Myrtle Beach area resident juggles for TV fame

Myrtle Beach resident Nick Pike hopes danger will take him all the way to a $1 million prize.

On Tuesday night, fellow Grand Stranders can watch his attempt on the NBC show "America's Got Talent" and help him reach his goal by voting for him.

But he'd better look sharp - he's juggling meat cleavers, axes and fiery batons.

Pike is one of 48 contestants, including singers, dangers, comedians and musicians, in the quarterfinals of the show. Up until now, talent has been judged by Sharon Osbourne, Piers Morgan and Howie Mandel, and Pike wasn't one of their top choices.

Now, he said, "America decides our fate."

After the elimination round held in Las Vegas, he placed 49th, but moved up when one of the top 48 couldn't make the next show.

Pike said his goal is to have fun as he entertains the telephone-voting American public and tries to move through the coming rounds to win the grand prize of cash and a year's performing contract in Las Vegas.

The 30-year-old acrobat-juggler-actor-comedian has been working on his crafts since he was 11, growing up in the little town of Sidmouth, in southwest England.

And though his routines have included dangerous aspects, such as juggling broken bottles or juggling fire while riding a unicycle, the feats he's performing live on "America's Got Talent" now are the most dangerous he has ever done.

In one, his unicycle was on fire as well as his hat, and in another, he walked blindfolded and barefoot across broken, kerosene-soaked glass while juggling fire.

"They seem to like dangerous stunts on the show," he said. "That was the first time I had ever done that. The danger was real, but I was pleased with this results."

The next round, on Tuesday's live show, will be even bigger, but he couldn't discuss what he has planned.

Like everyone watching, Pike will find out during Wednesday's live results show if his risks have paid off. The show starts at 9 both nights.

He went to circus school in London and earned his bachelor's degree in circus and theater, learned break dancing and acrobatics, and has performed all over the world, sometimes passing the hat for cash.

He's hoping the TV appearances will help him launch a career on land, because he has been performing mainly on cruise ships for six years now. Pike said that gig has been great and changed his life in more ways than one. While aboard, he met a dancer who turned out to be "the love of my life," and he and Erica Pike settled in Myrtle Beach a couple years ago when she was hired to dance at the Carolina Opry.

He said he performs throughout the summer at Barefoot Landing, and at colleges, as well as out at sea, but would like to be able to stay around home more.

"I've been pretty lucky," Pike said. "I've definitely had a great life."