Riders hit new heights

Young BMX and mountain biking enthusiasts have been getting their hands dirty with a project combining the City of Onkaparinga and the community.

At the dirt jump site within Tangari Regional Park in Woodcroft, the council noticed the community had been maintaining the jumps and creating new jumps and courses.

The mysterious crew was led by 24-year-old Matt Cuppleditch, a sustainability engineer who has lived all his life on the park boundary and grew up riding his BMX at Tangari before graduating to mountain bikes.

After identifying that some of the jumps could use some TLC, Matt says he, “picked up a shovel and a watering can and started going at it”. Other locals took an interest and began helping too.

The crew’s proactive work and caretaking of the jumps prompted the council to invest in and upskill the community through a joint project to redevelop and maintain the site. Discussions highlighted what was needed. This included broader riding experiences, a perimeter jumps trail, a beginner pump track and a start mound.

This guided a draft plan, which the community was invited to comment on through online and onsite consultation.

Trail Solutions Australia’s Brenton Collins and the council worked with the crew throughout the engagement and some onsite ‘dig days’, with volunteers aged from 10 to 25.

The result: new skills, heightened respect and appreciation for the area and a site that is accessible to all ability levels, from children on balance bikes to advanced riders seeking the thrill of taking on a five or six-foot jump.

MORE INFORMATION

Tangari Regional Park: corner of Pine and Pimpala roads, Woodcroft.