Abu Dhabi: Dubai resident and Swedish-born skateboarder Adam Sahlstedt said he was impressed with the way the sport was catching on in the UAE, especially among youngsters.
“Skateboarding is growing quickly in the UAE. Today there are a variety of places to go skateboarding across Abu Dhabi and Dubai with new parks being built all the time and more and more people taking up the sport,” said Sahlstedt.
Big goal
The 26-year-old, who is the brand ambassador of Vans skateboarding, was among the elite skateboarders in Sweden. He moved to Dubai for his job where he continued to pursue his passion. “Five months back I have a contract with Sun and Sand Sports and Vans, which is going great. A big goal for us is to give as many people in the UAE and Middle East the chance to try out skateboarding.”
Sahlstedt said skateboarding also helps people stay fit. “Many people are also using skateboarding as a new and fun way to get fit as it’s a lot more exciting than the gym and provides an excellent full body workout.
“I think the government needs to keep helping the sport by providing more places to skate for children in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Although skateboarding on the street can be fun, it’s much better to skate in the safe environment of a park. So the more parks we have the better.
“I would also like to see more companies get involved. Skateboarding is very hot right now. You can see it in lots of commercials both on TV and in ads around Europe and the United States, and by supporting skateboarders the companies can showcase their products in a very cool way and at the same time highlight skateboarding as a sport in the UAE,” he said.
Sahlstedt also stressed the need to bring the professionals and amateurs together that can help the youngsters grow professionally.
“I would like to see more of the established skateboarders in Dubai and Abu Dhabi hanging out with beginners. I use a pretty unconventional way of helping out beginners and whenever I’m free I help them out with the basics. Like any sport you need to be dedicated and work hard if you need to get into the pro level.”
