New pump track opens at Pinto Lake County Park

When it comes to cycling in Santa Cruz County, it’s all too common for the rubber to meet the road. But what about the rubber meeting the slopes? We’re talking about pump tracks. While the county is well known for the sport, south Santa Cruz County lacks the resources for Pajaro Valley-area youth.

A ribbon cutting ceremony happened Monday afternoon, providing new opportunities for Santa Cruz County youth.

A new mountain bike track has been in the works… and is finally unveiled. Out of all the smiles, one seemed to shine the brightest. Five year old Jacob Tapiz is a BMX racer. He says, “It’s all about fun.”

Tapiz may only be 5 years old, but he travels the state racing BMX bikes. It’s safe to say he’s pretty good, ranked 16th in the state for his age group. “We’ve needed something else at Pinto Lake Park. And I think this is a great addition to what we have,” says Jacob’s dad. They used to drive all the way to the Capitola’s pump track. Now at only a few minutes’ drive, it’s much easier to practice.

Santa Cruz supervisors came up with the pump track idea about a year ago, due to the increasing popularity of the sport. Emma Ussat with Mountain Biker of Santa Cruz says, “It’s so popular! It’s like crazy. Anywhere you go you’re going to see a ton of bikes. Just mountain bikes, road bikes, dirt jumpers.”

And with Watsonville having one of the highest youth populations in the tri-county area, Supervisor Zach Friend describes the importance of the build. “There just aren’t enough resources for the youth of South County. I mean while this park is used, in fact this park is so used much that you can’t even find parking here on the weekend. There aren’t necessarily activities for young kids.”

This track will provide another opportunity for kids to have fun, stay active, and stay out of trouble.