In pictures: Skateboarders keep fans spellbound with tricky manoeuvres

The World Skate Tour has made its highly anticipated return to the UAE with a two-week skateboarding extravaganza officially underway at Dubai Harbour. The second edition of the Middle East’s debut pro skating event presents back-to-back competitions up until next weekend — the Park Pro Tour Stop (concluding March 3) and Street Pro Tour Stop (March 3-10).

The final qualifiers for this summer’s Olympic Games will be decided over the next 11 days. With Dubai the last destination on the Road to Paris 2024, 500 of the world’s greatest male and female skaters from 65 countries are vying for places on the grandest stage of them all.

With so much at stake for the world’s skateboarding elite, local sports fans and international audiences are assured of non-stop action and thrilling competition.

Emulating Aljada Skate Park — the Sharjah venue which hosted the 2022 Park and Street World Championships — the Dubai Harbour Skate Parks have been certified and awarded C-Class (Championship Class) Status. This means that Arada owns four (two Park and two Street) of the C-Class parks, which are up to Olympic standard — more than any other destination.

The two parks cover 75,000 square feet and were completed in under three weeks.

The purpose-built Championship Class Street and Park arenas within Dubai Harbour, just next to the world-famous Palm Jumeirah.