New track offers an undulating ride in Dartmouth's Shubie Park

It's an odd-looking twisted pile of asphalt, with moguls, ramps and strategically placed bumps, that was recently laid out in a popular Dartmouth, N.S., park.

It's called a pump track and it's now set up in Shubie Park. It's designed for cyclists, skateboarders and scooter riders to use, and it's the first asphalt pump track in the Halifax region.

"There are multiple ways you can ride the track," said Adam Shore, the owner of Shoreline Dirtworks, the company that designed the new track.

It's called a pump track because riders use their upper body to pump their way around the undulations and they pedal very little with their legs.

The only rule is nothing motorized can go on the track.

Shore's company has designed other tracks in the province, but he said this one is now the most elaborate pump track in the province.

Jock Fraser was trying out the new track Wednesday on his skateboard.

"I feel that Dartmouth sometimes gets neglected in recreational space so it's great to have this spot where people can come and roll around," he said.

The area councillor, Tony Mancini, said $40,000 went toward the new track from his district capital fund. He said the track would normally cost more to build but a number of local companies discounted their fees and donated materials.

"The whole idea is to promote active living for both young and old," said Mancini, who brought his own mountain bike to test out the new facility.

"Most pump tracks are dirt tracks, which require a lot of maintenance but this is HRM's first asphalt pump track."

Pump tracks have become popular in many other large cities. There's even a world championship in the sport.