Airsoft
What is it? Part extreme sport, part military role-play, in which gung-ho types with replica firearms charge around shouting and sweating and shooting. Laser Quest and paintball are probably your closest points of reference, but with the harmless lasers and soft-ish balls of paint replaced by pellets of hard plastic, being propelled towards your temples at high speed.
Skills needed? The ability to shoot straight certainly helps, as does some degree of teamwork. We’d also recommend brushing up on a bit of military lingo, like ‘take point’ (meaning: ‘you go out ahead while I cower behind this bush’) and ‘hoo-rah’ (‘well done, jolly good show.’).
Chance of injury? If you’re not wearing the correct safety gear (or if you’re simply up against a particularly disturbed combat veteran), your chances are pretty high. Still, follow the correct procedures and maybe you’ll be fine. Unless you have a nasty trip or accidentally let loose in your own face. Still, beats the hell out of chess.
Get involved There is a paintball course at the Armed Forces Officer’s Club (02 441 5900). If you want to shoot some real lead, visit the nearby Caracel Shooting Club (02 441 6404).
Beach Volleyball
What is it? Imagine volleyball – that sport where two teams of people knock a leathery ball over a net with their hands – but transposed to a sandier locale with less modest attire and an ice cream van somewhere nearby. You’ve just imagined beach volleyball. Now for a cold shower…
Skills needed? You’ll be forced to show off more flesh than you might like, so looking good in your swimmers is fairly essential for getting the crowd on your side. The odd Top Gun quote wouldn’t go amiss, either. Oh, and you’ll need to know how to smack a ball over a net with your fist. Sort of crucial, that last bit.
Chance of injury? Sunburn is the main menace here, so turn up slathered in your chosen lotion to avoid an impromptu strawberry impression. Also, if you’re not paying attention, you could take a ball to the face, which is bound to smart a bit.
Get involved There’s a free-to-use beach volleyball court at the Corniche public beach. Get there early, though, or you’ll just end up watching others play (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing…).
BMXing
What is it? Way back in the ’80s, BMXing (which is short for bicycle motocross) was so popular it even warranted a hit blockbuster movie, BMX Bandits, starring a very young Nicole Kidman. Its popularity may have waned, but there are still plenty of daring bikers who are willing to throw themselves around on a small, chunky cycle.
Skills needed? A keen sense of balance, plenty of courage and a strong dislike of skateboarders and inline skaters.
Chance of injury? Pretty high. You’ll be jumping around on a hard, metal bike over hard, solid ramps and concrete. Decent pads and helmets may increase your safety, but they’ll also reduce your street cred.
Get involved Take your bike down to the skateboard park on the Corniche to show others what extreme sports are all about.
Climbing
What is it? Starting at the bottom of a vertical rise and making your way up to the top. There’ll be a climbing wall at the Adrenaline Sports fest where you can put your mountaineering skills to the test.
Skills needed? Agility of a cat, upper body strength and a head for heights are all essential. A safety rope will make sure misplaced footing doesn’t end in an early demise.
Chance of injury? In the real world, mountaineering is a treacherous activity that takes the lives of many. Did you know that, to date, 203 climbers have made the ultimate sacrifice trying to summit Mount Everest? Not that Adnec is Everest, or anything…
Get involved The Club in Mina Port has its own climbing wall for children. If you’re up for some serious outdoor mountain scaling, email the UAE Rock Climbing Club at uaerockclimbingclub@gmail.com.
Dragon boating
What is it? A fast-paced team rowing sport, dating back to ancient China. Long thin boats hold 10 pairs of rowers, so if everyone is pulling hard the boat moves at quite a lick.
Skills needed? You’ll need something of a galley slave mentality to put up with the boat captain sitting on his laurels and barking orders at you. Upper body strength is also a bonus.
Chance of injury? Slim. If you start clambering around the boat you might get a rower’s elbow in your face, but stay seated and you’ll be fine. However, aching muscles after a hard rowing session are almost a certainty.
Inline skating
What is it? Remember those roller skates you used to whizz round on as a kid? Possibly with neon leg warmers over the top? Well it’s like that, but harder, as the wheels are in a line rather than a square, meaning you go faster but with far less stability.
Skills needed? A disregard for gravity, nerves of steel, and a burning desire to impress your peers.
Chance of injury? High. Frankly, you’re nobody until you’ve collected a serious amount of bruises, cuts and broken bones. If you’re not willing to suffer for your art, then what’s the point?
Get involved Abu Dhabi Skaters (www.abudhabiskaters.com) should be your first calling point. The group also welcomes BMXers and skateboarders.
