Installation of new bike skills park in Grand Marais is complete
As summer warmth finally started to settle into the air on the North Shore, a small crew from Missouri completed a unique construction project next to the Cook County Community Center.
In the winter, the outdoor space is used as a community skating rink. However, this summer, the space has transformed in the area’s first seasonal bike park.
“This is the culmination of several years of work by lots of people. Tim Kennedy and Paul Nordland and the SCA board, have put a lot of time into designing the features to fit into this space,” said Superior Cycling Association (SCA) President Jay DeCoux.
The SCA was able to obtain funding for the project from Minnesota’s Legacy Foundation. DeCoux said the funding helps support the SCA’s goal to, “help young kids and older people get better on their bikes and to feel more comfortable on the trails.”
DeCoux further noted the new bike park supports the organization’s mission to “maintain and develop mountain bike trails in Cook County.” The current ice rink location of the skills park is temporary until the SCA can secure a permanent, year-round home for the new equipment.
The bike skills park has two components to the course. On one side of the space are a series of wooden boardwalks. Some zigzag from side to side, curve, or are designed in a type of rolling wave form. The height varies, some sit directly on the ground, while others are elevated a few feet off the ground.
On the other side of the park is a feature called a pump track. With multiple “on-and-off-ramps” that allow the rider to move in a continuous loop of rollers and berms designed for cycling or scootering. In this case, the rider generates momentum by shifting their weight to pump their body rather than pedaling. The track is engineered to allow riders to maintain or even increase speed by strategically using their body weight to “pump” over the features.
Similarly to the nearby skate park, the bike skills area will require helmets and caution for users to operate within their own limits. Participation is at the risk of the user.
“We want to see people having fun and also respecting it and respecting their own abilities while challenging themselves,” DeCoux said.
An official grand opening of the bike skills park will be announced in the coming weeks, potentially towards the end of July. Until then, DeCoux asks the public to adhere to signed notices for the park’s operations.
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M Baxley July 2, 2025
