Aïden Kye Nault (aka AK) is off to compete in the 2023 Canadian BMX Freestyle Championships.

The champs take place at Joyride 150 Indoor Bike Park in Markham, Ont. on Oct. 27.

The Star met with AK and his father, Sebastien Nault, at the Whitehorse skate park Monday.

The two, along with their two dogs, were leaving for Calgary in their RV for more training soon, and will eventually travel to Toronto to continue training.

"We thought we could go train in B.C., but at the moment, the facility that we use to go train (in) is closed. So we're left with Alberta," explained Sebastien.

"He needs to be training in-between, but there's other comps. He rides two different bikes. He rides a dirt jumper, too. A bigger bike."

AK also rides a 20-inch BMX Olympic Freestyle bike.

Sebastien said AK, 15, competed last year in USA BMX in the 11-14-year old category.

"This year in Canada, we don't have any juniors. There doesn't seem to (be) enough competitors in that category, kids that age capable of what he's doing. So he's competing in Elite at the moment."

AK is competing in UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) events.

"He makes points. He's battling with the four or five guys on top to get a spot on the national team in the future. "To determine what kind of money they're going to get for the national team in the future depends on where they're placing in the world in UCI."

According to Sebastien, the 15-year-old's competitors are 23-25 years old.

"Half of them were in the Cirque de Soleil for years before, so they have kind of an advantage on him. "But he's capable of doing stuff at the moment that none of the pros at the moment, like the best on the planet, were doing at 15. Sebastien said AK is "super-determined" to get to the highest level in his sport. He has quickly climbed the BMX ladder.

“We went for a test in California to check how we would place with the best, cause he was doing stuff that the other riders were saying, 'You should take him there.' We went to Woodward in California. And he did great.

"He was super-nervous (the) first time but he did great. Comparing himself to the other kids, he realized, 'OK, that's my place.'

"We went around and did seven events around the U.S. last year: Texas, California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.

"He was leading on points until the last competition, where it didn't go as planned. On the last one, points were double, and he fell. That's the hard part of that game," added Sebastien.

"A majority of these guys at the moment if they don't win, they go down. So if you're not pushing, like, on the limit, it's hard to win, because everyone's pushing. Everyone's pushing really hard."

Sebastien said there aren't a lot of kids riding BMX bikes in the Yukon.

"When he started riding, the skatepark was not built and we only had the old ramps, so it was jumping on the stumps and dirt on the side of the road, practicing at Carcross."

The Naults went down south so AK could practice at Air Rec in Maple Ridge.

"He exploded there," said Sebastien, which he related to "having access to a training facility and just the right equipment."

He said he's hoping to see the same kind of facility in Whitehorse in the future. As for qualifying for the nationals, Sebastien said "Everybody knows what he's doing at the level he's at." Sebastien said it's fair to say his riding experience and level of competence on a BMX bike qualifies AK for nationals.

"This year, it's open. Everyone that raised his hand that wants to go there can but the level is so high that nobody wants to go. You need to be really solid to be thinking that you're going to be playing with the best in the world but Canada's … a powerhouse in the world in terms of BMX; we got really good riders."

Regarding funding, Sebastien said, "We had some help this year by Winterlong Brewing Company from Whitehorse. They made it possible for the trip for AK to go to Costa Rica and yeah, that's the only support. We're getting a bit from Yukon Sports. That's pretty much it."

AK was in Costa Rica training and competing for a month at the Costa Rica Freestyle Park in Jaco.

AK is home-schooled and has a mind for mathematics, and languages. When he was small, Sebastien would ask him an equation and he would come up with the answer off the top of his head.

"He speaks English, French and Spanish, moving from one to the other without thinking so yeah, he's a multi-tool and I think he's got what it takes to go to the top."

AK has also been coached by Leo Tedesco of Argentina, who just left Monday for Spain. They met Tedesco at a competition in Woodward.

"He's forty years old, he's been a professional in his country for years and he saw the talent in my son and he ended up talking on the phone, helping my wife," recalled Sebastien.

Tedesco helped the family with anything BMX, including parts, technique and mental support.

"We would meet every competition and spend a week together, train and go on," said Sebastien.

Tedesco came to spend about one and a half months with AK this summer in Whitehorse.

"That was a cool thing for kids in Whitehorse," said Sebastien. "They got to see Leo and AK rocking the bowls and getting kids into the sport. That's what they love."

They're also hoping Tedesco can coach AK this winter.

AK said he started competing about two years ago.

"My first contest was a mountain bike contest and I never really knew what it was gonna be like to compete and it's very stressful. But I did one one run and it was super rewarding. So hopefully in the next year or two, basically, the rest of my career, I guess, I'm just gonna try to stomp every single run that I go to and get consistent and get some wins."

AK has had some misfortune on the BMX track.

"I have taken a slam in a run before but that stuff happens and you just got to deal with it sometimes. Sometimes it's just tough." "A lot of people have said this sport is 80 per cent mental and 20 per cent physical. Sure, you have to be in good shape, but you just have to be confident in what you're doing. And if you repeat the tricks over and over again, they get ingrained in your body. Muscle memory, basically. "A trick that might seem super-weird to do at first and just impossible, can become super-easy with practice, and some crashes."

When asked if he thinks he has natural talent, AK replied, "I don't know. I wouldn't say anything just because I'm trying not to have a massive ego.

"I'd say I have some talent, but I have to work hard. People who work hard can always beat people who run off talent. So if you combine both, and work really, really hard, then yeah, I guess you can make great things happen."

AK explained how he got into BMX.

"I didn't really have any friends and I was just always in front of my computer. I didn't really have anything new every day. My life was just kind of boring. So my dad took me to a skate park once and I saw this kid (Kobbi Hartlen) and he was really young. I was like, 'Whoa, that's so cool. I want to get a bike.' So I eventually got a bike and I realized that it was not only for making friends that I started biking. I realized I just really liked biking and I wanted to progress, become better and better." AK explained why he likes the sport so much. "It's something that's hard to achieve. Something that both involves risk and practice. And I feel like being able to do these tricks, not only (are they) incredibly rewarding, and fun for yourself, but there's overall something that you can be really proud of. It's a mental achievement, but it's also a physical achievement, obviously."

This will be AK's first nationals.

"We would love to have him win, just to place well, but then you've got to understand the names he's going to be competing with," related Sebastien.

One of those names is former X Games champion Mike Varga.

Despite the daunting competition, Sebastien said, "I'm confident that he is going to be doing a great show."

As for training for the nationals, AK said, "I'm just gonna try to have my tricks as consistent as possible. And that consistency is key. I've learned that over the past couple of contests. Like sometimes I would just slack and not really practice too much. And I wouldn't really get very good results.

"I'd say I'm pretty nervous, but I'm going to just try to relax because in the end all I want to do is just ride at my best and just try my absolute hardest. I definitely want to land the run, though."

AK said the nationals are usually two runs of 60 seconds. The runs are judged. Whoever gets the highest score in the run wins.

"The judges will rank your run by style, risk of the trick, technicality of the trick, and just how it looks."

As for what's after nationals, AK said it's all based on points. "I would have to be in the top five to make the national team for this event."

Sebastien said two of the BMX riders are already qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, so they're looking at AK getting into the next Olympics in LA in 2028.

Having said that, if AK could pull off a winning run at these nationals, he would find himself in Paris in 2024.

"I'm feeling confident, I'm feeling motivated and determined, and now more than ever, I realized that if I put hard work into it, I can definitely make it somewhere."