The Kimberley Bike Park has completed construction on their pump track and although the dirt jumps are still closed to the public, on Friday, Jul. 26 the crew decided to open the gates to the public to try out the completed section.
"After much anticipation this past Friday we put up a sign reminding everyone to ride safe and take care and then bravely opened up the fence to let you guys rip," Kimberley Bike Park crew said in an Instagram post on July 29. "Despite not feeling quite ready we decided to let all you wonderful folk in to give the track a try.
"We have absolutely loved every minute of seeing the happy, smiling face out there enjoying the track! We appreciate your patience as you can all see the space isn't quite complete yet."
In March the Kimberley Trails Society (KTS) announced that Velosolutions, a company that's designed over 700 pump tracks around the world, was awarded the contact for the project build.
They will be back on site a week from the above-mentioned Instagram post to finish painting logos and resume construction on the dirt jump area of the park. From there, the local crew will work on installing permanent signage and then await cooler weather to seed the grass. In the meantime, there is temporary signage asking users to stay off the loose topsoil surrounding the track.
They added users can expect brief closures as the remainder of the work is completed, and they ask that people pick up garbage and keep staging areas free from bikes and other clutter. Another post with further updates can be expected next week.
Kimberley Bike Park shared another post to social media on July 31 with a few more guidelines for pump track usage. Asphalt tracks, they shared, are tough and last for years, but are still vulnerable to wear and damage. Especially from electric dirt bikes such as Surrons, E-bikes and E-scooters.
"These vehicles tend to be low profile and when you are cruising and catching air, when you come down you likely bottom out," they said. ""This can chip the surface and create areas that will be vulnerable to breaking down."
Non-motorized BMX bikes, skareboards, rollerblades, mountain bikes and scooters are all welcome.
The idea to revitalize the bike park and add a paved pump track came about in 2022 when, according to kimberleytrails.org, a group of passionate directors and bike enthusiasts brought forth the idea.
The existing park was installed 15 years ago by the City of Kimberley with the assistance of a user group, and it deteriorated over time and was due for an upgrade. The vision which is now fully manifesting was inspired by recent upgrades to parks in Fernie, Elkford and elsewhere in the province.
In summer of 2022 a bike park subcommittee was created under the KTS umbrella and a community engagement survey was conducted to better understand the existing park and surround concerns and expectations. An action plan was then created alongside the City of Kimberley, a presentation was delivered to Council to seek support and the ball was officially rolling.
