West Milford’s Family Pump Track: a place to find fun and a role model

BY GINNY PRIVITAR
WEST MILFORD — Jay Huggins was certainly surprised when he arrived at the pump track one afternoon last month. Around 40 people, young and old, were there to present him with an engraved plaque honoring him for his hard work in building and maintaining the track and for his effort in promoting healthy sports.

As Casey Tynan, 18, who presented the plaque, said, “He has encouraged so many of us to enjoy the sport, and we really want to acknowledge him.”

For the uninitiated, pump track is a dirt bike track, with a high clay content to hold everything together. It’s filled with a series of 18 to 36 inch hills, known as rollers, and banked turns, known as berms. Riders start off on a sloped starting mound and momentum carries them along. There’s no pedaling, and riders use upper arm strength, pushing and lifting on the handlebars (hence the term “pump”) to propel themselves around the track. Any bike that works on dirt will do. At the West Milford Family Pump Track at Farrell Field, you’ll find 5-year-olds and 18-year-olds enjoying themselves — and smiling parents, too.

And Huggins is quite a hero to them all.

With a little help
Huggins has lived in West Milford for 10 years. He works full time and still finds time to give back to the community he loves.

“I guess I would be considered the primary coordinator for pump track; I handle all the logistics with running it,” Huggins modestly said.

He makes sure the track is always well-maintained with the help of volunteers. Huggins noted there are a few key people who will show up and help out as needed.

“There is one guy who helps out so much, but he doesn’t want any credit. I would call him my primary volunteer. He’s a long-time West Milford resident who used to race bicycles when he was a kid and always hoped West Milford would have a track like this,” Huggins said.

You need a strong body to ride pump track. Huggins compares it to being on a rowing machine and an elliptical at the same time.

Backhoes and bulldozers were used to build the track, but now it’s maintained with rakes and shovels. Huggins and his volunteers go a couple of times a week to broom the surface, removing loose dirt and rocks to keep it safe. When a rock sticks out more than half an inch, they remove it and fill the hole with dirt. The proportions of everything have to be functional and safe.

How it's grown
There were three men who proposed the idea to the town in the spring of 2011: Jeff Mergler, who now lives in Washington state, Dave Van Wart and Jay Huggins. “It was really a strong group effort,” Huggins said. “The people in West Milford are fantastic — they’re the best – they’re just awesome.”

Tynan and Quinton Johnson and two young men who helped with the building of the track and still help with the maintenance.

Johnson wasn’t so sure it would come to be. “It was kind of a far-fetched idea; we weren’t 100 percent sure this was actually going to work or how many people would be on board,” he said.

Yet people came together and the group got donations, including equipment and dirt for the construction. Johnson noted, “It was humbling to see all the volunteers…Every Monday we go up and maintain it. There’s a group; Jay puts the whole thing together and he runs the Monday night maintenance night.”

Huggins tries to recognize people who help out at the track. This year, he said, they were fortunate to have a bicycle donated to them which was given to 8-year-old Jack Degnan of Upper Greenwood Lake.

For all ages
Huggins and his wife. Danielle, have a son, Ethan, 13, and daughter Kate, 7, who are both pump track enthusiasts.

During the past summer, Huggins said 150 to 200 riders per week used the track, mostly young people. But Huggins notes his 69-year-old mother started on a small part and was able to do the whole track. There was also an 82-year-old rider this summer.

Tynan’s interest in riding motocross and landscaping — he has his own business, Tynan Dreamscape — prompted him to get involved. He not only enjoys the pump track for itself, but said, “It’s a great way to train for motocross and it really gets your adrenaline going.”

Tynan notes “West Milford doesn’t have a motocross track so we have to go to Pennsylvania or New York for that. Having the pump track in West Milford, it’s a blast. I love doing that.”

Perhaps the greatest pull of the pump track is the wonderful community feeling there. Tynan said, It’s easy to see why.

“I have to say, while we were waiting for Jay to arrive, we watched all the young people taking turns on the track. What a positive place," said Kathy Tynan, Casey’s mom, who was present at the award event. "There were children of all ages, some as young as 5 and others over 18, yet they each took turns. I especially enjoyed seeing how the older riders encouraged the younger. It was refreshing actually. All the time, we heard laughter and cheers. In today's age, this is so delightful. What a joy to witness.”

Quinton Johnson concurred. “It’s awesome how there’s one big pump track family out there — everybody helps everybody else.”

As with so many things, one person can make a great difference.

“Jay is always there working on it; grooming it and always cheering everybody on," said Tynan. "Jay is a very great biker himself, and he is a great role model to all the kids who go there. Everyone wants to be like him; he’s a nice guy, genuine, and a great biker.”

“He’s a really good guy who puts a lot of other people’s interests above his own,” Tynan said.

Yet Huggins modestly gives credit right back to West Milford residents.

“I have been blown away by how great the people are.”

Find The West Milford Family Pump Track on facebook and youtube. Contact wmfamilypumptrack@gmail.com.