No longer a caped crusader on the bike track, Vernon’s Toran Edwards continues his BMX heroics.
Edwards, nine, a Grade 3 Silver Star Elementary student, has become one of the country’s top BMX racers.
He is currently ranked No. 1 among his age group in the Okanagan district, province and Canada, and is ranked No. 3 in points among all male riders in the country.
Not bad for a kid who started riding at the Vernon BMX track four years ago, wearing a Batman cape.
“No, I don’t wear the cape anymore,” laughed Edwards, a four-foot-six, 68-pound, hell-on-two-wheels dynamo.
“I like racing around; like the feeling of the race, the pumping. I started racing when I was five and kept doing it. I like racing against other people and especially going over the jumps.”
Edwards’ bike journey began in Fort McMurray, Alta., where he lived with his parents – dad Mike Edwards, a Vernon native, and mom Naomi Shaw. He was riding a two-wheel bike at the Fort McMurray skateboard park when he was barely three.
After the folks moved to the North Okanagan, dad took son – Batman cape and all – to the Vernon BMX track where Mike won races as a kid.
“He was always riding his bike so I thought it would be a good place to take him,” said Mike. “Chris Spence was operating the track at the time and he mentioned to me that Toran may want to try racing.
“He said he wanted to do it and has been doing it ever since. It was fun to see it; see how much he liked it. He was wearing his Batman cape and taking jumps right from the get-go.”
A fan of snowboarding – and its jumps – in the winter, gym class at school and cheese pizzas, Edwards will venture south with mom and dad to test his skills against some American competition in two weeks.
Edwards will compete in the Silver Dollar Nationals in Las Vegas.
“After how well he did here, we thought he might like to try the U.S. where they have national races almost every weekend,” said Mike. “He’ll do this one and if he really likes it, maybe do two or three more. You have to have a certain number of national races under your belt to get a ranking in the U.S. He has a ranking in Canada.”
Edwards, who, of course, can’t gamble in Vegas but did play his favourite card game – Uno – on New Year’s Eve, is looking forward to racing south of the border and adding to the collection of 20-something trophies in his bedroom, some of which are so big they come up to his chin.
“I think I’ll do pretty good, I’m not worried,” said Edwards. “I’m looking forward to it. Really excited.”
Edwards’ success caught the eye of the CBS (Canadian Bike Supply) Rift Tangent factory team, which is now providing sponsorship.
But the family is quick to praise the entire Vernon BMX Club.
“It’s a very good club, I’m happy to be part of it,” said Toran.
Added Mike: “All of the volunteers and coaches are great. They do a lot for Toran and us.”