Seven wins in 19 contests two years ago. One point short of nationals in the 2021-2022 campaign. Now, the Bruins are aspiring pioneers of hockey on the West Coast. Read more...
Photo: UCLA ice hockey poses after practice. The team went 18-3-1 to post their best record in program history this past season and are striving for a nationals appearance for 2022-2023. (Antonio Martinez/Daily Bruin staff)
Gabe Galen thought his competitive climbing career was over. As the then-18-year-old accomplished athlete met with doctors in early 2020 to discuss the intense pain he was experiencing in his arm, Galen was told he needed a bone marrow biopsy to rule out bone cancer. Read more...
Photo: Second-year business economics student Gabriel Galen climbs the wall. Galen won a national championship at the USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships in April. (Jake Greenberg-Bell/Daily Bruin)
The Swiss Alps. The French countryside. The streets of Austria. Most people associate these European landscapes with images of peace and tranquility. Cole Kessler, on the other hand, has a particular quote running through his mind when he sees them. Read more...
Photo: Incoming UCLA freshman Cole Kessler is a competitive amateur cyclist on the world’s stage in Europe. The Newbury Park, California, native currently competes for the LUX U19 Development cycling team and is set to sign a professional contract later in the year. (Courtesy of Steve Kessler)
This post was updated Jan. 24 at 9:36 p.m. Rachel Luba doesn’t take the mound every fifth night or step up to the plate with the game on the line. Read more...
Photo: Former UCLA gymnast and club boxer Rachel Luba has turned the sports agency landscape on its head, breaking norms and stereotypes on her way up the ladder. (Courtesy of Rachel Luba)
Roundnet, a sport whose most popular brand is Spikeball, faces the challenge of expanding its relatively new college competition amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally invented in 1989 by toymaker Jeff Knurek, spikeball sat in limbo for nearly two decades before Chris Ruder, now the Spikeball Inc. Read more...
Photo: Spikeball Inc. is the No. 1 roundnet equipment producer in the world, but it also runs the largest tournament organization in hopes of one day turning roundnet into a premier sport. (Ellie Tsai/Daily Bruin)
This post was updated March 5 at 4:48 p.m. Ross Fulkerson said he knew he wanted to go to college and be a professional rock climber. Read more...
Photo: First-year undeclared student Ross Fulkerson won rock climbing junior national championships in 2013 and 2017 and placed 11th in the 2019 Bouldering Open National Championship at the age of 18. Fulkerson said he is aiming to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics but will need to take time off UCLA to make time for his training. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin senior staff)
This post was updated Aug. 26 at 2:57 p.m. Esports is growing rapidly in participation, popularity and pay. With 60 collegiate varsity programs and an expected global revenue over $1 billion dollars at the professional level, Esports is quickly becoming one of the biggest competitive sports in the world. Read more...
Photo: Esports is a growing community and business in addition to being a competitive sport. Twitch streamers, Twitch viewers and jobs in the Esports industry have each increased in recent years, and Bruin Gaming – UCLA’s recreational gaming club – fielded over 500 members in its first year. (Creative Commons photo by Trade Group via Flickr)
