MONTCLAIR – BMX bike legend Brian Blyther dipped down into the bowl, gathering speed, then flew several feet in the air on his bicycle at the city’s skate park on a recent afternoon.
Several young and hard-to-impress skateboarders leaning against the gate waiting to flash their skills took notice of Blyther’s aerial displays. As the six-time national freestyle champion twisted his bike in the air, doing a “180,” the skateboarders let out an occasional “Wow” and “Did you see that?”
After a few quick maneuvers on his Giant Bicycle, including a peg stall that ended with Blyther hanging on the lip of the bowl balanced on the three-inch metal tubes protruding from his wheels, one boy wondered aloud if it would be easier for Blyther if he wasn’t wearing all that “cop” stuff?
“It’s a little hot,” Blyther admitted. “But it’s not like I’m running after some guy a block away.”
It’s been a long, well-traveled odyssey for the 37-year-old, from breaking a biking world record as a teen to fulfilling a lifelong dream when he was hired as a Montclair police officer in May.
The Ontario resident, who starting jumping ramps at 3, began his career in BMX freestyle after he won some Upland competitions and was sponsored by a company at the age of 14.
Blyther started touring parks throughout the United States and eventually visited 43 countries, including India, Japan and Tahiti. Between 1987 and 1988, he was undefeated, pulling in approximately $130,000 at one point. And he was named King of Vert, a yearlong freestyle competition, three times.
In 1988, he set the then-world-bike-record by flying 10 1/2 feet in the air off an 8-foot ramp.
When the sport’s prospects dimmed in the early 1990s because of waning fan support, Blyther kept freestyling but also became a computer engineer.
But Blyther always wanted to be a police officer, tagging along for numerous ride-alongs with officers as a youth. He said he was just sidetracked by the joy of bike riding.
Several years ago, Blyther decided that the window of opportunity to join a department was closing so he attended the police academy in Whittier in 2003. Shortly after he completed his training, Blyther broke his neck in a freak accident doing back-flips off a dune buggy’s wheel.
“I was close to being paralyzed,” he said of the accident. “It really woke me up that I had to stop pushing the limits.”
After six months of grueling physical therapy, doctors declared him fit to handle police work.
Although Blyther said he became a police officer six years later than he anticipated, he believes his vast experiences make him a better officer a belief that the Montclair Police Department shares.
“It’s less about the age than is he physically fit, which he is,” said police Capt. Kevin Piper. “We find that older, more mature candidates learn faster, promote faster and become productive officers faster.”
Blyther said he will continue to ride, though he doesn’t expect to compete any longer. He also said he’s ready for his new career.
“I just feel extremely blessed, and (I’ve) had a great time as bike rider, the traveling, the experiences,” Blyther said. “I’m extremely happy where I’m at right now, to be at an age where I’m healthy and can now give back to the community.”
No comments:
Post a Comment