Strieby Headed To X-Games, Gerber Wows Fair Crowd
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The day after his dad taught him to ride a bike, Brian Strieby says, he was out in the yard jumping stuff.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Now 27, the Syracuse native is making a career of it, and will compete August 5-18 in the Downhill BMX competition at the third annual X-Games outside of Los Angeles.
After finishing in the top 16 last year in the X-Games, which were held in Pennsylvania in 2001 and 2002, Strieby received an automatic invitation for this year's third annually competition.
Clearly one of the best in the world at what he does, Strieby shrugged the notion off Wednesday night at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, where he and other riders put on a pair of shows filled with high-flying tricks.
"Not really one of the world's best, just crazy enough to go down the side of a mountain as fast as you can on a BMX bike," joked Strieby, who has been riding for 18 years.
The Downhill BMX is a race on a regular BMX course with jumps, only the 3/8-mile course is built down the side of a mountain.
"It's a really eventful 30 seconds," said Strieby.
Thirty two riders will take part in the competition, which will consist of four heats of eight riders. The top four riders in each heat will advance to the semifinal round, where the top four from a pair of semifinal rounds advance to the finals.
A year ago Strieby finished fifth in the semifinal round, missing the championship heat by one position. The fourth-place finisher who edged Strieby at the line is the current world champion.
Strieby also has three brothers that are or have been involved in the sport of BMX. Adam, the oldest of the four, rides professionaly and has also competed at the X-Games.
Nathan Strieby runs a skate park in Indianapolis, and 15-year-old Luke recently got into BMX racing.
Also showcasing his stuff last night in the fairgrounds grandstands was Whitko High School graduate Chris Gerber.
Gerber, 20, has been riding for eight years and like Strieby now does it professionaly.
Gerber, who says he went to the Hire Park BMX track with a friend and fell in love with the sport, competed a year ago at the X-Games in the Freestyle BMX competition.
Though he didn't qualify for the X-Games this year, last night he simply wowed the fair crowed with high-flying flips and twists.
"It's a big adrenaline rush," Gerber said of what it's like to compete in the X-Games. "There's 50,000 people there watching you, it's nerve racking, you get nervous, but a contest like the X-Games is all in its own."
While there were only a few hundred people in attendance at the shows last night - compared to the hundreds of thousands that see the X-Games live or on TV - Gerber didn't hold back his flamboyant charisma.
After an array of high-flying jumps and flips, Gerber finished the show with a "back flip tail whip", a trick Brian Strieby says only 15 people in the world have been able to do.
Adam Strieby was the first in the world to attempt the trick in competion, while Gerber was the third.
Accustomed to life on the road - doing shows, clinics and competitions - Brian Strieby was thankful for the opportunity to perform in front of the local crowd at the fair last night.
"This was a good opportunity to get back in front of the hometown community," he said. "I'm gone a lot, sometimes I feel like I know more people out in California or wherever we're riding. It was fun to do this here." [[In-content Ad]]
The day after his dad taught him to ride a bike, Brian Strieby says, he was out in the yard jumping stuff.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Now 27, the Syracuse native is making a career of it, and will compete August 5-18 in the Downhill BMX competition at the third annual X-Games outside of Los Angeles.
After finishing in the top 16 last year in the X-Games, which were held in Pennsylvania in 2001 and 2002, Strieby received an automatic invitation for this year's third annually competition.
Clearly one of the best in the world at what he does, Strieby shrugged the notion off Wednesday night at the Kosciusko County Fairgrounds, where he and other riders put on a pair of shows filled with high-flying tricks.
"Not really one of the world's best, just crazy enough to go down the side of a mountain as fast as you can on a BMX bike," joked Strieby, who has been riding for 18 years.
The Downhill BMX is a race on a regular BMX course with jumps, only the 3/8-mile course is built down the side of a mountain.
"It's a really eventful 30 seconds," said Strieby.
Thirty two riders will take part in the competition, which will consist of four heats of eight riders. The top four riders in each heat will advance to the semifinal round, where the top four from a pair of semifinal rounds advance to the finals.
A year ago Strieby finished fifth in the semifinal round, missing the championship heat by one position. The fourth-place finisher who edged Strieby at the line is the current world champion.
Strieby also has three brothers that are or have been involved in the sport of BMX. Adam, the oldest of the four, rides professionaly and has also competed at the X-Games.
Nathan Strieby runs a skate park in Indianapolis, and 15-year-old Luke recently got into BMX racing.
Also showcasing his stuff last night in the fairgrounds grandstands was Whitko High School graduate Chris Gerber.
Gerber, 20, has been riding for eight years and like Strieby now does it professionaly.
Gerber, who says he went to the Hire Park BMX track with a friend and fell in love with the sport, competed a year ago at the X-Games in the Freestyle BMX competition.
Though he didn't qualify for the X-Games this year, last night he simply wowed the fair crowed with high-flying flips and twists.
"It's a big adrenaline rush," Gerber said of what it's like to compete in the X-Games. "There's 50,000 people there watching you, it's nerve racking, you get nervous, but a contest like the X-Games is all in its own."
While there were only a few hundred people in attendance at the shows last night - compared to the hundreds of thousands that see the X-Games live or on TV - Gerber didn't hold back his flamboyant charisma.
After an array of high-flying jumps and flips, Gerber finished the show with a "back flip tail whip", a trick Brian Strieby says only 15 people in the world have been able to do.
Adam Strieby was the first in the world to attempt the trick in competion, while Gerber was the third.
Accustomed to life on the road - doing shows, clinics and competitions - Brian Strieby was thankful for the opportunity to perform in front of the local crowd at the fair last night.
"This was a good opportunity to get back in front of the hometown community," he said. "I'm gone a lot, sometimes I feel like I know more people out in California or wherever we're riding. It was fun to do this here." [[In-content Ad]]