ABU DHABI // Not even a broken ankle could stop Daniel Van Dooren from competing in a six-kilometre race on Friday – luckily for him, it was mostly on water.
Not only that but the 27-year-old, who runs Surf Dubai, finished second in the event at the Emirates Palace Stand-Up Paddling Festival on Friday, despite injuring his ankle and dislocating his shoulder jut five weeks ago.
“It was difficult because of the balance,” he said. He also had to hobble through the beach runs required after each 1.5km paddling lap.
About 115 people took part in the festival events, which included races, a mini triathlon, a barbecue and a paddling movie, organiser Jen Scully said.
The paddlers came from 23 countries, including Germany, India, Afghanistan, Algeria, Poland, Egypt, Syria, Ireland and the Philippines, and their ages ranged from 9 to 59 years old.
“This is the largest stand-up paddling race in the UAE,” said Ms Scully, 31, who founded the Abu Dhabi Stand-Up Paddlers group in 2009.
The sport is gaining in popularity in the country, said Ahmed Al Mansoori, 29, of Hydro Marine Sports, one of the event sponsors. The company organises stand-up paddling trips in the Eastern Mangroves.
The sport, which originated in Hawaii, involves balancing on a surfboard while paddling in still waters, rather than riding on waves.
That is part of allure, said Jaber Al Hameli, 30, also from Hydro Marine Sports.
“You can move anywhere,” he said. “In surfing, you are gliding on the waves.”
Mr Al Mansoori said that the breezy morning brought an extra challenge to the racers, who were spread out along the Emirates Palace Beach, compared with the stillness of the mangroves.
The sport offers good total-body exercise but especially works the core and leg muscles, racers said.
“It’s kind of like doing crunches, but you’re not laying down, you’re standing up,” said Tommy Kron, 42, from Portland, Oregon.
He won the 1km race despite it being his first time he had paddled competitively, although he has been surfing for more than 20 years. He said he had been stand-up paddling for a few years but had to practice every weekend for about a month before he could consistently keep his balance.
“When you first get into it, the most difficult thing is standing on your board,” he said.
The event line-up included 1km, 3km and 6km races for children, juniors and adults, as well as 200m sprints and a mini triathlon of 200-metre swims, 500m runs and 200m paddling.
The races were also open to participants new to the sport.
“I think it’s gotten a lot of people involved for the very first time,” said Ms Scully, who won the women’s 6km race. “We really tried to make it a community event.”
Claudia Hooker, 49, came to the festival with her two daughters.
“My rule with them is, if I can do it, they can do it,” said Ms Hooker, a South African who lives in Dubai.
She competed in the 1km race, even though it was only her second time on a board.
“It’s a lot more strenuous than I thought. When you exercise your core strength, it’s all about balance,” she said.
She said she was glad to attend something that got her daughters out of the house and away from the television and computer.
“We made a family day out of it,” she said.
The event, which also supported World Water Day today, ran from 9am until 6pm on the Emirates Palace beach. The top three finishers in each race received medals.
Sponsors and organisers included Emirates Palace and Emirates Palace Marina, Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Al Mahara Diving Centre, Naish watersports equipment company, Outdoor UAE, Original Fitness Company and Hydro Marine Sports.
lcarroll@thenational.ae
