Wakeboarding, water skiing and kneeboarding all sound like exciting forms of exercise exclusive to beach babes in California or Australia. In fact, anything that involves a board and a large body of water, I usually associated with washboard abs, golden tans and a flick of wavy blond hair.
So when my two friends (who actually do fit the above description) suggested we try the water sports facilities at the Al Forsan International Sports Resort in Abu Dhabi, I needed some serious persuasion.
After a quick tour around the facility, I was part-eager, part-terrified to try boarding of any kind. Our instructor told us that we had to start off with kneeboarding, before taking on the easy-up board and finally the wakeboard. At first glance it seemed easy enough - you hold on to a bar connected to an overhead cable-ski system (as opposed to the back of a boat) and just keep holding on as it takes you around the outdoor pool.
Our instructor assured us that kneeboarding was far easier than being strapped on to a boat in the middle of the sea as there were no waves to destabilise you. In addition, the cable provides better flexibility and relaxed movement.
A quick search on my phone's fitness app told me one can burn around 300 calories an hour wakeboarding, aside from working one's core strength, arms and upper body.
A week later I was ready to give kneeboarding a go. We got strapped into life vests and helmets and made our way to the beginners pool where we were taken through the basics.
First - and most importantly - you need to strap your knees in tightly and keep your head down; lifting your upper body even slightly would flip your board and throw you in the water.
Next, you have to shift your body weight to steer to the corresponding direction. You must also keep an eye out for the orange buoys located at every turn in the pool - if you go through the two placed on each corner, you're in the clear. If not, the pull of the cable becomes too sharp and makes it harder for you to keep holding on.
As a final warning, we were told to watch out for other riders in case we do fall in, as multiple riders are allowed in the pool at once; 13 per minute to be precise. In the instance we do see someone coming, we're meant to dive into the water to make sure their boards don't hit us in the head. The possibility that this could happen made me feel slightly alarmed.
I was instructed to take my glasses off (which only added to my panic) and eventually strapped myself into the kneeboard, holding on to the cable as though my life depended on it.
The first tug pulled me straight into the water and for a total of about eight seconds I thought, "Gosh! This isn't so bad". That was until I noticed I couldn't clearly see the orange buoys. When I was around two metres away from them, I quickly shifted my body weight to the left, so much so that I flipped in that direction and fell into the pool.
The best part about falling in is that you break that fear barrier; the worst part is that you have to swim to shore with a board and walk all the way back dripping wet.
The second time around I was more confident and started steering earlier, thus making it through the buoys and almost halfway around the circuit.
By the end of the hour I was exhausted. Between the death-grip I had on the cable, tension in my abs for balance and sheer terror of having to tackle the course, I couldn't make it on to the last circuit.
The next day I could feel my forearm muscles throbbing, my obliques raw and my shoulders stiff, all indicating that I had exercised muscles that hadn't been used in a while.
According to news reports, wakeboarding is one of many sports under consideration to be included in the 2020 Olympics. Who knows how much I would have improved by then?
Al Forsan International Sports Resort is located in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi. Individual boarding lessons start at Dh200 per person for a half-hour class. For more information, call 02 556 8555 or visit www.alforsan.com
neldasher@thenational.ae
Honeymoonish
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Shafaf, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
