Nicknamed ‘The Bulldog’ for his aggressive riding style and tenacious attitude, 31-year-old Brook has been racing since 2006 and had his big break in 2009 when he became Junior world champ. With 11 World Cup podiums behind him, his never-say-die mentality helped him recover from breaking his back in a crash at the 2019 DH World Championships.
Where do you call home, and what is the riding like?
Hawke's Bay, Napier, on New Zealand’s North Island. The riding isn't amazing – it used to be good, but we have forestry blocks which get milled every 20 years and, unfortunately, where we used to ride has been milled over the last seven years, so it’s shut.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I’m an early riser, so I wake up early, have breakfast and hit the gym and then either a cardio session on my road bike or trail bike. Every other day I’ll be doing stuff around the house or riding my downhill bike.
What is one thing that no one knows about you?
I don't know what you’d call this, but if, for example, I’m sitting watching a film and I'm like, ‘Oh shit, I need my excess baggage receipt!’ I’ll leave the movie alone and go look for that receipt until I find it. I’m just one of those people – something comes into my head and I have to do it then and there!
What is your biggest weakness?
Chocolate! I’d be eating some if it was around! I’ve got a pretty sweet tooth, and if my girlfriend bakes something then I’ll eat until it's all gone. She's really good at cooking!
Who were your heroes growing up?
Although I rode downhill, I didn't know there was a World Cup series, or that it was a thing people could make a living from. I started to follow DH aged 13 or 14 by reading Dirt magazine and watching the Earthed videos; they gave me an idea of what riding was about, so Minnaar, Peaty and Sam Hill were my three main influences growing up.
What gets you excited to go riding now?
Just bikes in general, and the development [of the sport], from when I first started to now, is so high-level.
Who's your favourite person or people to go riding with?
I'm fortunate that I get to ride with a lot of great riders and talented people. I always like to come home and ride with my mates. They work nine-to-five jobs and ride mountain bikes just for fun, so it's always cool being able to ride with them and watch them get loose which keeps me occupied and entertained on the bike. I enjoy riding with Blenki [Sam Blenkinsop], he's a pretty insane guy to follow, his style on the bike and the energy he brings are pretty amazing.
If you could only ride one location ever again where would that be?
I guess Morzine, because there’s such a variety of different riding and you can use so many different lifts to get to other bike parks. I feel like that would be the ideal place to live and ride if it was the last place I could.
What’s the best trail you've ridden this year?
Rotorua, here in NZ. They’ve always got trails popping up there and it's pretty insane when there's something new in Rotorua, with how loamy the dirt is and how well it flows, there’s a lot of technicality, too.
If you weren't a pro MTB rider, what would you be doing?
I would have tried to pursue a career in professional rugby. That was my second option.
Do you have any unusual bike set-up preferences?
Nah, I don't really. Probably the most unusual thing would be the height of my brake levers. Like, I definitely don't run them evenly and I feel like it's super-hard to get them precisely where I like. The front one’s always a little bit higher than the rear.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
I’ve been given a lot of great advice in my life! And I feel like I've tried to take it all on board. The best advice was ‘Live life is as if it was your last day’ because you never know what's around the corner.
This article was originally published in MBUK 421
Words - Steve Thomas
Picture - Jason Halayko / Red Bull Content Pool
