DUBAI // Mohammed Rahma is set to become the first Emirati to compete at an international surfing competition, being held in Peru this weekend.
The 27-year-old will be representing his country when he takes to the water tomorrow at the Punta Rocas resort.
And Dubai’s close-knit surfing community hopes he will become the spark that attracts more people to the sport in the UAE.
“Surfing has changed my life,” Mr Rahma said.
“And as a young Emirati growing up in Dubai, I wish that I could have been introduced to this sport at a younger age.
“I get so much enjoyment out of it, which drives me to develop the sport in the UAE.”
He will be among 192 other surfers representing 32 countries at the International Surfing Association 50th Anniversary World Surfing Games, which runs from October 24 to November 1.
Mr Rahma has been surfing since 2010, when he got into it after a rugby injury that demanded water exercise to help his rehabilitation.
Since then he has gone from strength to strength by taking every opportunity to surf at various beaches in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah, as well as overseas in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the US and Australia.
His passion for the sport has also led him to compete internationally and he spent last year training with a professional coach in Los Angeles. It is a desire that has largely been funded out of his own pocket.
“For me, my intention is not to win but to raise awareness in the UAE of surfing, provide a platform for other young Emiratis to get involved, learn the sport and also represent their country in international competitions,” Mr Rahma said.
He hoped that surfing could one day become part of the UAE school curriculum, particularly among Emiratis.
“We actually gave Mohammed his first surfing lesson way back in 2008 and it’s fantastic to see him become the first Emirati to take part in an international competition,” said Daniel van Dooren, part owner of Surf Dubai.
“He is a very good surfer but I think the main point is that he is actually competing in an international competition.
“The standard worldwide is at a much higher level, so I don’t think he’ll come away with the gold, but it’s not about that, it’s about helping to promote the sport here in the UAE.”
The popularity of surfing has increased dramatically, with many more people learning how to surf and participating on a regular basis in the past decade.
“When we first started 18 years ago, there were probably 16 of us who would meet up to go surfing,” Mr Van Dooren said.
“We began the surfing school in 2005 and since about 2010 there has been a huge increase.
“We probably have a couple of thousand people who surf these days, of which about half go out regularly.”
It is a sport that is slowly gaining popularity within the Emirati community and Surf Dubai promotes it in Emirati schools.
But Dubai is not blessed with regular, high-quality waves, so it can be difficult for surfers to hone their skills to elite level, he said.
“We don’t get that many waves here but a solution could be to have some kind of wave park where people can practise in a controlled environment,” said Mr Van Dooren.
“Dubai would definitely benefit from a wave pool, as it would raise the standard.”
Mr Rahma has been praised for his dedication and commitment to the sport by others in the surfing community in Dubai.
“This is the first time that the UAE is being represented in surfing on the international stage,” said Carl de Villiers, who owns Surf Shop Arabia and is a long-time supporter and sponsor of Mr Rahma.
“I’ve watched him progress in his surfing and the fact that he is now representing his country in such an elite competition is really something to be proud of.”
nhanif@thenational.ae
