A PumpTrack is the ultimate urban playground. PumpTracks work like large magnets, attracting everyone who loves urban sports and outdoor play. The courses are accessible and challenging for all ages, from the 2-year-old on his scooter to the father on his skateboard.
But what are urban sports and how popular are they actually? The municipality of Rotterdam gives a nice definition for this and defines urban sports as follows: sports that are characterized by a free (generally not or loosely organised), expressive and creative character that take place in an urban/urban setting. But urban sports are above all a lifestyle, it goes further than just exercising, there is a culture that people are attracted to. Examples of urban sports are BMX, skateboarding, freerunning, 3×3 basketball, street dance and stunt scootering. In North Brabant there are 250.000 participants in urban sports and culture every year and the Brabant skate parks have an average of 55.000 visitors per year. In addition, skateboarding and BMX freestyle, among others, will be featured at the Olympic Games for the first time in 2021. It can be said that urban sports are booming!
The great thing about a PumpTrack is that it serves several urban sports at the same time, a multifunctional operation. The special asphalt makes it possible to ride the track with:
- Mountain bikes: a bicycle that you can use on all kinds of terrains, often with thicker tires for extra grip.
- BMX bicycles: there are different types of BMX, the biggest distinction is Freestyle and Race. While Freestyle is about performing as many difficult tricks gracefully as possible, Race is about who can complete the obstacle course first. Both BMX Race and Freestyle are possible on the PumpTrack. BMX bikes are small bikes where you hardly use your saddle. Some bicycles also have special foot braces or you can rotate your handlebars 360 degrees.
- (Stunt) scooters: stunt scooters are particularly popular among children. With the help of a sturdy scooter you can practice tricks or go through the Pumptrack as quickly as possible. Stunt scooters come in many shapes and sizes.
- Skates: skates are also called inline skates. Not only can you skate on the endless cycle paths that the Netherlands has, but try out the perfect asphalt of a PumpTrack! Skates generally have 4 wheels per skate and for use in the PumpTrack it is good to choose stiff high skates. Often one of the 1 skates has a brake pad on the back.
- Roller skating: roller skating may give you a nostalgic feeling, but the sport is still widely practiced. Here too, a distinction can be made between Roller derby, a full-contact sport where you race against others, and figure skating, which revolves around tricks, expression and execution. The difference with skates is that 4 wheels are attached in pairs of 2 at the bottom. In addition, the brake is located at the front of both roller skates.
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- Skateboards/longboards: Skateboarding originated from surfing and there are also different forms of it. You can skate on the street or in a halfpipe (vert). For longer distances or higher speeds, a longboard is often used, it has a longer board and often larger wheels than a skateboard. A skate and longboard consist of trucks (the wheels) and a deck (the top), of which there are many different variants.
- Balance bike: You increasingly see toddlers racing around on their balance bike and parents chasing them. A balance bike is a low bicycle without pedals. While the child is sitting on the saddle, he/she can propel himself/herself by making walking movements. Balance bikes are good for gross motor skills and the bumps of a PumpTrack make this extra challenging. The kids PumpTracks are logically perfect for this.
- Wheelchair: a large part of the PumpTracks are also included! These are also accessible for a wheelchair. Either you let yourself be pushed and guided or you challenge yourself by taking the bumps independently.
So a lot is possible! But be aware of your own (or someone else's) capabilities. Always enter a PumpTrack with solid material, and be well informed about the right material if you want to start pumping seriously. In addition, always make sure you have the right protection! Wear at least a helmet and also consider using knee, wrist and elbow pads. Safety before everything. In an earlier one blog we went into this further.
In combination with the fact that PumpTracks are often publicly accessible, this makes them the ultimate urban playground.
Sources
https://www.rotterdam.nl/loket/documentenkcc/BeleidsnotaUrbanSports2018-2021.pdf
https://docplayer.nl/106490886-Ambitieplan-urban-sports-culture-brabant-deel-1-focus-op.html
