Tessa Wong, Straits Times 10 Jul 09;
EAST Coast Park is giving lovers of extreme sports a good reason to be there.
Its $7.6 million Xtreme SkatePark for skateboarders, inline skaters and BMX bikers is now open. It occupies a space the size of 21/2 football fields.
The makeover of what is perhaps Singapore's most famous stretch of beach is almost complete with this development.The park, sited near Carpark F1 between the food village and the Bedok Jetty, has three international standard courses designed by Australians:
# A street course with street obstacles such as stairs, handrails and ledges;
# A combo bowl with varying depths; and
# A 3.6m-deep vertical bowl for advanced-level skaters and bikers to show off their tricks.
The park will host its first extreme sports competition on Aug 29 and 30 - the Singapore Xtreme Championship.
The major sprucing up of the 35-year-old East Coast Park began in 2005. The National Parks Board (NParks), with a $160 million budget, divided its 185ha into several zones for various groups of users of the park, such as families, diners and sports enthusiasts.
In the vicinity of the SkatePark, NParks has created a cable-ski facility and a beach club that offers diving courses and weekend sailing classes. A beach volleyball facility is also a possibility.
Elsewhere in East Coast Park, NParks has created a bougainvillea garden, a seafood centre and a playing field.
These are on top of infrastructural improvements such as converting bare spots on the coastline into sandy beach, the upgrading of Bedok Jetty and park amenities, and the relocating of boat storage areas.
Some ideas mooted in 2005 were nixed after the public was consulted.
One of these was a tram system, which got the thumbs-down from park-goers, especially joggers, who felt it would get in their way.
Multi-storey carparks were also rejected. Park-goers said they would mar the park's low-rise ambience.
What's next in the upgrading programme: The conversion of a former golf driving range into an open field, expected to be completed by the end of the year.
NParks' director of parks Kong Yit San said the next round of improvement works is slated for 2015.
These upgrading efforts will ensure that the park keeps its position as a top lifestyle destination for Singaporeans and tourists alike.
Mr Kong said: 'The vision for East Coast Park is that at the end of the day, when people think of recreation...outdoor active sports or wellness, they will think of East Coast Park.
'And when they come here, they will have a nice space to really pursue their sporting lifestyle.'