Coquitlam's Kurt Mortensen is quickly making a name for himself in B.C.'s motocross circuit.
The 16-year-old won racked up a first place showing in the intermediate class of the British Columbia Off Road Racing Championship series.
"It's just something I've always had a passion for. I've been riding since I was three," said Mortensen, a Grade 11 student at Dr. Charles Best.
Mortensen entered 15 races this season, travelling from Bellingham, Wash. to Quesnel and over to Vancouver Island. He picked up eight wins and three second-place finishes to pick up the crown for the series which uses an aggregate total of the top 11 races.
"I was the youngest in my category this year," said Mortensen, adding most competitors range in age from their teens up to their early 30s.
The format for the series is mainly single-track woods racing with most courses ranging between 75 and 100 km in length. With some races lasting as long as four hours, it's a sport that demands top physical conditioning from riders who must work in perfect harmony with their machine.
Mortensen was picked up by RTR Performance race team last spring and he is now working at lining up sponsors for the new season that starts up again in April.
"I'm hoping to move up a category next year," said Mortensen, who plans to continue to hit the trails on his 250 cc two-stroke over the winter.
