The new pump track in Miyíw̓ts Park, which had a soft opening late last month, is a unique feature in Squamish.
"This is [one of the] first paved pump track[s] in a District park," said Ted Tempany, owner of Dream Wizards, a professional trail-building company that designed and built the amenity alongside PWL and Axiom. "That's significant because, as time goes on, hopefully, we'll be able to build more. Also, as the District gets more comfortable, hopefully, we can build them a bit bigger too."
The new pump track, located in the SEAandSKY development, is built for "little rippers."
"But I've heard people say it's great for big kids too," Tempany added.
One big perk of the feature is the landscaping around the area. One side includes large rock seating for parents and observers, with a view of the waterfront.
"Working with PWL was great for me because my focus is building something fun and safe for the kids. PWL was creating the space around it. It's super cool to see the garbage cans and bike racks and benches," Tempany said. "If you go, for example, to Brennan Park, it doesn't have those things. It's very bike-centric. It's cool to see how something that works so well for bikes is integrated into a park setting."
One challenge they ran into: the nearby waterfront.
"The projected flood line varied a little bit, so the elevation for the pump track changed a bit. [PWL] was ridiculous with what they can do with drawings and the turnaround. They're able to make changes on the fly. With the small area we had to work with, we fit something that's super fun and safe and rides well for little rippers," he said.
The project marked Tempany's third time working with pavement—which isn't as easy as it might seem. "Since our first paved pump track at the casino, we learned paving is difficult. We worked with Alpine Paving, and those guys are artists … I have to say thanks to [them] for the excellent work they did. It's the smoothest pump track in town."
Tempany said his dream is to see pump tracks scattered around town so that every young rider can access one from their home.
"Our town is spread out," he said. "If your kid wants to go ride with their buddies, that involves driving and parking. It's been our long-term dream to have a pump track, skills area in each part of town. It's slowly happening."
Building new bike features like this one is rewarding when you finally see it come together, he added.
"There's this excitement the equivalent of Christmas morning every time you open something new," he said. "It's a cool little spot."
*Please note that this story was corrected after it was posted to say that this is one of the only paved pump tracks in town. It is not the first one, as originally stated.
The Squamish Chief apologizes for this error.
