Simon Brown is enjoying his best BMX season because of two things: he's quicker on his bike and taking it more serious.
That serious approach resulted in the eight-year-old earning a fourth-place result at a provincial championship race in Victoria. With that performance, Brown was given a No.4 plate which stands out on his BMX.
"Before it happens, it feels more amazing then when you actually have it," said Brown, who has been racing since he was three.
Brown had a great experience at provincials facing top riders and he recalled being ahead of a couple before they passed him. Jeff Babuin, a coach for the Penticton BMX Club, said Brown rode really well in Victoria and also had a strong performance at nationals in Kelowna.
"There are some pretty fast riders out there," said Babuin. "The national in Kelowna, he is racing against kids that are from the States. They are top level riders. He was pretty competitive with them."
Babuin has seen Brown get faster and compete with more drive.
"Things have just clicked for him," said Babuin. "He's gone from somebody who didn't jump at all last year to someone who is jumping and manualling. Having a lot more fun racing."
Also helping Brown succeed is his love for the sport. When he is out on the track, he just wants to try hard. Along with ripping around the Penticton BMX track, Brown rides around for hours on his home track in Cawston that his dad Corey built. His mother Colleen said he's on it daily doing jumps and cat walks. Brown, whose bedroom is covered in BMX posters including one of Australia's Sam Willoughby, watches BMX races on YouTube. He can get glued to the computer watching races and other riders.
"It's exciting because he's really passionate about it," said Colleen. "It's exciting to see him putting so much effort into it. He is doing well."