As the wind blows and the sea water splashes, the athletic figure cuts through the water at breakneck speed. Although Rashid Al Mansoori considers these conditions ideal, rainy and windy weather is not fun for everyone. Rashid, who was the first kitesurfing instructor from Qatar to teach in Qatar, spends most of his time cutting waves.
“kiteboarding Qatar in the water is an amazing experience for me. “I go kitesurfing when I’m stressed or anxious about everyday life,” says Rashid. You don’t need gas, you don’t need electricity. Wind, water, and equipment is all you need,” he continues.
Broken Dreams:
Rashid started his sports career as a footballer with Broken Dreams. He was a member of the Qatar national under-18 team and played for the local academy. His football career looked promising until he had a car accident that changed his life forever. Rashid was placed in a medically induced coma for three days after breaking several bones in his legs.
“When I woke up, I felt numbness in my whole body, especially in my legs. Because of this, I was unable to play professional football. Rashid explains: “I really tried to come back and play football again, but I couldn’t.
Rashid was determined to find another activity that would enrich his life because sport is in his DNA. I tried climbing, cycling, kayaking, swimming and cycling. However, “I fell in love with kitesurfing when I tried it,” he says.
From apprentice to master, Rashid enrolled in a number of beginner classes and quickly mastered the sport. He started kitesurfing on his own and went to The International Kiteboarding Organization to get his instructor certification.
“I have kitesurfed in many countries around the world. I have been to Sri Lanka, Poland, China, United Arab Emirates and Syria.” Rashid tells Scenes that traveling around the kite surfing world is an amazing feeling.”
Rashid graduated from university in 2020, majoring in business management. He decided to start a business because he enjoyed kitesurfing and studying. Salty Kites, Rashid’s company, teaches kitesurfing to people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels.
“I feel very fulfilled when I teach people. I love helping people discover who they are. According to Rashid, I enjoy helping people identify their strengths and weaknesses.”
Amazing feeling:
One of Rachid’s students, Vanessa Rieck, trained with him for almost two years. When she was looking for a sport to keep her busy during the colder winter months in Qatar, she became interested in kitesurfing.
“Surfing the waves on the water is such an amazing experience. Vanessa tells Scenes: “I really love getting close to nature.” With all the power of the kite, it can be quite scary at first. She says: “I think the lessons really helped me feel comfortable on the water .”
Rashid places a high priority on teaching his students safe kite surfing practices. He emphasizes the importance of training with a qualified instructor despite his claim that the sport is risk-free. It could be dangerous for you unless you have a trained instructor; “Rashid explains that you can hurt yourself.” “It could be dangerous to use the wrong equipment or to break the equipment,” he says.
I needed to release my dragon:
Rashid is well aware of the dangers of kite surfing without sufficient experience. In his first competition, the wind grabbed his kite and carried it high above the water. It was one of the scariest experiences I’ve had while kitesurfing. I had to let go of the kite because the wind was so strong,” he recalls.
Thanks to the beautiful lagoons and windy beaches in Qatar, kiteboarding is gaining popularity. Traditionally, this sport is associated with foreign expats living in the country. However, many Qataris sign up for courses with Rashid because they are inspired by him.
“They and I speak the same language; I have the same mindset. We understand each other. It makes it easier for them to progress faster,” Rachid says.
Rashid is a pioneer in his own community as well as in sports. He is grateful for the recognition he receives from his students and is proud to be the first kitesurfing instructor in Qatar. He hopes to continue to inspire others to embrace the sport he adores and step out of their comfort zone.
