Nawstique: Skating is Life

by Alexandra Mansilla

Nawstique: ‘I Become a Dull Version Of Myself If I Don't Skate’

5 Feb 2024

Karim Nassar has been featured in numerous headlines, including "The Face of the UAE's Skateboarding Scene" and "The First Nike-Sponsored Arab Skateboarder". These titles are not inaccurate, as Karim is a highly skilled skateboarder passionate about taking the sport to new heights. However, skateboarding is not the only defining aspect of Karim's life. He is also involved in his family business and has experienced several significant life events, some of which nearly cost him his life. It is no coincidence that he has a shark tattoo on his arm. This is the untold story of Nawstique that is yet to be revealed.

— I have been searching for interviews about you, but I have only found a few. I think it is time we conducted a comprehensive interview. Let's start from the beginning. I watched a video on GQ Middle East where you explained your nickname. Could you please elaborate on it again for our audience?

— Growing up, I used to be a fan of Nike SB. They had a video of a tour featuring some skaters. During the video, they gave themselves funny nicknames and used Google Translate to read those names aloud. Eric Koston, one of my favourite skaters, was among them. As a kid, I always admired him since he is considered the Godfather of street skateboarding to some. Koston's nickname was "Frosty Costy", I thought the way the lady from Google Translate pronounced it, with a very long E, sounded pretty cool.

I used Google Translate to come up with a name. At first, I wanted to name myself "Nasty", but I added a "w" to it. The lady voice on Google Translate pronounced it as "Nawsty". Then, I added the letter "K" for Karim, which became "Nawstyk". Two years ago, a friend suggested that I make my nickname look fancier, with a French touch. That is how it evolved into "Nawstique".

— You are known as the face of the UAE’s Skateboarding Scene. Why are there so few interviews with you?

— I have always been a private person. It is the way I grew up. I always thought of it as my superpower, that nobody knew much about me, what I do for a living or my interests. Even if you check out my Instagram now, you will only get a glimpse of me. You will know that I love skateboarding, a passionate hobby. But skateboarding is just a side of me; it is not everything I do. Now, I am learning to be more open.

— Being a private person, were you ready for the fame?

— I never imagined that skateboarding could become a career for me. But then, after signing with Nike through GMG, it kind of did. I remember we had received verbal confirmation that I would be a Nike athlete a year before I signed the actual contract. Finally, I signed the contract and could post about it on social media. After posting, I went to bed. The next day, I woke up to find that I had gained thousands of followers, articles had been published about me, and there were thousands of shares. Neither me nor the team anticipated the feedback on social media… took us both a minute to wrap our heads around it…

— So, could you ever imagine that you would earn money on skateboarding? Was it just your passion?

— Skateboarding was always a coping mechanism and something I loved very much. It taught me much about self-growth, understanding emotions, perseverance, consistency, and managing anger. Skateboarding taught me many things I couldn't understand with words — even friendships.

Skateboarding is about love and respect, connections and having a good time. Sometimes, it can be like an escape from the crazy world that we live in. For me, that was always the main thing, wasn’t ever about making money.

Instagram: @nawstique

— We will talk about skateboarding later, but first, let's go back to your childhood. You were born in Egypt. How many years did you live there?

— Zero!

— Zero? Yet you were born there?

— Yeah, I have lived in Dubai my whole life. I was born in Egypt, and then we moved to Saudi Arabia for around five years. Right after that, Dubai. Thanks to my Pops, many things were made possible and even happened. He was and still is the most hardworking person I know, and he just wanted a better life for his kids and his family. He worked his way from the bottom of the bottom to a better place and better life.

— What does he do?

— He is a businessman. He is the godfather of the events industry, specifically the conference, corporate, and business events in Dubai. And that is also what I do now. We have a company; we do medical conferences, world congresses, etc.

It is funny, really. Growing up, I was strongly opposed to my dad's profession. I wanted to become a skater and could hardly imagine myself doing what he did. However, I became interested in his work as our relationship grew closer. Eventually, I started freelancing and hosting small events. Later, I joined the team organising the Skateboarding Olympic Qualifier in the UAE the previous year. In December 2023, I was proud to be a part of my first festival, Sole DXB. All these experiences were made possible thanks to my dad's guidance. Therefore, I strongly believe that family is the foundation of who I am and what I do.

