HOW SKATE PARKS CAN BE DESIGNED TO BE WCMX-FRIENDLY
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A NEW USER GROUP IN WHEELCHAIR SPORT Author: Photos:
Dr. Veith Kilberth Anna Spindelndreier, SitNSkate, Patrick Mikulski, Jörg Photography, Pascal Lieleg
The building of skate parks is booming. There is obviously a growing need for urban spaces in youth culture that provide infrastructure for such exercise practices as skateboarding, BMX, inline skating, stunt scooters and, for some years now, WCMX. In his guest article, Dr Veith Kilberth gives us a preview of an academic publication on the inclusion of wheelchair skating in skate parks, due to be published in 2024. It can also be seen as a call to municipalities to take action. Working with Lisa and David Lebuser, Dr Veith Kilberth will publish the findings of the study in the research field on sports spaces and the ongoing development of inclusive structures in sport. The publication is entitled: “Zur Teilhabe von WCMX-Skater*innen in Skateparks. Eine erste Annäherung an eine inklusivere Planung von Skateanlagen”
(On the inclusion of WCMX skaters in skate parks. A first step towards the design of more inclusive skate parks). The authors see their work as an initial guide containing the central points for the design of WCMX-friendly skate parks, which can also be interpreted as a recommendation for municipalities.
WHAT IS WCMX The abbreviation WCMX stands for “Wheelchair MotoX” – along the lines of BMX (Bicycle Motocross) – and is also known as “wheelchair skating”. WCMX is an extreme sport in which athletes use a wheelchair to perform tricks and stunts on skate park ramps similar to those designed for skateboarding and BMX. These stunts include jumps, slides and flips. The sport was invented by Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham. Among other things, he was the first to perform a backflip in a wheelchair. To practise the sport, the athletes use a special manual wheelchair, which is made of lighter materials and has a fully sprung frame to protect the legs and absorb shocks. Athlete safety is also ensured by the wearing of gloves and a bicycle helmet.
Sports wheelchair users are a relatively new phenomenon in skate parks and are being increasingly perceived as a user group. In participatory skate park planning geared to local needs, there are growing moves to accommodate the wishes and needs of WCMX participants in design. There is broad variation in how the issue is tackled.
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Consequently, the skate parks being built all over Ger many differ greatly in quality, ranging from facilities that do not even offer barrier-free access for wheelchair users to skate park sites explicitly designed for WCMX use. An example of the latter is the Höhenberg Skate Park in Cologne.
sb 5/2023