Cole Thompson Returns Home to Canada Chasing World Supercross Glory

For the Canadian, the event in Calgary has particular significance. The city has already provided defining moments in his career, and this year’s return marks the beginning of a fresh chapter with Team GSM. At 33, Thompson believes he has the experience, equipment and determination to re-establish himself as a genuine World Supercross title contender.

“I said, ‘You guys hired me to go win a championship. That’s my mentality,’” Thompson says when asked about joining GSM for this season. “For myself, obviously, I want to return to a high level, which is top three, being considered a contender for the championship, being considered as a favourite to win races or podiums at least.”

For one of Canada’s most accomplished supercross riders, it is another chapter in a journey shaped by family sacrifice, perseverance and an unwavering belief that hard work would eventually open doors.

A Family Built Around Racing

Thompson’s relationship with motorcycles began before he was born. His father was a flat tracker with a passion for bikes, while his four older brothers were already riding long before the youngest member of the family was ready to twist a throttle.

There was an early interruption when Thompson’s oldest brother suffered a broken jaw in a childhood crash. “Mom said, ‘No more bikes,’” Thompson recalls.

The ban didn’t last. The family gradually returned to riding together, initially through trail riding, and the foundations of Thompson’s career were laid.

“Around the time that I was born was actually when the family got back into riding,” he says. “It was trail riding, essentially a family thing, and I just knew dirt bikes as part of our life.”

Before long, he was riding a 50cc bike around a field, carving an oval into the grass as he tried to keep up with his older brothers.

“We’d go to the races,” he says. “I was doing it because I obviously loved the sport as a fan. As a kid, I was obsessed with it, but also because my family, that’s what we did, was go to the races on the weekend.”

Those weekends demanded commitment. With seven family members travelling together, race meetings often meant squeezing into a tiny box truck that offered little comfort but plenty of lasting memories.

“It wasn’t necessarily the most comfortable,” Thompson laughs, “but looking back, it was some of the greatest memories, laughs and all that stuff.”

His father would finish a full week at work before driving five or six hours to the next race. After competing all weekend, the family would drive home on Sunday night, ready to begin the working week again.

While their father worked full-time, Thompson’s brothers became an essential part of the effort, helping maintain bikes and keeping their youngest sibling’s racing ambitions alive.

Chasing the Supercross Dream

As his brothers gradually stepped away from competition, the family’s attention shifted to Cole. Local races became amateur nationals before the opportunity to turn professional finally arrived.

His parents were realistic about the financial challenge. They could support him for a limited time, but eventually the sport would have to support itself.

“When I first turned pro, I was shocked that I made it that far, to be honest with you,” Thompson says. “I didn’t put expectation on it. I more so wanted to try it for myself, prove to myself that it’s something I’m capable of.”

Like countless riders of his generation, Thompson grew up idolising Jeremy McGrath, Ricky Carmichael and James Stewart. Supercross was always the ultimate ambition, even if he lacked the resources many future professionals enjoyed.

“I wasn’t getting coached by former champions,” he says. “All I had was the background of my brothers racing, which was limited. My brothers didn’t race a lot of supercross, and all we knew was it was where, if you were going to make it, you had to go.”

That determination continues to define him. “I have a lot of real emotion,” Thompson says. “Maybe this is something that I’ve had a tough time with over the years, is controlling your emotions. But I think that emotion is also what’s driven me to go this long in my career.”

A Fresh Start

After finishing third in the World Supercross Championship in 2024, Thompson endured a more frustrating campaign last season. Although grateful for his time with Bud Racing, adapting to a different package made it difficult to consistently perform at the level he expected.

His move to Team GSM in 2026 represents an opportunity to remove those obstacles rather than start again from scratch. Crucially, Thompson will be able to continue using suspension he already knows, while remaining on Yamaha machinery that has become familiar over the past year.

“I’m able to, as simple as it is, bring my own suspension to the team,” he explains. “That’s a big aspect for a rider, to feel confident. I’m familiar with the Yamaha; I raced it all year. I think those little things are going to be what help me get back to where I was maybe two years ago.”

He also believes the partnership can benefit both sides, with his experience helping strengthen the team’s World Supercross ambitions while GSM provides the environment to compete at the front once again.

Homecoming with Purpose

Calgary already holds a special place in Thompson’s story. In 2016, he won the 250 class there while KTM team-mate Davi Millsaps claimed victory in the 450 class, with both riders leaving the weekend carrying championship red plates. This return, however, is about more than reliving old successes.

“I think for me, at this age, it’s to inspire the next generation,” Thompson says. “There’s a lot of Canadian racers that shy away from supercross. If I can encourage one or two of those kids to come forward and try to get to this level, that would be successful.”

That perspective reflects the values his parents instilled from the very beginning. Results mattered far less than commitment. A poor finish was acceptable if he had given everything; quitting was not.

“I never once had my parent yell at me for doing bad,” Thompson says. “If I quit, I would get yelled at. But if I gave 100% and I got to the finish line, if it was 39th out of 40 riders, they didn’t care.”

Those lessons have carried Thompson from grass-track ovals and cramped family road trips to the highest level of international supercross.

The Canadian GP may be only the opening round of the World Supercross Championship, but for Thompson it represents something much bigger: an opportunity to remind the paddock that he remains a genuine contender while inspiring the next generation of Canadian riders to follow the path he forged.

On home soil, with renewed confidence in his team and package, it could be the beginning of another defining chapter.