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Dubai: Dozens of skateboarders from all over the UAE made their way to Abu Dhabi yesterday to celebrate the third international 'Go Skateboarding Day'. Over 50 people skated in uncomfortable weather conditions along the Abu Dhabi Corniche, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality Park from 2 to 8pm. "When we started to plan Go Skateboarding Day, it became obvious to go to Abu Dhabi because people have no problem with us skating there," said Evan Collison, a long-time skateboarder who lives in Dubai. "We are in Abu Dhabi this year to prove we are serious about our passion."
In Dubai, skateboarders are facing a much tougher time practicing the sport, with enthusiasts reporting more and more kick-outs. Last year's 'Go Skateboarding Day' was held in Dubai, but skaters have faced an increasing number of bans since then. Shahriar Khodjasteh, president of Dubai Desert Extreme, said Dubai needs to invest in a public skate park. With over 1,000 active skaters in the UAE, skating devotees have tried their best to convince authorities of the viable need for a public skate park. Dubai Municipality had once planned to build a public skate park at Zabeel Park, but decided to turn the area into a cricket pitch instead. "It was a really sad thing and a lot of the kids took it to heart," said Khodjasteh. "These kids just want to skate. They are not bad kids, but they get on the wrong side of the law when they get in trouble for skating in some places." Dubai is home to four private skate parks, two of which are indoors, while the two others are outdoors. But skaters like Collison remain faithful to the roots of skateboarding. "We all love skating the private parks set up here. It's great, but skating has its roots in the streets," he said. "The fun is in tackling the random obstacles. Something another person might see as just something to sit on, we see as something you can grind and slide on, purely for enjoyment. "We need a place that we can tear up without any problems, because we can cause very slight damage sometimes."
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