INNISFAIL – With one national championship under his belt Carson Kowaski was aching for another at the recent
2022 BMX Canadian championships in Calgary.
The event on Aug. 27-28 featured more than 700 riders from all over the country, including the best of the best.
The Innisfail teen, who has been BMX racing since the age of five, won a national title in 2021 in the 16-year-old single class. But in 2022 he was 17 and aiming to move up.
He was competing with men; his first year in the junior men category.
But the weather had other ideas for all riders.
“It was raining throughout the day, and it got delayed several times. It was something that played a toll on the body and your head, like head games. It was a long day,” said Kowaski. “They had to delay it at the end to go into the morning the next day, which it wasn't supposed to.
“We got through most of the rounds on Saturday, but then we had delays halfway through the day.”
The national BMX championships for the junior men’s title had three preliminary rounds. Then there was one elimination round, which was the semi-final with 16 riders. Eight riders would go on to the final.
Kowaski was one of those lucky eight.
“I did not have the greatest lane pick. I was in a tough spot. I knew the fastest guy was on the outside,” he said, noting he was in the middle. “In the first straight I came out of the gate really good so I already could clearly see that I was in contention for first place because I was in front of everyone on the inside. I only saw one guy on the outside, which was the guy I knew was fast.”
After completing the course’s first turn Kowaski was racing well into the second straight but the big jumps were ahead.
“I was gaining on the guy in first. I came in behind him. I went to go left and over-jumped the first one, so I went a little big on it and I lost a bunch of speed,” said Kowaski, adding he was still able to make it through the two other big jumps and into the second turn.
“I was still charging trying to hunt the guy down and get into first but I was going into the third section, which has really small jumps and there's a lot of them. You have to stay on your toes in that spot.”
But while defending champion Max Ganakovsky was still in first Kowaski was facing a threat behind him.
However, he mustered another gear of energy and not only stayed in second but gained on the leader.
The racers then came around the last turn. The finish line was close.
Kowaski charged but was not able to close the gap. He finished second, one bike length behind Ganakovsky.
He earned a silver medal, bouquet of flowers and sparkling apple cider all medal-winning racers enthusiastically sprayed on each other.
“I was closing the gap throughout the lap but I wasn't able to get it by the end,” said Kowaski, adding it was his best racing result to date. “There’re two ages in junior elite and I was in the younger age. So, I was racing against bigger, older people and I was still able to get a second. So yes, I'd say it's my best result.”
With that “best result” the young Innisfailian is looking to be number one next year, his last at the junior men’s level.
He has an ultimate goal to make the national team for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. For now, there will be more training, and one more race this year scheduled for October in Florida; a race that will feature a bigger hill and tracks and part of the Olympic dream, an effort to pick up team points to earn Olympic spots for team members.
“All of us are in a group and we have to pitch in,” said Kowaski. “You have to try and get points for Canada, and then it's also experience for myself to get better on those bigger tracks is what I need to do.”
