SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/726375
www.stma.org October 2016 | SportsTurf 27 system on the trails and a separate full system for the native grass," he says. "It can involved a lot of hand work but we also have a plate compactor, and we use tractors with front buckets, too. The trails are durable and can withstand hard rains but torrential rains can wash out the fines." Brown says there had been a good response to the park when we spoke, about 3 weeks after the grand opening, with 30-40 people using the park daily. "We are trying to grow native grass now," says McNeal. "We seeded last week (mid-August) and expect that when the grass comes in, it will set off the jumps well for great visuals." McNeal says the park is "open and free" and that liability issues are similar to skate parks—ride at your own risk during normal park hours (dawn to dusk). Deak says the park is open all year and he is planning on programming different events at Ruby Hill beginning next year. "This park is for everyone; beginners, kids, parents, experts. We look forward to drawing more and more of the community to Ruby Hill," he says. the Ruby Hill facility, which was built by Alpine Bike Parks, out of Canada, with Goodland Construction serving as the general contractor. "Deak was hired in April to manage the park because he had experience building and operating BMX bike race tracks," says Abby McNeal CSFM, CPRP, the Southwest District operations supervisor for Ruby Hill Denver Parks, and former president of the Sports Turf Managers Association. Brown says there are five slopestyle lines, marked from beginner to expert, a skills zone with ladder bridges, stones, etc., a dirt jump for BMXers that is tight and requires more technical skills, and two pump tracks where riders can do numerous laps after pedaling just one time. Done right, riders can use jumps and berms (and gravity) to keep going. TRAIL MAINTENANCE "The trail mix has a high clay to sand ratio so that it packs well and absorbs water well," says Brown. "It is similar to an infield mix in clay content but sandier. Key to maintaining the trail mix is keeping the moisture in so it stays solid. "The lips and landings can get dry, so there is a full irrigation Key to maintaining the trail mix is keeping the moisture in so it stays solid.