AGE LIMIT PUT ON SKATEPARK

Age restrictions in place after boy, 5, is hurt in collision with teenage BMX rider

Accident prompts Kite Beach facility to ban children aged 6 and under,

DUBAI // New safety rules were introduced for XDubai’s skatepark at Kite Beach just days after it officially opened as a result of a collision involving a young boy. An ambulance was called to the park when a child, who was about five years old and riding a skateboard, collided with a teenager on a BMX.

Witnesses said the youngster suffered a gashed nose after being struck by a pedal of the bike, and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital. Shocked parents and other youngsters using the new beachside facility said the collision was unavoidable because the park was so busy with large numbers of riders of varying abilities using ramps at the same time.

XDubai, the extreme sports company that challenges people to “push their limits”, has since drafted a list of new rules for park users to help avoid similar incidents in future. Skaters and BMX riders who are six years old or younger are banned from the park, and those under 10 are not allowed entry after 12pm on Friday and Saturday.

Folding scooters and threewheeled scooters, which are popular with younger riders, have also been banned.

South African Julia Kassianides, a Dubai resident of five years, was visiting the skatepark with her husband, their son Christian, 8, and two friends at the time of the accident. “My son and his friends were trying to skate their way through the humps but it was very busy,” she said. “There were some very good skaters there, doing amazing tricks and going at quite a speed. Then there were lots of beginners, of all ages and sizes, trying to use it together.

“I was watching this young boy, probably about five, go- ing along on his penny board, a small skateboard, and as he was trying to manoeuvre his way across the section he lost his balance. “This guy on a BMX came down the ramp at the same time. The younger boy fell into the guy on the bike, who tried to avoid him but caught his nose with the pedal.”

Mrs Kassianides said paramedics were there quickly but her son and his friends were shaken up by the incident and wanted to leave.

“The boy was put on a stretcher and bandaged up,” she said. “There was a lot of blood, and people started to leave.

“The skatepark is an amazing place but something needs to be done about who can use it and when, in accordance with ages and skills. The chances are an accident like this, or worse, will happen again.”

Rules added to the skatepark’s website include compulsory use of protective gear, helmets for under-16s and for those riding the XBowl, a three- metre drop into a concrete deck. The 3,100-square-metre beachfront project opened this month with the aim of attracting new extreme sports enthusiasts and hosting professional competitions, such as the X Games. An XDubai spokesman said: “In an extremely unfortunate incident, a young scooter-riding enthusiast collided with a BMX rider.

“On-site staff were able to provide immediate first aid until paramedics and an ambulance arrived to take the injured person to a hospital for further checks and treatment.

“We are in touch with the family and remain available for any assistance required. We look forward to welcoming this passionate young athlete back to the skatepark soon.”

A full list of regulations can be found at xdubai. com/ skatepark.