I’ve been doing, riding and trying to get back to normal.
Not one to let anything stop him, Ryan donned a knee brace and endured constant pain to earn remarkable results through the end of the ’06 contest season. Now with the 2007 season just around the corner and knee surgery behind him, Nyquist is back on the bike and on the way to top form.
The Road to Recovery
Basically after surgery the doctors told me I wasn’t going to be able to ride for six weeks, so when that fifth week came around I started riding again, obviously (laughs). Most BMXers kind of short the healing time. I basically came here (to The Unit, Ryan’s private warehouse) and was like, I don’t want to do anything crazy or put my leg out and hurt myself again, because I didn’t want to go through the surgery again,” said Nyquist. “The Unit is all bowl corners, so I felt that it would be the perfect therapy…between this and the gym. You just pump around and use the bowl corners to strengthen you legs and get your timing back as well, because six weeks is a long time off the bike.
It was good just to be back on the bike even though I wasn’t blasting tricks, just to feel coordinated again. I just basically took my time and made sure my leg was strong and could run out of stuff if I had to crash or stomp my foot without it hurting really bad. You know, just taking my time and trying to play smart about it. Being that it’s the off-season I’ve got plenty of time to heal up. Hopefully when everything starts rolling around again, I’ll be strong.
Check It
Nyquist’s pro model helmet the Faction, featuring a custom-designed graphic by legendary skate artist Jimbo Phillips.