Christian & Dave of Dirtsculpt are in Tahoe working with Incline Village on the design for a Bike Park. The project will include beginner & intermediate/advanced pumptracks and bike skills park features.
DirtSculpt gets a big Hi5 in Sweden: Part 1 of 3
If you live in Sweden or are looking for a great reason to visit, DirtScupt recently gets a Hi5 for their design in Obbola, Sweden.
Location of Hi5 Dirt Jump Bike Park in Obbola Sweden designed by DirtSculpt Parks
Obbola IK Cykel Club’s dream of having a top-notch bike park is finally coming true. Obbola is small town in Sweden located west of the mouth of the Ume river having approximately 2,200 residents.
So how did the Obbola IK Cykel Club get a world-class bike park built in their small town? Based on what DirtSculpt observed, the formula appears to be:
How to get a bike park built in your town
DREAM BIG: Get a group of passionate riders who aren't afraid to dream big.
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COMMITMENT & SHARED VISION: Be committed to your dream and share your vision with members of your local community including businesses / sponsors that may be able help.
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HARD WORK & DEDICATION: Like anything in life, having big dreams and a vision only becomes reality when combined with hard work and dedication.
Getting Started
In April 2015, Members of Obbola IK Cykel Club ("Club") reached out to DirtSculpt Parks with a small budget and a big dream of getting a bike. After speaking with member of the riding club, one thing was clear, there was no lack of passion or energy from the local riders about getting their bike park built.
When the Club reached out to DirtSculpt, it was clear what they had and didn't have. In addition to having lots of enthusiasm and willingness to work, the Club also had a clear idea of what type of riding elements they wanted in the park including a pump track and three (3) progressive jump lines to challenge beginner to expert riders. What they didn't have was a ton of time or money.
Aerial Photo taken from drone prior to construction with rough sketch plan of park in red.
Bike park design and construction is very specialized. Almost all the bike parks we build are "Design-build" projects. This meaning that one company does both the design and construction of the project. Some of the benefits of utilizing a design-build approach for bike park projects is due to the fact that bike parks typically require a lot of site grading. Communicating complex 3D site grading from a design firm to a different site contractor is challenging and often leads to project issues. Another reason that DirtSculpt prefers using a design-build approach is because you will often miss great design-opportunities if you rely on designs that were completed offsite in an office.
As we all know, there's often a difference between what is ideal and what is reality. We were stoked that a group of riders nearly 4,000 miles away in Sweden were contacting us because they thought so highly of our work; however, I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that Dave and I were bummed to learn that the project budget wouldn't allow for us to even do a site visit in Sweden, yet alone build the park for them. Putting our desires to visit Sweden behind us, we began to focus on what was most important, doing whatever we could to design and assure clear communications to the contractor that would be building our design.
In part 2 of this blog series, we will show you DirtSculpt's design and discuss how we utilized new innovative techniques to communicate our design with the Swedish contractor. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog post to be released in the next week.
Catasauqua's 2015 Iron Works Summer Blast
The day after returning from the X Games build in Austin, Texas, the DirtSculpt crew along side local riders from Catty Woods gave back to their local community by building a pump track for the Borough of Catasauqua's Iron Works Summer Blast, a local community festival that was held on June 13, 2015.
The turn out for the event was fantastic and the pumptrack and demos from local riders was one of the highlights of the event. In addition to the pumptrack, the Iron Works Summer Blast had a pop-up garden, an interactive mural, as well as local food, beer, and music.
The local riders put on an amazing demo of pro-level riding that entertained parents and inspired local youth. According to Dave King, one of DirtSculpt's owners, "One of the reasons that we are starting to see more and more pump tracks being built in our public parks is that no matter what the age, skill level, or experience, everyone can enjoy them."
DirtSculpt had over 30 parents approach them during the one day event asking where the closest public park was with a pumptrack because their kids had so much fun riding. Christian Birch, one of the partners at DirtSculpt said, "In recent years, we are seeing more and more demand and support for bike parks in local communities." Earlier this year, DirtSculpt together with Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR), presented an informational session on pumptracks at the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society's annual conference in Lancaster, PA. According to Christian, "Many states including PA are looking to replace under-utilized park facilities and replace them with pumptracks as a way of getting kids more active and re-engaging them with public parks. Here in Pennsylvania, the PA DCNR has grant money available to fund park projects that include facilities like pumptracks."
When asked what the Borough of Catasauqua's response will be to the growing demand for a public bike park in their community, Christine Weaver, a member of Borough Council said, "The riders have a great work ethic and their exuberance is contagious. Gene Goldfeder, Borough Manager, and I met with DirtSculpt within days of the event. Vince Smith, Council President, is a huge supporter of the (local) riders, and a few of our council members have expressed interest in getting a (public) pumptrack in the Borough. Can't wait to see it through and find out what comes next and where."
DirtSculpt will be providing professional services to the Borough of Catasauqua in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in order to explore what grant funding may be available for the planning, design, and construction of a public bike park and trails. If you or your community would like discuss how DirtSculpt may be able to help you, please email us at info@DirtSculpt.com or give us a call at 610-960-5117.
Cranx New Pumptrack
So this past week we got on the building grind! This past winter just didn't want to go away. Had to postpone soome jobs but broke the winter spell with cranx 100 by 75 ft Pumptrack! It has 5 berms. The center piece is 3 of the 5 berms you can hit this thing any direction and do laps as well! Plus we have a new addition to the DirtSculpt crew Marky T life long friend and Catty woods local. Thanks Mark The whole outdoor park will open soon so check it out Cranx
