Santa Cruz Votes to Pump It Up for Bikers

Santa Cruzans will no longer have to drive to Aptos to practice their pumping skills on a bicycle because the city will have its first bicycle pump track in September.

No, it's got nothing to do with pumping up tires.
Pumping on a bike is riding over dirt hills like moguls without pedaling, but by pumping on your frames and shock absorbers. It's a popular sport for bikers, comparable to skateboarding or surfing, the Santa Cruz City Council was told Tuesday by the owner of Another Bike Shop, Chris Wagner-Jauregg, who helped bring the proposal to the council along with developer William Ow, who has donated the parkland at 100 Western Drive to the city for only $1 a year.

"We want a pump track," yelled a group of young bicyclists who came to the council to express support but left before the final vote so they could make a group snack time. This was after Mayor Hilary Bryant passed out candy for elementary school kids.

The council voted unanimously to build the park and the bike store owner said that most of the work would be donated and it should be functioning in September.

"I can't wait to cut the ribbon on that one," said Bryant. The proposal came up after Wagner-Jauregg met Bryant at a soccer dinner and told her how his family had to drive to Aptos to use the pump track there. (Despite the city calling it a "Pump Park," bicyclists all call it a pump track.