Victoria, B.C.'s Thomas Cordner is Canada's top trials rider.

With three wins and one second-place finish in the six-round series, Cordner is your 2013 World Trials Canada National Champion.

The final two rounds of the national were in Quebec on August 31 and September 1 but Cordner had enough points after rounds 3 and 4—which took place July 20 and 21 in Ioco, B.C.—to clinch the title.

This was Cordner’s first national win but he’s clean swept the expert class fours years in a row in his local club’s champ series. Involved with the Victoria Motorcycle Club and the Pacific Northwest Trials Association, Cordner is an active member of Western Canada’s trials scene. Last year, he went international and battled for his country at the FIM Trial des Nations in Switzerland, helping Team Canada bring home a 12th-place finish in the Trophy Class.

Inside the world of trials

Observed motorcycle trials isn’t something new. In fact, it’s the oldest motorcycle sport in the book, dating back to the turn of the 20th century. Although the bikes and names of riders, even the best ones, go largely unnoticed by the public and media, a quick search on Google will yield over a dozen results on clubs and forums in Canada alone that are dedicated to the sport of motorcycle trials, proving that it is alive and well.

“We’re pretty quiet,” said Cordner. “We don’t make much noise about what we do.”

The point of trials riding is to conquer obstacles without placing a foot on the ground. It requires balance, precision and concentration. Some riders, off-road and even the moto guys, use a trials bike for cross-training and many of today’s enduro superstars, like Graham Jarvis and Taddy Blazusiak, actually started their career in trials.

Trials on the Island

Cordner comes from a trials background as well. As a kid growing up on Vancouver Island, he and his father spent many hours on the trails together. He started out on a Honda Z50 and then moved up to a more trials-oriented bike, a 1975 Yamaha TY 175. Today, he rides a Gas Gas factory replica 300. He started competing in observed trials events in 2007 and later took up riding enduro as well. He even tried endurocross.

The season isn’t quite over, and Cordner still has a few local club events on his schedule, plus he rides year round on Vancouver Island. With the Victoria Motorcycle Club just minutes from his home, Cordner is the envy of anyone who’s ever had to truck their bike for hours just to get in some ride time.

“Basically, I come home from work, get my bike and (in) five minutes I’m riding,” he said. “We go out after work and we can ride for two to three hours, no problem.”

Sooke, B.C., is Cordner’s all-time favourite riding area.

“It’s 20 minutes outside of Victoria and there is some unbelivable riding there,” he said. “That’s probably my favourite place to go.”

When spring rolls around, Cordner should be back with the World Trials Canada series to defend his title.

If you would like to know more about this sport, check out Trials Canada and World Trials Canada.