SINGAPORE: More enthusiasts are expected to take up extreme sports following the opening of a new S$7.6 million, world-class facility called Xtreme SkatePark @ East Coast.
A hundred athletes from Singapore and the region will take part in the inaugural Singapore Xtreme Championship which will be held at the end of August.
Ng Chee Keong, 27, has won many accolades as a BMX rider, and among them are winning gold at the ESPN X Tour on three occasions, and coming in second at the Macau Asian Indoor Games.
Ng is hoping for a top three finish at the upcoming Singapore Xtreme Championship. But the ten-year veteran of extreme sports admits the going will still be tough.
He said: "This skate park is new. It has just started two months ago. Other countries have this type of skate park a long time ago, so when they (the overseas skaters) come to this skate park, it is not for practice, they are ready for competition."
Twenty-nine other Singaporeans will compete in categories like skateboarding and in-line skating, while 10,000 spectators are expected to attend the two-day competition.
Ryan Lee, parks manager, National Parks Board, said: "We are definitely looking at having this event every year, but you always need to start something small before you grow it into something bigger. So this year will… see how far we can push it."
Seventy athletes from the region will ensure that their Singaporean counterparts will be pushed to the limit.
Three renowned international professionals in extreme sports will be the judges.
The Xtreme SkatePark is divided into three parts - the streetcourse, which caters to amateurs, the combo bowl for intermediate or advance users, and the vertical bowl, which is the hardest course among the three.
Some of the best extreme sports athletes will be doing a demonstration at the skate park during the Singapore Xtreme Championship.
- CNA/yt
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