photo: Me - 360 flip Motorcity gap
If we put aside the "normal lifestyle" of living and finding a decent job in Dubai, I came for another reason.
To expirience the skate life.
Little did I know what wonders I will experience while on this 2 month journey.
From meeting professional skaters, to competing in a local Dubai skateboard contest, the experience was unforgettable.
From the moment my Macedonian friend drove me from the airport to the apartment I started noticing marble skate spots. There is a lot of great architecture that really makes you wanna stay there and skate.
downtown marble curb
small handrail city centre
perfect ledges downtown
The first time we came to the local skatepark, we skated for 5 hours straight . We lost our ride home because something happend, it was 2 am in the morning and I saw this guy in his late 20s and I asked him if he could drive us home and he said no problem. This guy happend to be a spanish skate veteran from Barcelona, living and working in Dubai for the past 6 years as a flight attendant. We ended up skating with him almost every day, he took us to multiple restaurants to try different types of food. Not many people in life did what he did for me there, I am forever thankful that I met him. We still chat very often and plan some future trips together.
Also I would like to mention Ilin Kolevski, Joshua Walker, Eeliya, Aarta and all the homies for good times.
photo: "The Spanish connection"
photo: Joshua Walker - inward heelflip
photo: Ilin Kolevski - arming the setup
photo: Erich Glahn - Ollie while cruising
photo: representing balkan's skate brands in Motor City
There was also a local competition organized by Dynamics Skateshop in the Business Bay skatepark and I was very lucky to have won the best trick in the contest but unfortunately I have no footage or photos of it.On the other hand, my macedonian friend, killed it too, and luckily I used my phone to film his tricks so here's a short clip of his contest tricks:
Mid december, some locals told us that the Dwindle Distribution is coming to Dubai in 2 days.
What I realized when I got there that the Dubai skate scene is still fairly new and not many people came to see what to me are pure legends in skateboarding. I met Tommy Sandoval, Chris Haslam, Willow Zack Wallin and Ryan Decenzo. For me the energy those people brought in the places we were skating with them was overwhelming.
Seeing them in real life motivated me even after 14 years of skating to skate harder.
I came to Dubai to find a job, but at the end I left with the most wonderful experience a skateboarder can have, to enjoy skate life with friends while travelling. There ain't nothing like a man who can do what he loves. At least for a short period of time.
This is why I prepared a little video edit of us skating with the locals in the skatepark at the bottom of this article. Hope you enjoy it! Cheers friends!
Vermillion666
photo: Chris Haslam - Fs 180 melon grab
photo: Ryan Decenzo and Tommy Sandoval chillin' with their cameraman
THE EDIT:
Best Regards.