Nurturing a healthy pastime

Dubai: No urban landscape from the early 1990s onwards would be complete without skateboarders balancing on handrails or BMX bikers bouncing and screeching across pavements towards sprawling skateparks. They are as much a part of the canvas as, it seems, the high-rises or your neighbourhood Starbucks outlet.

Sustaining and encouraging this movement are dedicated outlets selling equipment, clothing and accessories for anyone wishing to establish his or her credentials as a skater or BMX biker. Thanks to the efforts of Shahriar Khodjasteh, the organiser of Dubai Desert Extreme, this is being replicated here in Dubai as well.

Khodjasteh is the owner of the Rage outlets, which sell anything and everything related to these activities. Outlets have opened in the Mall of the Emirates, The Dubai Mall, Dubai Festival City and the Oasis Centre.

"We first tried to name it Rampage but realised that there's one in the US, so we condensed it to the catchier Rage," said Khodjasteh.

But getting to a point where the local marketplace can actually support four stores did take time. Khodjasteh was the prime mover — he prefers the grander-sounding title of ‘El Presidente' — of Dubai Desert Extreme, which came into being as one of the events in Dubai Shopping Festival ten years ago.

Top skateboarders and riders from abroad were brought in to showcase their skills. The scheduled three-day event ran into a few weeks by popular request.

The overflow equipment was then used to launch the first store, a modest 20x20 square metre one in Jumeirah Beach Centre.

"At the time we were selling products of an industry that didn't really exist in the UAE," said Khodjasteh. "There was another store selling beachwear and products, but none was specialising in this industry.

"To be able to afford the rent, we had to develop the business and focused on the sports and the lifestyle supporting it, not just the product. After that it basically became a skate, surf and snow store."

Coming from an entrepreneurial background, Khodjasteh knew what was needed to get a business that catered to an almost non-existent buyer base off the ground. To create a buzz for the merchandise, he started sponsoring local riders, held events and launched a magazine to go with the sport.

Interactive platform

The website served as an interactive platform for the skating community to get information on Rage events, locals news and international happenings, including articles, images and videos. They also invested in building Dubai's first skatepark in the Festival City and launched a skating school.

"The exposure created by our events and sponsorships helped our business," Khodjasteh added. "The Dubai Extreme games was broadcasted across the region by most [of the] major news channels, boosting the exposure.

"Through sponsorship, we created our local heroes and others look up to them. Many are now professional skateboarders competing in international competitions using our product."

In line with promoting a lifestyle built around the skateboard, the second floor of Rage's Dubai Mall outlet features a bowl ramp where customers can try out their boards.

"Of all the shops, we were the only ones who were allowed a mezzanine floor," said Khodjasteh, not without a hint of pride at the achievement. "We put a ramp where kids can go up and use the product.

"It also allows them to develop skill-sets such as bowl riding or transition riding. I don't know if it has increased our business, but it definitely creates a wow factor that draws people to the shop."

And in parallel to building the skateboarding culture, Rage also managed to create a committed customer base. "Because of the amount of stuff we do for the kids and the community, we keep a loyal base," said Khodjasteh.

"The guys that started being our customers ten years ago have ended up working in the industry we created. Our marketing guy, creative guy and one of our writers all used to buy stuff from our shop."

Though he has done his part, Khodjasteh is quick to point out not all of the credit for fashioning the movement should be his.

"It's partly because Dubai has grown, a lot of consumers from South Africa and Australia are used to this type of culture and lifestyle," he said.

Rage's main channel of marketing has been through the sponsorship of riders end events. It has also bartered deals with some publications for free sponsorship of events in return for space in magazines.

"Marketing has been the challenge for us," said Shahriar Khodjasteh. "When we came to using any other channel for marketing, we found they weren't reaching our target demographic who were mostly in schools.

"It's hard to advertise to there, you have to get approvals from the Ministry of Education and from the schools."

The business hasn't been without its share of hurdles. Along with most retail outlets, sales suffered considerably during the recent downturn.

It was the time when growing competition prompted Rage to open five new stores. When the recession hit, Khodjasteh had to contend with the increased expenditure from the new openings and a rapidly declining revenue.

"There has been increasing competition, and they have taken away some of our business," he said. "But what we try and communicate is that we're the guys that are building the skate parks putting on the events.

"We try and tell our customers to support their local skate shop."

Being the local representative of a global movement has never mattered more.

Sponsorship: key marketing channel

Rage's main channel of marketing has been the sponsorship of events. It also has barter deals with some publications for free sponsorship of events in return for space in magazines.

"Marketing has been the challenge for us," said Shahriar Khodjasteh. "When we came to using any other channel for marketing, we found they weren't reaching our target demographic who were mostly in schools.

"It's hard to advertise there, you have to get approval from the Ministry of Education and from the schools."

The business hasn't been without its share of hurdles. Along with most retail outlets, sales suffered considerably during the recent global downturn.

It was the time when growing competition prompted Rage to open five new stores. When the global recession hit, Khodjasteh had to contend with the increased expenditure from the new openings and a rapidly declining revenue.

"There has been increasing competition, and they have taken away some of our business," he said. "But what we try and communicate is that we're the guys that are building the skateparks putting on the events."

Are you interested in skateboarding? Do you think it is a good form of alternative
transportation? Or do you consider skateboarders a menace?