Tommi Ahvala

Tommi Ahvala, (born November 13, 1971) is a Finnish former world champion motorcycle trials rider. He won the 1992 World Motorcycle Trials Championship and the 1993 Indoor Trials World Championship.

Tommi Ahvala
Nationality Finnish
Born (1971-11-13) November 13, 1971
Helsinki, Finland
Current teamRetired
WebsiteTommi Ahvala Supertrial site

Biography

Born in Helsinki, Finland, Ahvala began practicing trial as a hobby at the age of six in his backyard.[1] He participated in the first competition at the age of 10. When he was 15 he began to compete internationally and he participated in the World Trial Championship for the first time in 1988. He was not yet an adult, so when competing in Finland he had to use a 125-cc motorcycle, and when abroad a 250 cc one. He was granted a special driving permission at the age of 17.

In 1989 Ahvala finished in sixth place at the World Championship, 4th in 1990, and 2nd in 1991. He also won the gold medal in 1990 and 1991 in the Finnish Championship, which he then left due to lack of time. In 1992 Ahvala won the World Motorcycle Trials Championship. The following year he won the indoor title.

In 1995 he was the first foreigner to win the Italian Trials Championship.

In 1998, he was hired by the Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Gas Gas to compete in the United States. He competed in the A.M.A. National Championship in 1998 and 1999, winning the 1999 title. Afterwards, he began teaching in a series of trials schools, in an effort to raise the level of competitiveness, as well as the level of public awareness of the sport in the United States.

Finland printed a postage stamp in Ahvala's honor in 1995.

World Trials Championship Career

[2]

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank
1988 Aprilia SPA
-		 GBR
-		 IRL
-		 LUX
13		 GER
-		 AUT
11		 FRA
13		 BEL
11		 ITA
14		 SWE
11		 FIN
4		 POL
13		 39 13th
1989 Aprilia GBR
7		 IRL
9		 ITA
13		 USA
4		 CAN
7		 FRA
8		 SWI
6		 SPA
6		 AUT
4		 CZE
6		 GER
2		 LUX
7		 118 6th
1990 Aprilia IRL
3		 GBR
3		 USA
3		 CAN
3		 BEL
4		 GER
4		 SWE
4		 FIN
6		 SPA
2		 ITA
5		 POL
3		 SWI
3		 167 4th
1991 Aprilia LUX
5		 GBR
4		 IRL
2		 BEL
2		 FRA
7		 SPA
4		 POL
2		 AUT
4		 ITA
2		 FIN
1		 SWE
4		 CZE
1		 180 2nd
1992 Aprilia SPA
1		 BEL
2		 GBR
3		 IRL
2		 FRA
1		 AND
11		 CZE
2		 POL
2		 GER
2		 ITA
2		 CAN
1		 USA
2		 199 1st
1993 Aprilia LUX
3		 BEL
2		 GER
7		 CZE
3		 POL
6		 ITA
6		 FRA
3		 AND
1		 SPA
7		 SWE
3		 FIN
4		 GBR
4		 161 3rd
1994 Fantic IRL
2		 GBR
6		 BEL
1		 GER
13		 CZE
2		 FRA
4		 USA
3		 SPA
2		 ITA
5		 SWI
2		 140 2nd
1995 Fantic LUX
1		 GBR
3		 IRL
4		 BEL
7		 POL
4		 ITA
6		 SPA
3		 FRA
3		 AND
9		 FIN
4		 130 3rd
1996 Fantic SPA
9		 GBR
9		 IRL
-		 USA
14		 CAN
6		 FRA
11		 ITA
10		 GER
5		 CZE
6		 BEL
7		 67 8th

Honors
  • FIM World Trials Champion 1992
  • Finnish Trials Champion 1989,1990,1991,2005
  • Italian Trials Champion 1995
  • US NATC Trials Champion 1999
  • Best sportsman in the metropolitan area in 1991 (elected by the sportswriters of Helsinki)[3]
  • Driver Badges awarded by Finnish Motorcycling Federation :
    • Bronze driver badge in 1986
    • Silver driver badge in 1986
    • Masterdriver badge in 1990
    • Masterdriver badge with grandmaster symbols in 1991
  • Honorary Member of Canzo, Italy, in 1992

References
  1. CycleConnections, Interview with Tommi Ahvala, year 2005 Archived 2010-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "FIM Trials Championships". trialonline.org. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  3. List of awards Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
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