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Here we are on the final Monday of 2014, a year that has certainly entertained us in so many different ways. We’ve seen comebacks, setbacks, great racers that may never be back, and race teams that I’m sure wish that they could have the past season back. The past 365 days have definitely been interesting in this sport. Regardless of how the past year treated you, I’m sure no one could say that it was boring! Let’s take a look at the past year in Canadian motocross.

January/ February 2014

This month in Canada is always a slow one in our sport, because quite simply no one is usually doing anything. However, this past January seemed to have a little extra energy to it, at least if you lived in Ontario. In early January, the fans of Nitro Circus got to travel to Hamilton, Ontario to watch the likes of Travis Pastrana and Jolene Van Vugt live. It was an awesome show that night in Copps Coliseum and the packed house loved it. Of course we cannot forget the life changing injury that BC Freestyler Bruce Cook suffered that night as he was trying an almost impossible trick. During the days after that event all of our prayers went out to Bruce and his family for a speedy recovery. If you follow Bruce on social media then you have noticed that what he’s done since his accident has been nothing short of inspirational. He is an amazing individual and his outlook on life is amazing.

After the Nitro Circus event we all settled in front of our television sets every Saturday night to watch the opening rounds of the Monster Energy Supercross Series. Over the course of the first two months of the series we were again amazed at the level of riding by Ken Roczen, Chad Reed and James Stewart. The eventual 2014 SX Champion, Ryan Villopoto, took a few rounds to get going but when he did the series belonged to him. Also, who can forget the excitement surrounding Chad Reed’s two wins early in the series? Coming off an awful year in 2013, most people thought Reed was a goner, however just like he’s done throughout his career, whenever you think he’s done, he’s not! Unfortunately Reed crashed out of the series (some would say the entire season) in San Diego. As we approach another SX opening round this weekend, questions once again surround Reed.

March/ April 2014

Unless you live in BC where it always kind of feels like spring, March is usually the month where the rest of Canada gets its first taste of milder weather. However, due to a very harsh winter, and the infamous Polar Vortex that entrenched us last winter, March was unseasonably cold. All of that didn’t matter for the fans that converged on the city of Toronto in late March to watch what could be the final Toronto SX ever.

Whether you were there live or watching it on television, I’m sure no one will ever forget James Stewart’s incredible ride that night. Coming back from an awful start in the main event, James slowly made his way forward. Once the 50,000 fans picked up on James’ progress, he was instantly a fan favourite. James’ win that night was amazing and his ride will no doubt go down in history as one of the best ever in SX. It may also signify the final SX win in James’ illustrious career. We’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Spring finally arrived in April, and with that the beginning of a brand new regional racing season. This is always a great time of year as not only do you get to race a dirt bike again, but we reunite with the all of all moto friends that we haven’t seen since the previous October. It’s always fun showing up at the first race and seeing all the new bikes, new gear and all the very familiar faces. This is always one of my favourite times of the year, for sure.

May/ June 2014

These are the two months when racing really starts to get serious right across Canada. At the amateur level it’s time for the ANQs to begin and that always adds to the prestige of an event. At the national level, the opening round of the Rockstar Energy Drink Motocross Nationals blasted off once again in Nanaimo, BC. Fans got to see what Colton Facciotti looked like on a Honda, plus they also got their first glimpse of series newcomer Mike Alessi. Throughout the opening rounds, Facciotti and Alessi battled back and forth on the national tracks of Western Canada. These two, along with a host of other national riders, put on quite a show in the first four rounds of the 2014 series.

In the USA, Ryan Villopoto walked away with another SX title and then pulled out of the outdoor series to have knee surgery. At the time, no one ever thought that the Las Vegas SX would be the final SX of Villopoto’s incredible career. After contemplating retirement during the summer he surprised everyone when he decided to head to Europe and race the GPs in 2015. This might have been the biggest news event of our sport in 2014 as few saw it coming. The guard is definitely changing in USA motocross!