Jet skiing
What is it? Unless you’re a true landlubber, you can’t fail to have noticed the swarms of jet skiers that dart around the capital’s waters. The machines’ maneuverability and speediness (the fastest ones can reach 80km/h) make them perfect for visiting Abu Dhabi’s numerous nearby desert islands.
Skills needed? The ability to maneuver a fast machine is about as far as it goes. Being able to swim helps, but you could always wear a life jacket if your front crawl isn’t up to scratch.
Chance of injury? The toughest part of jet skiing is stopping. Because the machine has no brakes, you can easily end up smashing into rocks or other seafaring vessels if you go too fast.
Get involved Empros (www.empros.ae) is one of the most reputable Jet Ski hire firms in Abu Dhabi.
Kite-surfing
What is it? Essentially, it’s a more extreme version of windsurfing, only instead of controlling a sail you have a whopping great big kite to worry about, which, as well as steering, is also used for catching air and performing tricks. The added wind power means there’s more speed involved, too – pro surfers have been known to top the 90kmph mark. Yikes.
Skills needed? Being able to swim will definitely put you in good stead, as will a decent sense of balance. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t ideal for weedier adrenaline addicts – wrestling your kite into the desired position requires displays of ferocious physical strength.
Chance of injury? Wind, as we all know, can be unpredictable. Which means that even experienced kitesurfers occasionally have what’s affectionately known as a ‘kitemare’, with sudden gusts able to lift even the portliest extreme sports fan into the path of hazards. There are also lines to get tangled in, an entire ocean that’s out to drown you and, for the truly paranoid, sharks.
Get involved Get in touch with the Abu Dhabi Kitesurfing club (www.ad-kitesurfing.net).
Wakeboarding
What is it? Wakeboarding is to waterskiing what snowboarding is to skiing. A motorboat tows you over the surface of the water at high speeds while you balance on a board, do tricks and wave to your friends.
Skills needed? An extrovert’s disposition, a grasp of the bizarre terms for various maneuvers (the chicken salad grab anyone?) and an excellent sense of balance. And if you can’t swim, forget it.
Chance of injury? You could drown. You could pull any number of muscles. You could break bones. You could fall and look like a fool while everyone points and laughs. Proper supervision should eliminate all of these except the latter.
Get involved Sign up for Rudi Du Plessis’s surprisingly cheap classes by contacting him on 050 238 3154.
Zip-lining
What is it? One of those giant wires that army recruits have to slide down while a drill instructor screams obscenities at them. There’ll be a shorter version at ASL, but no angry sergeant majors.
Skills needed? A tight grip and a lack of vertigo, or at least the ability to keep your eyes shut.
Chance of injury? You’re unlikely to fall off, because you’re wearing a harness. Occasionally, people injure their ankles and knees when they land at the end, but nothing a hardened daredevil would
cry about.
Get involved The UAE is a surprisingly zip-line free country. Your chances to enjoy this fun-filled descent are at Adrenaline Sports, the recent Summer in Abu Dhabi children’s event, or maybe in a military boot camp, which we wouldn’t recommend attending without an invite.
Turbo charged
Running alongside Adrenaline Sports Live! will be the Barbican Turbo event, where some seriously pimped up cars will be on display. If this wasn’t enough for you petrol heads, the Team Orange drift racing team will be showing off their skidding skills in Adnec car park. We caught up with the team’s champion driver Nobushige Kumakubo to find out more.
What is drifting all about?
It’s basically the art of controlling a car at high speeds, trying to make it go sideways but keeping it balanced. When you race, you race each other in a knockout situation and you’re taking corners at up to 160kph, so it’s really exciting to watch.
When did you decide to make a career out of skidding cars?
I started drifting about 15 years ago. I was really into motocross, and one of my friends showed me how to do it. I’d practiced back-sliding on motocross bikes, so I had practice and discovered I was good at it. When I won my first competition in 2002, I realised I could make money out of it.
We bet you wrote a few cars off while you were learning?
Ha! No, honestly, I’ve never had any really bad crashes. In fact, I’ve only had one small accident. Amateurs usually take hard hits, but professionals only suffer scratches.
Could we do some drifting in our old Toyota Yaris?
Firstly, don’t try it on the roads because it’s highly illegal. Our cars have a lot of modifications, such as front engine, rear wheel drive, which helps build up speeds to power slide. In a normal car you’d probably get a blowout and crash, as we use high-performance tyres.
Who’d win in a drifting race between you and Lewis Hamilton?
Sorry, Lewis, but I’d easily beat you. But he’s such a great racing driver; with some lessons from me he’d pick it up pretty quickly.
