Kyle Odiorne never fails to go above and beyond the motocross call of duty.
You can see it in his riding, while he's winning races in the intermediate and youth classes, when he's preparing other riders for their starts, or when he's helping them pick up the pieces after they crash.
He loves the sport enough to volunteer his time before the races -- grooming the track, fixing the starting ramp or shoring up fences -- and he's there to help clean up after the event.
In recognition of what the 16-year-old has given back to the sport, the Prince George Motocross Association (PGMA) picked Odiorne for its annual Orin Short Memorial award.
"Kyle is a great kid, helping everybody all the time -- if your kid gets hurt or your kid's bike is broken, Kyle is right there to help fix the bike, or fix the kid," said PGMA racing secretary Jess Hudson. "He also follows up, he'll phone or he'll email you to ask if you're alright, and you never see him without a smile on his face."
Short, a 15-year-old Prince George rider, died on June 26, 2004 after a crash during an intermediate race in Quesnel.
"That awards means everything to me, I had no idea I would be picked for it and when I got it was speechless," said Odiorne, a Grade 11 student at Prince George secondary school. "I don't know much about Orin because I just started racing six years ago but I've heard lots about him. He was a really good guy."
Kyle's father, Lorne, is a PGMA director and at a young age Kyle got in the habit of helping his dad at the track.
"I come out here just because I love the sport, there's nothing else like it," said Odiorne, the top-ranked B.C. rider in the Fall Series intermediate MX-2 and youth classes. "Everyone around is so nice and friendly, I can't get enough of it. Helping out just makes the race day better."
Because he's doing so well in intermediate races he'll likely have to move up to the pro classes next year. But it's not all fun and games.
Odiorne suffered a broken rib when his handlebars clipped a hay bale while racing a month ago in Smithers and he was forced to miss the Pro-Am event two weeks ago in Kamloops.
"I didn't realize it was broken until I got it checked out on Monday, after I finished the races on Saturday and Sunday," said Odiorne. "I wasn't sure if I would ride because of my ribs, because the doctor said it would be four weeks and this is only the third week, but it's feeling fine so I decided to ride.
"I'm just having lots of fun and that's the main thing."
Cody Strickland of Prince George won the Manuel DaSilva undying spirit award. Strickland competes in the 12-16 85cc and schoolboy classes. Don Dupuis was the PGMA's volunteer of the year.
