I'm prepared to offer some suggestions regarding the top motocross prospects on Vancouver Island in B.C., but first I must make a global apology and disclaimer. In providing my view on this question, I will invariably offend somebody. I can only base my opinion on what I've seen recently—although I know it could all look different in a year's time. I also have to consider factors like age, time spent racing and mental fortitude. One rider may be faster than another at the moment, but if he's older, has been riding longer and is less focused, then I may judge the slower rider more likely to succeed in the long run. This could understandably offend the faster rider. That's a risk I'm prepared to take.
Most of the riders I've put on this list are Intermediates because they've been around long enough to get a good sense of their abilities. I do have a Junior on my list, but he's more speculative than the Intermediates. I also have a couple of 85-cc racers, but I haven't gone lower than that—too much can happen between the ages of 10 and 16! By the nature of doing a list I've put them in an order, but realistically third through seventh on this list are virtually interchangeable, and I think they're all catching the No. 2 guy pretty quickly. Between these riders, it will all come down to who works hardest and practises most. With the Junior and 85-cc riders there's still a lot of time to elapse before they get anywhere near the Pro level. I've seen many fast Juniors and 85-cc riders disappear off the map long before they get to the Intermediate or Pro level, so I list these riders with an asterisk. They have the potential if they stick with it. Here are my picks for No. 6 to No. 10.
6. Connor Barnes
Speed Merchant-sponsored rider Connor Barnes was a late starter; he didn't hone his craft in the mini classes like most of the riders on this list but instead, he started on a big-wheel bike in the Beginner class.
Barnes might be higher up this list, but he's had a bit of a rocky season. Last year he was able to beat Riesach, Morrow and Vanderbasch fairly consistently, but he started this season late due to an injury, and then injured himself again at the seventh round just as he was riding back into form, so it's tough to get an accurate gauge on him. There's no doubt, though, that he's right there with the best of this class when he's healthy.
In the middle of the spring session, when he was at his best, he was able to beat all but Corey Cardinal several times, and he looked smoother and more consistent than ever doing it. He also shone at the Nationals when he was one of four Island Intermediates to qualify for the big show.
7. Jason Abernethy
If I was trying to be prophetic I would have to move Abernethy farther up this list. He's the only first-year Intermediate on the list, and as such his performance has been nothing short of spectacular. He currently holds down second place in the Intermediate standings and third in Youth!
Abernethy has been racing since the mini class, but he didn't really start to shine until last year in the Junior class. I would argue that he was the best Junior last year, and he moved up to Intermediate in the fall, showing he's not afraid to compete.
Abernethy is smart. He seems to intuitively understand that there's more to racing than just twisting the throttle. I've had enough conversations with him to know that he really thinks things through. The results speak for themselves.
At the start of the series, Abernethy got a lot of fifths and sixths behind many of the riders on this list, but he was rock-solid consistent, and you could see that he was getting closer and closer to the guys beating him every weekend. Toward the end of the series he was right on pace and getting seconds and thirds. It's true that there was some attrition involved, but that counts too.
Abernethy is not a particularly flashy rider—he's more of a workhorse who just gets the job done. He rarely makes mistakes, and always rides hard for the whole moto, often capitalizing on other riders' fatigue and mistakes toward the end of the moto. Even good Intermediates, like Riesach and Morrow, tend to be mid-pack riders their first year as they get used to the increased speed and intensity of the class, but Abernethy seems to have stepped right up to the plate.
Although I have Abernethy sitting in seventh on this list, which is based on current racing, if this was a top 40 pop-music chart, Abernethy would have an upward arrow beside his name.
8. Isaiah Haylett
If you've been following our Island Junior class at all you will know that there are half a dozen guys who can win on any given weekend. Any of these riders might have been on this list, but I chose to put Haylett on it for a few reasons.
The first is his age. At 13 years old, Haylett is significantly younger than most of the riders he's competing with (Eli Titus may be close), and at this level a year of riding is like an eternity. Haylett's giving up several eternities to most of his competition.
The second is the degree of improvement I've seen over the past year or so. At the start of last season, I wouldn't even say Haylett was a consistent mid-packer. He was only 12 years old and a little small for his bike; as a result, he was usually well down in the field. By the end of the season, though, I could already see a marked improvement and knew then that he would be a threat in the Junior class before long. I honestly didn't expect him to be a threat to win every time he raced this year, though, and that is another reason he's on this list.
