On April 23, a local man’s dream became a groundbreaking reality thanks to his determination and the support of area agencies focused on the great outdoors.
In 2022, Blair Zehm of Felton, owner of Krawl Apparel, began advocating for a pump track to be installed in the weed-ridden volleyball court at Felton Covered Bridge Park. He noted that a pump track would be a boon for the area, inviting youth to get outside, enjoy some exercise and meet like-minded kids.
“J.M. Brown from Supervisor McPherson’s office came into my shop one day, and he gave me his card while saying that if I ever needed anything to give him a call. One thing led to another, and suddenly I was pitching the pump track to agencies that could help turn the idea into a real thing,” said Zehm, 40.
Not long afterwards, members of the County of Santa Cruz Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) and District 5 Supervisor Monica Martinez coalesced around the idea, and in December 2023, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding between County Parks and SCMTS to support fundraising and construction efforts of the new pump track, which will be donated to the County upon completion.
There were a handful of local advocates and dignitaries at the April 23 groundbreaking event, including Rebecca Hurley, deputy director for the Parks Department. Hurley said it was a tough row to hoe when it came to bridging the gap between organizers and locals.
“There was some concern by some community members, so we continued to have some more community meetings. We finally went to the Parks Commission, and we had approval to move forward with the MOU with the SCMTS. They did all the fundraising and they’ve gotten some local contractors to provide some donations. We’re anticipating a ribbon cutting sometime mid summer, and we invite the community to join us in celebrating this addition to Felton Covered Bridge Park,” Hurley said.
Jeff Gaffney has served as parks director for Santa Cruz County since 2015 and has had his finger on the pulse of this project since its inception.
“In Santa Cruz County, we have limited resources and we have to work together as partners and collaborate with our community members and our nonprofits to achieve our goals, and this is another prime example of that,” Gaffney said. “The Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewardship folks have been awesome in doing the fundraising for us to be able to actually start this project; it’s just basically an unused portion of the park that has become a nuisance to some degree, and it’s being turned into an active, vibrant community area for kids, especially school-aged children. We’re hoping they’ll be out here exercising in the outdoors and using our beautiful parks.”
Matt De Young, executive director with the Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship, is equally stoked about the plan.
“This really goes to show what you can do with the grassroots community effort to plan an idea, build support and then fund a project. Now we’re finally here,” De Young said while acknowledging the budget shortfall. “There’s a little gap—we’ve got about $50,000 left to raise—and we’re looking for the community to help us bridge that gap.”
De Young encourages supporters to lend their treasure to SantaCruzTrails.org. He noted that the paved surface will be suitable for bikes, skateboards, scooters, roller skates and roller blades, and will be similar in size to the Harvey West pump track in Santa Cruz.
But amidst all the high-fiving and distribution of swag at the groundbreaking event, Zehm had the biggest grin of them all.
“It’s a dream come true—going from kids digging dirt jumps to building something that will serve this community for generations,” he said. “I’m still blown away that what started as a simple conversation turned into petitions, meetings and real momentum; we had about 1,500 people who stood behind this.”
He thought back to his own youth in Zayante and the surrounding neighborhoods.
“I grew up riding here. Now we’re giving the next generation a place to learn, ride, fall, get back up and grow. This pump track isn’t just about bikes; it’s about health, confidence and getting kids outside,” Zehm said. “I wanted to step up the way others did for us, and this is my way of giving back to the community that raised me.”
Zehm beamed as he watched the excitement around him.
“I’m stoked that we got here,” he said.
Local officials are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony within the next few months. To follow progress on the Felton pump track or to donate to its completion, visit act.santacruztrails.org/take-action/felton-pump-track.
