RIYADH, 9 September 2003 — In the evening, when the sun sets and the sizzling heat of the day lets up a little, growing numbers of young Saudis put their rollerblades on and take to Olaya St. and Tahliya St. in the capital in their Western clothes.
Not bothering about traffic, pedestrians, or the stares of passers-by, these young men skate down Riyadh’s street showing off their skills and sometimes even putting their lives at risk by zigzagging between lanes.
Arab News met a couple of these young Saudis and listened to what they had to say about their street skating skills and the growing popularity of the sport among young men in Saudi Arabia.
Fawaz Al-Jumaiah, 19, has been rollerblading for three years now. He started practicing the sport near malls or on streets with smooth asphalt. Over time and with the help of his peers he became an expert skater. He said that he fancied the idea ever since he was small, and finally he made up his mind to ask his friends to teach him how to skate.
It was not easy. He first had to learn how to balance himself on the blades. After that, once he began skating, his friends taught him how to maneuver between cars and perform acrobatics.
Ehab Ba-abbad, 21, said he was inspired when he saw roller-blading on the X-Sport television channel. He said he later asked some of his friends to teach him.
Places to skate in Riyadh are limited because not all areas have smooth asphalted streets or marble floors. Besides, skaters are sometimes chased away by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and the local police.
Majed Al-Shehri, 23, taught himself to skate. Later he met a seasoned skater who cemented his skills and through him fell in with a group of skaters here who meet on a regular basis.
He says that although he has been skating for only a year and a half, some experienced skaters have been skating for up to eight years. Their favorite areas are Olaya Street near the Aqariya mall and the Diplomatic Quarter.
All the skaters said they did not wear any protective gear like helmets, knee and elbow pads. Some said they wore it as novice skaters but later discarded it when they felt more confident.
But sometimes skating in public places comes at a price. “I have had many encounters with the police and the religious police,” said Ehab.
“Once while I was skating outside a mall, a policeman grabbed my shoulder and dragged me into the police office at the mall. He thought I was causing trouble, but I explained to him I was not a menace and that I meant no harm. I was let go and that episode ended peacefully.”
Fawaz told Arab News that he once escaped the men from the religious police as they tried to stop him near a mall. “When their cars started trying to corner me I knew I was in for it. I managed to escape by jumping over a stairway that was nearly a meter and a half wide,” he said. “They thought they had me surrounded but they didn’t realize I could manage the jump,” he added.
The young Saudis say they did not harm pedestrians or bother families. “In fact, when people scold us for skating it is usually singles not families,” they said.
Impressing girls is not what this is about, they insist. “People skate for different reasons, and I’m not denying that some do it to attract the attention of others,” said Majed. “As for us, we do it because it keeps us fit and we love it as a sport.” he concluded.
The skaters appealed to authorities and officials at the General Presidency for Youth Welfare to support this increasingly popular sport. “We urge them to support skating and to build proper ramps for us,” Fawaz said.
But not all Saudis are ready to accept the idea of young men wearing T-shirts and long shorts roller blading in public places. As Majed Al-Shehri says, there are people who feel the practice is alien to Saudi culture and tradition. “Once a man summoned me and advised me to stop skating. He said that it was inappropriate and that things which are taken from the West are not good and advised me to look for another sport.”
“The problem with our society is that we think that anything that comes from the West is bad. We should make up our own minds and filter out what we think is bad and take on what is good and doesn’t do any harm,” said Al-Shehri.