All of the Juniors he is competing with for wins I expected to be there. I thought Haylett would be getting some podiums on good days. Not only is he right there, but he often appears to be the fastest man on the track. I think the difference is the intangibles—his desire and focus.
At 13 years of age, Haylett hasn't yet faced the distractions of teen life. His focus is on motocross and it shows. A lot can happen between the ages of 13 and 16, but if Haylett stays on the course he's on now he will be very, very fast by the time he's Ryan Lalonde's age.
9. Joe Nikirk
Joe Nikirk has been trouncing the small-wheel classes on the Island for several years now. Although I've been critical of Nikirk’s technique, in particular his braking technique, you can't really argue with his results. He wins everything on the Island, and does very well at a Western National level as well, running inside the top three at Raymond, Alberta.
When Wyatt Waddell showed up last year and consistently beat Nikirk, though, it was easy to see how he was doing it. He had better braking technique and out-braked him in every corner. This little glitch will catch up to Nikirk by the time he hits the Intermediate class, but the thing is, Nikirk is good enough to fix it in a heartbeat when he decides it's important to do so—if he hasn't already fixed it by then. In fact, he appears to be entering corners better and faster this year already.
Nikirk rides a lot with his dad, often two to three times a week, and he hits the gym and rowing machine regularly in the winter. He is also a funny kid. When I asked him if he did any running or bicycling for his anaerobic fitness, he answered me deadpan: "My bicycle is my primary mode of transportation, so yeah, I ride a lot!" I guess I kind of forgot that Nikirk is only 13 years old!
There were rumours that Nikirk might be on a big bike in the fall, but after talking to him it appears this is still up in the air. I can't wait to see him hit the Junior class, although I suspect many Juniors are more than happy to wait!
10. Harrison Bradley
Harrison Bradley has been the perennial runner-up to Nikirk all this season, but he is a little bit younger. He has just moved up to the older 85-cc class this year after dominating the younger 85-cc class for a couple of years. Harrison was also a podium speed rider in the 85-cc, seven to 11 class at the Western Amateur Championships in Raymond.
Although Nikirk still comes out on top almost all the time, Bradley has shown that he can hang on his back wheel, or keep him behind for almost a full moto—and did I mention he is a little younger, at an age when a year can be an eternity?
All in all, I think Bradley may actually have slightly better form than Nikirk and could potentially beat him within a year or so. Nikirk is higher on the list though, because, despite not always riding as "correctly," he still manages to go a little bit faster and, due to his small failings, actually has the potential to go that much faster if he fixes them.
Nikirk may also be a little tougher mentally. He seems unflappable when Bradley is hounding him, and it is usually Bradley who makes a mental mistake first—but he is a little bit younger! Time will tell and so much can happen before these riders are contenders in the Intermediate class, let alone the Pro ranks.
Other stars who are ready to rise
These are the riders I chose when I forced myself to narrow the list down to 10 riders, but I had many more on my short list.
In the Intermediate class, Chase Krompocker has shown flashes of brilliance over the past couple of years, but his focus is divided between motocross and hockey. While I think it’s great for a kid to be so involved and active and would never fault him for this, I do believe the hockey season can't help but affect his development as a rider.
Jesse Ryan just started back to racing last year after many years out of the saddle, and he's already looking fast in the Intermediate class.
Derek Thompson has also demonstrated he has the speed to run with many of the riders on this list, but he's just old enough that youth won out in terms of "potential" assessment.
Pro riders Nick Syrotuck and Coleton McLean are probably the fastest riders on the Island, but they have not raced enough to convince me they are likely to make the next leap. I think they've resigned themselves to riding for fun—which is great, but eliminates them from a list of prospects.
I mentioned there are several Junior riders very close in speed to Isaiah Haylett. I especially want to point out that Alex Haley is actually winning both Junior classes, and has done this by consistently riding well, which is a skill in and of itself—but he has not struck me as contending for as many wins as Haylett, or other Junior riders, such as Eli Titus, Stephen Weme or Nathan Donohue-Bragg.
The list will go on
Any of these riders however, could prove themselves superior racers over the next couple of years. So this is the list I finally settled on. If you're offended that you're not on the list, please feel free to demonstrate your passion and show me I'm wrong. I'd love to see anyone show they deserve to be on this list or rise to the top of it.
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