The sizzle of meats over a charcoal fire.
The “Wooo Pig Sooie!” chanted from thousands of enthusiastic fans.
The thunderous “boom!” of the touchdown canons on game day.
These are usually the sounds of a typical fall sporting event found on campus.
The fall 2022 semester had a slightly different cacophony to start off this academic year. The week before the standard symphony of football sounds kicks things off, it was the resonance of rubber on earth and chains against gears that filled the air.
On Thursday, August 25th the University community celebrated the grand opening of the Tsa La Gi Bike Park and welcomed students and the public alike. The new park sits tucked off Martin Luther King Boulevard behind a well-known chicken restaurant and the UREC Tennis Center at 1357 W. Indian Trail – another new addition for the U of A community.
To pinpoint the party in the trees, tents set up by local organizations, including Peddle It Forward and Arkansas Latinas En Bici, welcomed guests as they rolled up, either by bike or on foot. Everyone who arrived was presented with a coupon for a complimentary meal at Fayetteville’s go-to chicken and waffles spot, the KDK food truck who was set up at the event. The loaded waffle fries with chopped chicken, buffalo sauce, cheese and maple syrup was certainly a crowd pleaser.
After some free riding on the new trails and some tasty snacks, University Recreations’ Caitlin Arnette and Mike Hoover gave some grateful remarks about the building of something that is very near and dear to their hearts. The pair of speakers thanked the two local groups of mountain bike enthusiasts who helped with the implementation of the latest interactive greenspace. The Trailblazers planned and developed the area, and the construction side of things was taken on by Nomadic Trail Builders.
To finish off the day, riders of all skill levels were able to participate in a big-air jump event, highlighting the park’s tallest feature. While everyone had something special to offer, some of the more seasoned riders gave the crowd what they wanted and really showed out with big tail whips and one-handed tire grabs.
The 10-acre site was part of a gift to the U of A and city of Fayetteville from Tom Walton and Steuart Walton after a recent land swap. The agreement included trading the land that would go on to be used for the tennis center and bike park for over 60 acres of wooded land on Markham Hill, or Fairy Hill, as more and more locals are coming to know it.
The first years of maintenance are also being provided through the Waltons generous support. The Tsa La Gi Bike Park will also connect to the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Regional Greenway and is a cornerstone of the Fayetteville Traverse currently being built through campus.
“The Tsa La Gi Bike Park is not only a skill building park, but a protection of green space around the trail,” said Caitlin Arnett, outdoor program coordinator at University Recreation
The park includes beginner and intermediate-level lines with several wooden features that are created to challenge advanced riders but also give everyone a chance to hone their skills so that they can conquer the plethora of the trails that Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
Having hosted the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) World Summit in 2016, the Red Bull Pump Track World Championship in 2019 Northwest Arkansas is becoming a premiere mountain biking destination. The area has over 250 miles of mountain bike trails and offers riders one of the best singletrack experiences in the nation. With the beautiful and diverse landscape of the Ozarks, as well as one of the most progressive cycling cultures in the country, this beloved corner of the state has invested in an impressive infrastructure including downhill runs with shuttles, a best-in-class jump park, pump tracks and skills courses. NWA will also host the 2022 Cyclocross World Championships so be on the lookout for all the exciting things to come.
Tsa La Gi is the Cherokee word for Cherokee and The Tsa La Gi Trail Corridor, which is the paved path, runs directly along the Trail of Tears.
Photos by Shane White
