DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
Around 500 of the greatest male and female skateboarders on earth are set to descend on Dubai Harbour as the World Skate Tour makes its highly anticipated two-week return to the UAE. Competitors arrive with one main objective: securing qualification for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
The Park Pro Tour Stop (February 25 – March 3) and Street Pro Tour Stop (March 3 – 10) form back-to-back competitions in the UAE for a second successive year, hosted by UAE developer Arada and global governing body World Skate. The events are held in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), alongside venue partner Shamal Holding and under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of DSC.
In a short span, the UAE has become a vibrant hub for skateboarding, which is one of the most popular and exciting sports worldwide.
“Our Group CEO Ahmed Alkhoshaibi is a visionary – he wanted a world-class park that we could bring world-class athletes to,” explained Dr. Ray Tinston, Events Director at Arada, when asked how the company’s association with skateboarding began. “We realised that the potential was really there for us to develop a business plan around skateboarding, which led to us building Aljada Skate Park in Sharjah.”
Aljada Skate Park – a 90,000 square foot facility, which was the largest of its kind regionally upon launching – was opened in 2022 by Australia’s Keegan Palmer, the Olympic Gold medallist, who helped design its third phase.
Developed alongside California Skateparks, a world-leading skatepark design firm, Aljada Skate Park was met with universal acclaim by the international skating community and hosted the 2022 World Championships three months later.
“We were given a target to host the biggest, most impactful event in the world,” Dr Tinston revealed while recalling his first meeting with Sabatino Aracu, President of World Skate. “We reached out to the governing body; they picked up the phone and invited us to Rome. We met with the President’s team, explained our ambition, and the stars aligned. They loved our vision and awarded us the World Championships there and then.”
The success of the 2022 World Skate Championships paved the way for the UAE hosting of the upcoming “Road to Paris” Street and Park competitions – the last stops en route to the summer Olympics.
“We were given a target by World Skate and the athletes to improve on the World Championships in Sharjah, which according to the International Olympic Committee and World Skate, were the best they’d ever had,” said Dr. Tinston.
“Fortunately, we’ve had DSC and DET behind us with His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid as the patron. This has helped us push the right buttons and take us to the next level. We’ve also partnered with DXB Life and Dubai World Trade Centre to build the infrastructure for the venue at Dubai Harbour.”
The Dubai Harbour Skate Parks, covering a total of 7,000 square metres, have been certified and awarded C-Class (Championship Class) Status, signifying that the parks are up to Olympic standard.
“The venue at Dubai Harbour is one of the few championship parks in the world and it’s sparked everybody’s imagination around the sport – which was the intent,” added Dr. Tinston. “There’s a much bigger picture with skateboarding as a sport – where skateboarding is now versus where it will be.
“The World Surf League (WSL) is a brilliant indicator when projecting where skateboarding can go. There’s a multi-billion dollar industry in surfing, which has a very set tour with set prize money and a very clear path to success. Skateboarding is starting that journey.
“The skate world is looking for a home with amazing infrastructure, environments, and experiences for all. Bringing two prestigious events to Dubai is the next step for the UAE to become this home. They will lay the groundwork not only for global recognition but also for inspiring up-and-coming generations and fostering young talent.”