July/ August 2014

Right across Canada and the entire Northern Hemisphere, these two warm months are also known as summer time! In both amateur and pro, our racers were forced to endure the heat of racing in July before they could have their Canadian Championship titles decided in August.

At the Rockstar Energy Drink MX Nationals, we saw a few things that left us shocked. In the MX1 class, Mike Alessi was the fastest rider but suffered unusual mechanic events, such as running out of gas while leading moto one at Gopher Dunes. Then to cap off his strange bout of bad luck, Mike had his right grip come loose while leading the second moto in Sand Del Lee. It was definitely a weird few weeks for the Alessi camp. In the end those two motos would cost him any chance of the MX1 title.

In the MX2 class, we saw points leader Kaven Benoit do the unthinkable and switch from the KTM 250 four-stroke to the KTM 250 two-stroke as the series moved east. Even though during pre-season testing Benoit was very fast on both machines, switching displacements halfway through a series was definitely a gamble. However, it worked great for Benoit as he was the class of the field on the sandy tracks of the east. Benoit and his KTM two-stroke would go on to win the 2014 MX2 title after an entertaining series-long battle with American Vince Friese.

As the MX1 series came to a close at the final round at Walton Raceway, Colton Facciotti did all he needed to do to close out the 2014 MX1 title chase. After many battles throughout the summer with Alessi, Colton’s mistake-free riding was just too much for his competition. In the end, Colton and his GDR Honda Team gave Honda their first Canadian Pro Motocross Championship in almost a decade.

In the amateur classes, their titles were decided at the 2014 Parts Canada Trans Can in August. This year’s TransCan will be remembered for its very unsettled weather. Participants not only had to deal with rain at the start of the week, but also for the final motos on Saturday as well. However, even with all of the rain and mud, the 2014 TransCan was a lot of fun and the racing was amazing. It was also one of the safest TransCan event as there were only a few injuries throughout the week. It was once again a great event, and congratulations to not just the champions from the week but to all the riders that competed.

September/ October

After a crazy summer these are generally the months when everything begins to wind down in Canadian motocross. However, this year there was a lot hype surrounding the 2014 MXON in Latvia. Due to the superb fundraising but Team Canada’s Manager Ryan Gauld, we were able to send the three of this country’s best riders over to Latvia. Our team of Colton Facciotti, Tyler Medaglia and Kaven Benoit gave it everything they had and their 17th place finish certainly wasn’t indicative of how well they rode. With this event travelling to France in 2015 and then the USA in 2016, I hope we can keep up the effort of sending our very best riders.

In October it was time for some of our kids to shine on the big stage as a few of our best riders were entered in the 2014 Monster Energy Cup in Las Vegas. Tanner Ward, Casey Keast, Christopher Fortier and Preston Masciangelo all travelled to the City of Entertainment to race against the very best kids in North America. These awesome kids gave Canadian fans a lot to cheer for as they raced hard and made us all very proud!

November/ December

These months are generally slow in every part of Canada expect in the lower mainland of British Columbia. For twenty years the Future West Canadian Arenacross Championships have been taking place in BC during the winter months. This year the series was condensed into seven weeks as the schedule began in Armstrong, BC and concluded in Chilliwack. When the final chequered flag flew in Chilliwack, Teddy Maier and Ross Johnson split the overall class wins in what was an epic Kawasaki vs. Honda battle. All the classes in both amateur and pro produced great racing each and every night. It’s certainly no surprise why our young BC riders are getting so darn fast.

So as we sit here on the eve of another New Year we as a country can definitely look back at the past twelve months with nothing but pride. The racing we’ve witnessed on our soil was nothing short of amazing at every level. Regardless of what we do every day, our lives are made up of memories. One of the great things about this sport is that it provides an endless amount memories, both good and bad. Whether it is race results, certain events or just simply memories of sitting around a camp fire with your racing friends, 2014 has certainly been a year to remember. As a rider, a fan, a father and as someone who makes my living in this sport, I can’t wait to see what awaits us all in 2015. Happy New Year everyone!!