In the early morning, a black wave track is set up on the playground of the elementary school in Starrkirch-Wil near Olten. The track is ready even before the first pupils arrive. The pupils rub their eyes, unaware of the purpose of the circuit. Bicycles, skateboards and scooters are available during the break. An explanation of how the track works is no longer necessary. Everyone has quickly internalized the so-called pushing and pumping and feels their way up to the speed at their own discretion. For half an hour, the students spin in circles, up and down the waves and through the curves of the pump track. Silence only returns when the break bell rings and the school lesson continues, well recovered from the break in motion.

Sports departments rely on pump tracks

The experiment was carried out by the Solothurn sports department together with Flying Metal GmbH, the Swiss importer of the "Parkitect" brand pump tracks. The canton of Solothurn relies on mobile pump tracks, among other things, to promote physical activity. The Solothurn Sports Office provides the mobile pump track to neighborhoods, schools and other public facilities throughout the canton. Every month, the pump track moves from one location to the next, offering a large group of users access to sport and exercise. Thanks to its modular design, the pump track offers numerous different track set-ups and can be set up and dismantled at short notice. "The demand for our pump track is overwhelming, we received numerous inquiries shortly after purchasing it and are now fully booked until next year," says Philipp Heri from the Solothurn Sports Office.
The concept is also proving popular in other regions. In addition to Solothurn, pioneers in Switzerland include Winterthur and Bern, as well as the canton of Thurgau. In an elementary school in Bümpliz, a similar picture emerges during the first installation of the pump track in the city of Bern. The children's curiosity and excitement is palpable. The sight of the robust track made of fiberglass and wood makes them wide-eyed and makes them want to get on their bikes, skateboards or scooters and go for a spin or two. On the grounds of the Federal Office of Sport FOSPO in Magglingen, professional athletes as well as children do their laps and combine fun with coordination and fitness training.

Why a pump track?

"The physical dexterity of children has decreased," says Philipp Heri. For him, the pump track has a preventative function in road traffic. The children train their balance in a playful way and should therefore be safe on the road. "Keeping their balance, looking backwards and giving hand signals are coordinatively demanding tasks that are learned and practised on a pump track."

Fun and action with a low risk of injury are at the heart of the concept and make pump track riding a fun sport suitable for everyday use for young and old. The wave tracks are real meeting points for different generations with different sports equipment.
In addition to fiberglass, it is also possible to build a pump track with asphalt or concrete. The modular pump track is the cheaper alternative. The advantages of the modular pump track are in the name. Thanks to its modular construction, the pump track can be built in any size, integrated into the landscape and dismantled again if necessary. A building permit can thus be bypassed.

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