By Rit Carter 

Sunday afternoon, 5-year-old Ben Fournier and his father, John, were at Rockwell Park enjoying the newly opened Bike Pump Track, a circuit of banked turns, berms and rollers designed for off-road bikes. Ben said his favorite part is the turns and bumps.   

John, who grew up in Bristol but now lives in Southington, was told about the latest addition to Rockwell Park’s portfolio of amenities and attractions by his brother. 

“My brother lives up the street, so he sent me a picture, and he’s like ‘check out what they got now!’” John said.   

Going up and down the course and shifting his body weight from side to side, when necessary, Ben showcased his talents on the continuous loop by traversing through the swoop like turns and berms. 

According to his father, Ben has been riding on a two-wheeler since he was three and was on training wheels for only two hours.   

As a former Bristol resident, John is impressed how the 104-acre park has developed in recent years, 

“Rockwell Park has come a long way,” he said. “It has everything now like hiking, fishing, skateboarding, swimming, and this new Pump Track.” 

Ben said he is looking forward to coming back soon to learn some new skills and tricks.