Piper Graaten and Alex Booth are often seen together at the Nanaimo BMX park and on the international racing stage. (Keir Graaten)

By Spencer Sterritt

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Twin Terrors: Nanaimo BMX youth riders top North American rankings

Jul 21, 2019 | 12:31 AM

NANAIMO — Two Nanaimo BMX riders are making a name for themselves on the world stage at only nine years old.

Piper Graaten and Alex Booth, born only a few days apart in December and often mistaken for twins, both sit atop the Canadian leaderboard in their age bracket.

Each has triumphed in numerous championships throughout North America. Booth left for Belgium on Thursday, July 18 for his first international championship.

Booth said he’s not too worried about the larger, tougher track in Belgium, compared to the Stevie Smith Bike Park in Nanaimo where he trains much of the week.

He and Graaten are often there together and are good friends.

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Both Piper Graaten and Alex Booth sit atop the Canadian leaderboard for their age bracket and have bright, fast futures ahead of them.

Graaten said the bike park has become almost like a second home.

“When I first came here, I didn’t know anyone. I was so shy,” she said. “As soon as I started hanging out there a lot, I made lots of friends and I started having lots of fun.”

Even at their young age, both have become mentors for younger riders and seem to recognize part of themselves in the three-year-olds taking their first runs along the track.

“I think it’s amazing they’re even riding and pretty fast for their age, getting better and better,” Booth said. “If they couldn’t get up a hill I’d push them up and help them out a lot.”

Despite only being nine, both Graaten and Booth are starting to be recognized by some of the top talent across the world.

They said there’s nothing quite like getting a high-five from a BMX superstar at a championship in some far-flung part of North America.

You can watch Booth race in Belgium online here.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit