The wind whistled past my ears as I whooshed down in a flurry of snow, the white spray fanning behind before floating wispily into the powder. A family sat huddled on the deck of the cosy wooden chalet above, where glowing lights winked lazily. Nice as it would have been to be flying about in an exotically romantic resort such as Chamonix, I was trundling about in the rather closer-to-home Ski Dubai.
It won’t be long before I leave Dubai, so I’m trying to revisit old haunts and decided to go skiing. It had been ages since I last went, though, so apprehensions were rife.
The minute I’d lined up to get my boots, however, the torrent of old coaches and old faces began, waving frantically and beaming.
It was all very heartening, as was the presence of a friend who had taken one Discovery lesson and had decided to manage the rest on his own. At least I wouldn’t be the worst skier there.
“How hard can it be, right?” Yash had asked. “I’ll just learn to ski myself without a coach. You can tell me if I’m doing it wrong.” Yash is an excellent sportsperson and had introduced me to sailing, which was much harder – skiing should be a doddle.
“Oh yes, I bet I’ll be a brilliant teacher,” I’d replied, puffing up, forgetting to mention that the place is bursting with 5-year-old skiers who are without exception better than I am. You often see six little kids skiing in a single file behind their coach, winding a sinuous path down the slope in perfect coordination. It’s preposterously cute, like a row of ducklings following Mother Duck.
Picking up skis and poles, we were soon at the top and zipping down the slope. Well, I was proceeding cautiously with shaky knees, euphemistically telling myself I was “warming up”. “Just follow me – up, bend your knees, straighten, turn,” I intoned in a mixed-up imitation of my coach in my first lessons taken aeons ago.
Yash took off like a bullet, hurtled wildly down and fell head over skis. He had also managed to lose his glove before he had even reached the top of the slope. “Man up, it’s not that cold,” I said doubtfully, as he fretted that his hand felt almost frostbitten. My bravado against the elements didn’t stretch as far as lending him a glove, though I did mumble: “You’re doing great!” at sporadic intervals.
The poor guy fell over a mean number of three times per run, but picked himself up with astonishing speed and was valiantly zooming towards another certain crash in no time at all. He skied much better when I gave up trying to teach him – whatever my calling turns out to be, a ski instructor is not it.
I hadn’t realised how fond I was of this place – the hordes of raucous teenagers in fluorescent gear showing off, the hiss of gaudy skull-embossed snowboards on icy patches, the camaraderie and warmth of fellow-skiers in a freezing environment. Dubai will be missed.
The writer is an 18-year-old living in Dubai
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Islamic Architecture: A World History
Author: Eric Broug
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Pages: 336
Available: September
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
COMPANY PROFILE
Company: Eco Way
Started: December 2023
Founder: Ivan Kroshnyi
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Electric vehicles
Investors: Bootstrapped with undisclosed funding. Looking to raise funds from outside
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
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Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now