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The kingdom’s leading skateboarder is training night and day as he prepares to flip, trick and grind his way to glory at the upcoming 2015 World Skateboarding Championships in Kimberley, South Africa.
Faheem Saeed Balooshi, is gearing up for his second world championships after attending the event last year, but feels that with his hard work since, he will be able to put on an even better show this time.
The 22-year old, who lives in Hoora, skates and practices his tricks every day when he is not busy working as a freelance photographer and scouring the kingdom for sponsors to make his high-flying dreams a reality.
He said: “There’s no real training regime that I’m sticking to rigidly, but I skate every day and push myself to my limits … which sometimes leads to some nasty injuries!
“I strongly believe that practice makes perfect, so I get as much of it as I can. A lot of it is repetition, but I absolutely love doing it and I want to be the best I possibly can.”
Faheem received his first skateboard when he was 14, and seriously took up the hobby after he turned 17. Since then, he has won several competitions, most notably the Red Bull Local Hero Tour, and an online contest to make the most stylish and impressive skating video organised by Rage Skateshop in Dubai.
He explained: “It’s hard to get recognition in a place like Bahrain compared to other countries in the GCC and around the world, but somehow I got lucky at one of the competitions and was spotted. They got in touch and invited me to the world championships, I couldn’t believe it!
“They pick the best skateboarders from around the world to compete against each other and represent their countries, so for me to receive this honour was the proudest moment of my life.”
The World Skateboarding Championships 2015 will again feature many of the world’s top professionals, such as Nyjah Huston, Louie Lopez and Jordan Hoffart but also leading amateurs like Faheem who are hoping to break into the elite.
The event promises to be ‘the biggest international skateboarding contest in history’ with more than 250 competitors from 70 countries expected. It takes place from October 7-10 and incorporates men’s street contests, defined as skating on streets, curbs, benches, handrails and other elements of urban and suburban landscapes, vert contests, which take place over ramps and other vertical structures specifically designed for skating, women’s street contests and the Rider Cup team skate championships.
Proceedings will have a festival atmosphere as performances by South African musical stars will accompany the contests. As part of a wider ‘Extreme Week’, there will be a special tour-stop of Thrasher Magazine’s SkateRock, wildlife tours at local game preserves, traditional African dinners and other extreme outdoor activities organised by the Northern Cape Tourism Department.
Faheem is seeking sponsors before he journeys to South Africa, with the promise that he will do his utmost to represent Bahrain on a global scale. He said: “I’m going there to showcase my skills and finish as high as I can, but I’m also just going to have a good time and do what I do best, which is skateboarding.
“As long as I have fun and perform to the best of my ability, I will be delighted. But, on a wider scale, I want to continue putting Bahrain on the world extreme sports map. Last year few people knew what my red and white flag represented when they saw me wearing it but this year many will remember and recognise it.”
* If you wish to sponsor Faheem and keep the Bahraini flag flying high email faheem.balooshi@gmail.com
