The season-opening round of the 2026 World Supercross Championship (WSX) took place at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on Saturday, with the Canadian event delivering a range of narratives as the six-round series got underway. Revisit the action through our Captured feature, highlighting the defining moments from the weekend in illustrated form.

Gates dropped for the World Supercross Championship as early as August this year, with the event taking place during a break in the American Pro Motocross schedule. A separate Supercross championship later in the year is still something to get used to, although WSX continues to attract riders and teams from around the world who otherwise may not compete in the United States. That makes it an interesting championship to follow as the field comes together.

Defending SX1 champion Jason Anderson made his return to racing in Calgary, lining up for the first time since late February at Arlington. While the season-opener didn’t go exactly to plan, with the Pipes Motorsport Group (PMG) rider finishing 11th overall, simply getting back into competition will prove valuable as he continues to build towards his 2026 campaign.

The same couldn’t be said for reigning SX2 number one Max Anstie, whose Rick Ware Racing (RWR) debut resulted in a Canadian clean sweep – as well as P1 in Superpole. The Englishman wasn’t entirely without competition, though, with Stark’s Michael Hicks and Brian Hsu featuring towards the front across the three-race format. There was some controversy surrounding the electric motorcycle at elevation, though, with more on that later.

It was a World Supercross debut for Cameron McAdoo, who contested the opener aboard a Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250 under a unique arrangement between the Mitch Payton-owned team and Konsky Motorsport Group (KMG), which fielded a further three Quad Lock Honda entries in Canada. McAdoo delivered an impressive P3 overall, with the expectation that he will transition to a Honda CRF250R by the second round in Birmingham.

A form of altitude sickness got the better of Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Luke Clout at round one, with the Australian revealing that he was forced to simply circulate during Saturday’s racing program. Fortunately, he was spared a significant points loss when the third and final encounter was called early due to inclement weather, with no points awarded.

The naturally aspirated combustion engine-powered motorcycles were significantly affected by the altitude in Canada, with reduced oxygen levels impacting combustion and, consequently, performance. The same could not be said for the electric-powered Stark Varg, however, with officials admitting they had not fully accounted for the advantage created by elevation. The situation opened a can of worms both during and in the aftermath of the Canadian round, highlighting the importance of establishing parity across all motorcycles to ensure a fair and even playing field. It is important to note, however, that the team of Vince Friese, Jorge Zaragoza, Michael Hicks, and Brian Hsu all delivered a solid performance in their own right.

Filling in for the injured Joey Savatgy at Quad Lock Honda, Dean Wilson impressed with second overall while showcasing strong speed throughout the event. The result raises questions over how the Yarrive Konsky-led team will approach the remainder of the season, as such a strong performance surely can’t be ignored from a championship perspective.

Rick Ware Racing’s Justin Hill is a genuine championship contender in the SX1 division, which is where a rider of his caliber belongs. Victory in race one was followed by a crash-marred second encounter, although third overall and just three points from the championship lead is a strong way to leave the opener.

He’ll have his hands full with teammate and three-time Monster Energy Supercross 450SX champion Cooper Webb, who also made his full-time WSX debut with a win in Canada. It’s expected that Webb will also be aboard different machinery at the British GP, with his tenure at Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing set to come to an end later this year.

Ever the antagonist, Stark’s Vince Friese was much improved in Canada compared to last year, no doubt aided by the increase in motorcycle performance. He sits fourth in the SX1 standings after round one, and with Friese in the mix, you can almost guarantee there will be fireworks at some point during the series.