— You mentioned having a tattoo of lions on your left leg that represents both you and your father. Additionally, you stated that you and your father share similarities in appearance, especially when he was in his twenties. Other than physical appearance, what other things do you have in common?

— So much! We both have a strong passion for sports. My father used to be a professional handball player when he was younger. He later transitioned into bodybuilding and became quite big. Unfortunately, he sustained a spinal injury, and he could no longer lift heavy weights. My father was also a really good snooker player, and he was ranked number two or three in Egypt, which was a significant achievement considering the number of talented players they had over there.

After the injury, he couldn't do sports as much. He just dedicated all his time to work and family. I can't say he wasn't happy, but I won't say he was the happiest that time. Fortunately, later, we got into scuba diving. He became healthier, fitter, and more comfortable. Now, we all do that together — everybody in my family scuba dives.

— And what about your Mum?

— She is my best friend. We share, I think, a very similar personality type. We are both very open and friendly, joke a lot and smile constantly.

I learned a lot from my mum. Forgiveness, not taking things too seriously, and trying to improve overall. I think these are common traits I have seen in all family members.

— You have a tattoo of three monkeys — these are your sisters. Why monkeys?

— When I was younger, I called my first sister a monkey. It was an inside joke. I saw a picture of a monkey with a pink hairband; she was wearing a dress. So, I always teased my sister: “Look, I found a baby picture of you!” Now, I call my youngest sister monkey; she is nine years old. Her contact is saved on my phone as "Little Monkey". Don’t think I will ever change that.

Instagram: @nawstique

— We remember the story about when you decided to stand on a skateboard. You and your grandpa were watching TV, flipping through channels, when you stumbled upon some guys doing skateboard tricks. Can you please describe how you felt when you stood on the skateboard for the first time? As far as we remember, you were eight years old, and the skateboard was from a supermarket.

— I see that you have done some research! The story is about the first and only time my grandfather flew to visit us when I was young. I was sitting with him on the couch, and we watched a TV channel called E-Sports that showed extreme sports at the time. I was fascinated by what I saw — those guys jumping with their skateboards. My grandfather encouraged me to try it. Later, my dad bought me a skateboard/scooter hybrid thing with a metal bar at the bottom, which I used as a balance aid.

I remember putting the board down, stepping back, and running to jump on it. I jumped and fell straight on my butt. I was very discouraged. So, I just used for about a week. And then, I got into soccer and developed a passion for basketball. I was super, super into basketball. But later, a friend of mine reintroduced me to skateboarding.

— What was his name?

— His name was Yujin Choong, and we both lived near our high school. We used to go to his house and share one skateboard. We also played basketball together, and I was getting better at it. Despite being short, I was athletic and could jump high enough to grab the rim. I even joined a professional basketball program at school, which was quite strict. We were not allowed to play basketball outside the gym, and other sports were prohibited. The program was incredibly competitive, and if you did well, you could get a scholarship in the US, which was every basketball player's dream. Unfortunately or fortunately, I got caught when I twisted my ankle while skateboarding, which led to my dismissal from the program.

I kept playing basketball for fun, but then I discovered skateboarding. Yujin was always better than me at skating, but his skills motivated me to improve. Eventually, I left high school. My skateboarding skills got better, and I got sponsored by a local skate shop. I made close friends with people who also loved skating. Lawrence Jokun was one of them and remained one of my favourite skaters. He moved like a cat, always landing on his feet and effortlessly executing high jumps with a cool style. Another friend was Tree, who displayed remarkable technical skills with effortless ease. I am grateful to these two for influencing my skateboarding style. So, my grandfather started it all, Yujin reintroduced me to skateboarding, and then Tree and Lawrence helped me improve. I progressed a lot because I skated with those two a lot. Luckily, I am almost 30 years old and still skate. About a month ago marked the first anniversary of my first severe injury, where the doctor told me that I couldn't skate anymore.

— What was it?

