Oli’s Childhood Dream of Backyard Jumps
Building his own MTB jumps in the backyard—a dream that began in Oli’s childhood and was fueled by countless pros in the bike scene—has finally come true. Follow his journey from the first shovel of dirt to the grand opening jam!
The vision
There’s nothing better than jumping on your bike and enjoying it with friends—no need for a car ride to get there. With that vision in mind, Oli kicked off his project about three years ago. His goal? To create a line that’s challenging but safe, versatile enough for both a hardtail and a full-suspension bike, and full of variety.
Breaking Ground
The project began in spring 2021 with the first shovel in the clay-heavy soil of Franconia. The dense and hard-to-work-with ground quickly made it clear: this would be impossible without machinery. Using an excavator, Oli shaped the upper section of the line. His love for playful riding is reflected in the design—no boring, straight jumps here. Instead, the line winds down the hill like a rollercoaster.
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SHAPE & RIDE
For jumps to be fun, especially when they come in quick succession, they have to flow perfectly. The real art of shaping is envisioning where each feature belongs—its size, radius, and placement on the trail. Oli’s goal was to pack as many jumps as possible into the 70-meter hill.
But more isn’t always better—too little room between jumps can ruin the flow. Oli’s strategy? Shape a rough outline with the excavator, test it, and tweak it until the ride felt smooth. Shape, ride, repeat.
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THE PERFECT SURFACE... is hard to find
Each type of soil has its pros and cons when building a trail. For clay-heavy soil like Oli’s, the cons definitely outweigh the pros. It’s tough to work with: too wet, and it sticks to everything; too dry, and it hardens like concrete, cracking in all the wrong places. And when it rains? It turns into a slippery mess. But Oli found the perfect solution—a mix of topsoil, crushed sand, and hydraulic lime. This blend fills the cracks, creates a smoother, faster-rolling surface, and holds up against the elements.
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SECTIONS OF THE LINE
The line can be divided into two sections: an upper and a lower part. The upper section features smaller, more technical jumps that are playful but harder to ride. The lower section, on the other hand, is all about big air.
The ultimate goal is to seamlessly connect the two parts. The lower section starts with a stepdown into a wooden dirt jump, followed by a shark-fin stepdown that launches you into a final big double. Ride the whole line, and you’ll hit 10 jumps—leaving you breathless by the end.
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“The motivation to keep going and invest every spare moment into building this line was driven by one thing: the dream of hosting an epic jam with my friends one day!”
Oli Sonntag
OPENING JAM
The opening jam was the deadline that pushed Oli to finish the line on time. The stress of those final days was worth it—friends came to ride, watch, and celebrate together. What a day, and what a project!
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"I'm pretty proud of what I've built and can't wait for many more sessions to come - and to invite more friends along for the ride!"