Clubwise: August 10, 2003

Clubwise is a weekly feature of Tabloid in which the UAE social groups are profiled. If you would like to have your group featured in a future issue, email tabloid@gulfnews.com or fax on 04-3429720 and give us the details.


This week's club: The Dubai Kite Club

Who are they: The Dubai Kite Club is an association for kitesurfers, power kiters and kite-buggy users. Based at the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), it is established under the auspices of the UAE Marine Sports Federation.

How they started: The first kite buggies arrived in Dubai during the Dubai Shopping Festival seven years ago. A few years later it was the time of the 'kite boat'. Gradually kitesurfing emerged as the crowd puller. With the number of power kiters, kite-buggy users and kite surfers increasing dramaticallybetween the years 2000 and 2001, a group of people agreed to get together and form a representative body. To date, the membership of DKC has reached 190.

What they do: DKC primarily aims at ensuring the safe enjoyment of kitesurfing, kite-buggy and power kiting. The club issues the mandatory licence tokitesurf in the territorial waters of Dubai.Members of DKC meet at the "Dubai Kite Beach" located between the University of Wollongong and Umm Sequeim clinic to practice their skills. Kite-buggiers and power-kiters too meet at various locations across the UAE to practise the sports.

Quote from the Spokesperson: "The sport of power kiting, be it buggy, kitesurfing or static power kiting, is one of the most satisfying, adrenaline pumping and visually attractive sport to have emerged in recent years. As with any sport, there arerisks to both the flyer and the spectators, hence I would stress that mutual respect and common sense by both is imperative for the enjoyment of all," says Angelo Manesero, chairman of the club.

Notable achievements: A representative of the DKC participated at the 'Transat Des Sables' - a kite-buggy race across the Sahara desert covering 1,000 km in a period of seven days in 2001. In March, the UAE national kitesurfing tournament attracted over 50 kitesurfers from the GCC countries. The first Dubai-Red Bull 'King of the Air' International Kitesurfing Challenge took place in April attracting nine international kitesurfing professionals.

Plans for the next year: In association with the DIMC and the UAE Water Sports Federation, one international and five national kitesurfing competitions across the UAE. The UAE kite-buggy desert adventure, a five dayrace crossing the UAE's most spectacular desert landscape. International kite-buggiers will also be invited to participate in this event. A 'Kite Festival', a fun family event,for the next Dubai Shopping Festival.

If you would like to join: It is compulsory for anyone practising kitesurfing and kite-buggying across the UAE to be members of the DKC which provides third party liability insurance cover toits members.Membership fee is Dh100 per year.Call 050-4555216 to join.