— I tore the ligaments in my ankle while playing with my dog, out of all things. Funniest part was that all that happened a month after I signed my contract with Nike so you can imagine my mindstate at the time — I was pretty upset. Then, one of my close friends had a good conversation with me that changed my perspective on my situation significantly. I started to believe. It sounds silly, but it is true.

It is a perspective thing. If you strongly believe, it will happen. It is like an energy thing. I remember later having a follow-up with my doctor, who told me I was good to go, without any surgeries or medications. I just believed that I would be fine. I tried to be as healthy as I could, as active as I could, and as positive as I could.

Instagram: @nawstique

— Now it is the time for stupid questions for a professional skateboarder. Are there still any tricks that are difficult for you?

— The hardest or the scariest part is trying it the first time — that is the one thing that skateboarding teaches you.

After trying it for the first time, many people underestimate what their bodies are capable of and how adaptable they can be. I wish I had known this at a younger age. It might seem scary initially because the feeling is unknown, but as you understand it, the fear disappears.

Something that scares me is skating those big bowls. But I can’t say it is scary. I would say unfamiliar since I haven't spent much time with it. Like anything else, the more you do it, the better you become. Any trick I haven't tried might seem scary initially because I do not know how it feels. However, once attempted, I may not guarantee that I will be able to learn it. I will have an idea of what that feels like.

— Have you ever tried snowboarding?

— Yes, and I love it! Do you know what all skaters have in common? A minimal sense of fear. It is pretty dumb, but that's just who we are. So, I will jump off a mountain even if I am not good at snowboarding. I always want my blood to go up. I need to stress out. I want to feel like I am stressed and then feel happy and satisfied.

— Speaking about fear… I can't ask that story with the shark. I know you had an accident with it and even made a tattoo on your arm.

— Oh yes, that is something I haven't shared. She was a tiger shark called Lucy. I am glad I survived meeting Lucy. I will give you a long story short, but it is still a long one.

It was 2016 or 2017; I was going through a tough time. Some complications were going on at home, the same with university and also through a bad relationship. I was young and couldn't process things well. I think I can say that I was depressed. It was the worst I had ever felt in my life. My body was reacting, and my mental state was terrible.

One day, I got a message from a friend I hadn't been in touch with for a while. He said that there was a cool project happening in the Maldives. It was a Red Bull project; they were building a skate park. A friend was also going on that trip, and he asked if I was interested. It wouldn’t be a vacation but a challenging experience. I decided to go. It might be an excellent experience to snap out of it or change. It was the first time that I travelled for skateboarding.

I took a flight from Dubai to Hulhumale. Nobody knew that I went on this trip. My friend did, but my family didn’t because none of us were in touch. We weren't speaking at the time.

I arrived and met a guy who greeted me with $100 and a phone. I got there, and things started going down, up, and down. A few days in, I got dengue fever — a disease you get through mosquito bites. Nobody knew that I was sick. Eventually, my friend returned to the shared room and saw me. He was shocked because he was sure that I was partying somewhere. He got me some food. Luckily, I improved in a few days, and we continued building.

Then, during our work, one of the trucks pouring the concrete shot in my face, and I swallowed some of the concrete. So again, I was sick for a couple of days. I went to the doctor, which wasn't like a hospital; he was a guy with a general practitioner. What did he advise me to do? I drink a lot of water and wait for it to digest or dissolve in my stomach. So I did that and didn't feel great for a couple of days. Eventually, the skate park was completed.

All the people who built the skate park flew away, and my flight was in four or five days. The family and the guy who ran the hotel invited me to eat and stay with them. And they found out that I was into scuba diving. A crew from a separate dive centre was doing a movie for National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. They were doing dives on or collecting research on tiger sharks.

There was a thing called muck, which consisted of fish guts, blood, and remains. Divers usually keep it in a vacuum-sealed box. The divers open up the muck for a bit so that the sharks can smell it; it attracts them. Then, the divers have to close it again and seal it so the sharks don't go into a frenzy from smelling all the blood. One of the guys was ill, and they had asked if I had experience.

— Oh no.

— Like the little adrenaline junkie, I said yes. Even though I had never swam with sharks before, let alone tiger sharks. Fortunately, I learned some crucial details later that, if known beforehand, might have deterred me from the dive. Each shark possesses a unique "superpower". For instance, hammerheads can feel a heartbeat, while tiger sharks and great whites boast their large size. Tiger sharks have the strongest bite force among all sharks. They can even crack open a sea turtle shell with just one bite — an incredible fact I wasn't aware of before the dive.

