British athlete is arrested in Thailand for wakeboarding on a flooded road
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British wakeboarder may have to surf time in prison: Athlete is arrested in Thailand after riding waves on a flooded road… for violating traffic laws
- British-Thai wakeboarding sensation Daniel Grant skated down flooded street
- Footage was sent by disgruntled citizens to the police and he was arrested
- He was slapped with a 5,000 baht fine and a suspended jail term of one month
- Grant in 2010 became the youngest world champion in wakeboarding history
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‘Wake skate’ champion Daniel Grant, 24, was arrested earlier this week for wakeboarding down a flooded road in Bangkok
A young British-Thai wakeboarding sensation has been arrested for violating traffic laws after gliding down a flooded street on his board in Bangkok.
‘Wake skate’ champion Daniel Grant, 24, was filmed skimming along the deluge outside Thailand’s Bangkok University on September 8, as monsoon rains inundated the Southeast Asian country.
The majority of viewers were amazed by the impressive stunt and voiced their support for Grant, but a few were outraged at the sportsman for what they saw as an insensitivity towards the impact of natural disasters and disregard for road safety.
One particularly disgruntled viewer sent footage of the incident was sent to police and Grant was summoned to Khlong Luang Police Station, where he was charged with violating the Traffic and Highway Act for allegedly causing danger to traffic.
The thrillseeker, who in 2010 set the record for the youngest professional world champion in wakeboarding, was slapped with a 5,000 baht fine (£120) and a one-month suspended jail term.
Grant is seen skimming along past a large coach which caused a small wave to ripple along
Grant showcased his skills in the deluge outside Bangkok University on September 8. He performed impressive stunts as rains and floods battered the Southeast Asian country
Grant, also known as ‘Tao’, set the record for the youngest professional world champion in World Wake Association (WWA) history by taking the 2010 WWA Wake Park World Championship
The half British half Thai athlete recorded himself wakeboarding in the ankle-deep flood as astonished drivers passed by.
He was also seen gliding next to a large bus as it created a wave in an impressive display of balance and body control.
But the joy was short lived as Daniel was slapped with a court summons less than 72 hours after pulling off the stunt after the footage made its way to local authorities.
Daniel and his Thai mum arrived at the Khlong Luang police station on Tuesday, where the wakeboarder confessed to the charges but maintained that he did not intend to put anyone in danger with his stunt, as the road was quiet when he did it.
He apologised to officers and said he would not have done the stunt if he had known it was illegal.
Pol Lt-Col Suchai Saengsong, the deputy superintendent, said: ‘The accused met with the investigating officer and confessed.’
Grant is seen waiting for traffic to pass as he lined up for a run on the wakeboard
The half British half Thai athlete recorded himself wakeboarding in the ankle-deep flood as astonished drivers passed by
Grant is pictured sitting in the soaked road after his stunt
Grant, also known as ‘Tao’, set the record for the youngest professional world champion in World Wake Association (WWA) history by taking the 2010 WWA Wake Park World Championship.
He has since won multiple WWA Wake Park World Series events in Pro Men, Pro Features and Pro Wakeskate.
Bangkok often endures regular monsoons between June and October, the Thai capital’s wet season, and the city has suffered considerable flooding in recent days.