BY KAREN BOSSICK
It’s been described as a freestyle bobsled course. And xeriscape with a purpose.
The tenth annual Idaho Pump Track State Championship will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, at the Ketchum Bike Park across from Hemingway STEAM School.
Registration runs from 4 to 5 p.m., the racing from 5 to 7 p.m. And a jam will follow.
The pump track features dirt rollers, banked turns, berms and other features linked together in an extremely tight loop that are designed to be ridden by bicyclists who generate their momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedaling.
It’s rooted in the hardpacked BMX trails of the 1970s. And some cyclists can hit top speeds of 20 miles per hour without a single pedal stroke.
Since the pump track park is confined to a city block, the competition makes for a great spectator sport. And the smallest competitors are crazy cute.