Before embarking on the dive, I was handed an old and chunky BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), the jacket that holds the tank and equipment together. I complained that BCD was too old, but the team assured me it was perfectly fine, so I decided not to miss the opportunity. My role was simple: hold the box. I didn't have to open or close it — a particular guy was responsible. The briefing and safety instructions were thorough; I only needed to hold the box and watch the shark show.

The spectacle began. Lucy, a colossal tiger shark, appeared. She was massive, like a dinosaur. Her head was so big. If she decided to eat me, she would have had half of me in one single bite. There were eight tiger sharks apart from her, but she was the biggest one. And, you know, when you are near them, you can strongly feel the presence of something compelling.

Sharks are very curious but intelligent. They are opportunistic hunters, and they don't fight for food. And they also don't know what a person is. They don't know who is before them — a human or a fish. But the main rule to stay alive is — don’t move. When a fish dies, it starts fluttering. That is a sign of weakness; sharks understand the fish is dying. So when people do the same, they become a dying fish for sharks — food.

Everything was going well, but suddenly, Lucy started... singling me out. She started swimming differently. I understand sharks’ behaviour, but I knew nothing about it then. Then she started swimming straight towards me and away from me. Eventually, she was swimming right at me. I went into a passive panic; I couldn't move. That was good. However, I involuntarily shifted about three centimetres to the side. What happened next? I saw Lucy's mouth open.

— Oh my god, that is crazy.

— Yeah, it was. I remember seeing her mouth open, and the first thought I had was, oh my God, I am going to die, and my parents are gonna have no idea. Nobody knows that I am here underwater with a shark. I blinked slowly. I closed my eyes briefly because I didn't know what to do. And the next thing I knew, I didn't feel any pain, but I just felt like something was happening. I was manhandled and then thrown away with force. And I opened my eyes looked around, and there was no bleeding, but my BCD hose was leaking a little bit of air. And Lucy started swimming away.

Instagram: @nawstique

— But why did she behave like that?

— She came to take a bite but, luckily, bit my chunky BCD, not me. How could it happen? I have no idea. We discovered the box wasn't sealed properly when we got out of the water. A bit of blood dropped on me. Lucy smelled it and thought I was food. But I then got confused.

I could say I was no longer depressed. From that day, I decided to enjoy every moment of my life.

— And then you went back to your family?

— My way home was a story, too. I got on my flight and was supposed to arrive at 11.30 pm. My friend was going to meet me in Dubai. I remember getting on the flight, sitting in the chair and thinking about home. Then, I fell asleep. I woke up when the plane landed and turned on my phone. I saw that the service provider was Omantel, which confused me because I don't live in Oman; I live in Dubai. I might have boarded the wrong flight, but that was impossible. Suddenly, officers entered the plane and ordered us to evacuate immediately. I tried to grab my backpack, but one of the officers stopped me and told me not to touch anything. We were led off the plane and onto an airstrip in the desert, where we learned that there was a bomb on our flight.

We were taken to an empty terminal along with everyone on the flight. I remember sleeping on the floor. Later, I arrived in Dubai at 6.30 am. My friend, bless him, had waited for me the entire time and stayed at the airport. After that, I went back home to my mum’s place. My mum asked if everything was okay during my trip. I said that all was great. I have never shared the information with my family.

I remember the contrast. Before I left, everything was getting worse every single day. When I came back, it was the opposite. Day one — I saw my mum. Day two — my father reached out to me; we went and had dinner. Day three — I got news from my university that I graduated and got my bachelor's degree. Day four — I got my first job. Everything was good. It was like a magic.

— I always believed that another bad one couldn't happen after a nasty case. It is like waves, you know?

— I think the biggest takeaway from that was that nothing bad ever happens. I started to believe that very much, to realise that everything that happens is good. It might seem really bad at the moment, but in a day, a week, a month or even a year from now, you will thank God for what happened.

And also, there is one thing that was super important and I forgot to mention. I have a very wise friend who has a tattoo of the letter P on his finger. And I didn't know what it stood for. I thought maybe it was like a girlfriend or something. And he said, no, it stands for the word present. And it was to remind himself to be present. And that helped me a lot before Lucy and before all that stuff. And it still allows me to forget the negative and see where I am now.

I try to appreciate anything that comes my way, whatever that may be. I always see it as a good thing and think about how this will affect me in the long term.

I don't know if I did anything to make Lucy and other stuff happen to me. Some people experience this, others don't. I truly did.

— It happened for some reason.

— Exactly. Why? I try to figure it out, but I am also okay knowing I don't have to.

— So when did you decide to make a tattoo of Lucy?

— Three years after it happened. Sometimes, even nowadays, I see Lucy's face when I close my eyes. That was when my father started to get into scuba diving more. Then, we all started scuba diving, and I began seeing sharks more.

Do you remember that guy who got eaten in the Red Sea? Being a scuba diver and understanding sharks, I know that could have been anybody. I suppose, that accident could have been avoided if the coast guard made sure people didn’t swim out so deep. But I realised that could have been me when that happened to him.

— Did you go on scuba diving after the case with that guy?

— And even after it had happened, I still went in the water and was still diving, leading to being a skater. If something scares me, I will keep going until it becomes normal.

It is like a skydiving. I am so scared of it! But do you know why the majority of skydiving accidents happen? It is because people pull their parachutes too late. And that happens because the more they jump out of the aeroplane, the more comfortable they are flying in the air. And that adrenaline rush starts to drop. So they start laying, opening the chute more and more until, eventually, you are so comfortable in the air that you think you are flying. It is a good analogy which you can apply to everything in life. The more your heart gets broken, the less you fear it. The more you break your hand, the less pain you will feel the next time it happens.

Instagram: Marvin Caibal

— There is a stereotype that skateboarding is associated with something rebellious. What do you think about that?

— We are battling the stereotype that skateboarding is associated with destruction and anarchy. As a realistic person, I know I can only skate for as long as my body allows me to. Therefore, I would like to see the next generation of skaters achieve their goals in half the time it took me. We can make this happen with a positive attitude and kindness towards each other. Being nice to each other is essential, not just in skateboarding but in life in general.

Some people think that being an asshole is the only way to gain acceptance, but it is not. I want to convince others they don't have to be that way. When I meet someone who is a big fan of mine, I match their energy and try to calm them down. There is nothing special about me, and there is no difference between me and them. I hope they can even be better than me.

Skateboarding in my community is not about destruction; it is the opposite. I am grateful to have had older people who positively influenced me. Now, I try to do the same for the younger generation. I tell them that being an asshole is not cool. It is cool to be nice. I reward those who show kindness to others with a skateboard or some free shoes, and the kindness is paid forward.

We were raised to respect the places where we skate. We pick up our garbage and try to clean it up. If we cause damage, we try to fix it. Skateboarding is slowly becoming more accepted, and I think that is great to see.

— What does your day consist of?

— My day is very extensive. Usually, I wake up early, at 6 am. Then, have a warm cup of water. This is something that I have learned about recently. Next — admiring sunlight. I step outside and give myself an hour of doing nothing, relaxing and breathing. Whatever I must do, I must clean my head to start the day. Then work out.

— What workout do you do? Like running or what?

— I made the mistake when I was younger. Like all boys, I needed to go to the gym and get strong. But that is not a good thing for skaters. When you skate, you need to be light. So, I have learned about all these different forms of training and the importance of core, body weight and mobility.

Now, I prefer cardio. Although I am not able to run 10 kilometres a day right now, there was a time when I used to do it regularly. I usually try to run 10 kilometres in the morning, but if I can't, I do it later in the day. Unfortunately, I hurt my ankle and am slowly returning to that routine.

After a workout, I go to my job. Fortunately, my father's still around in the company — so I come to spend time with him and to work as well. It is like a win-win.

By the way, I didn’t mention that I took a break from the family business for a year and did my own thing. I went from skating in shows to organising events and community activities. I tried modelling, did influencer work, and created content. My days involve a mix of these activities, focusing on events.

I started intermittent fasting. It has been helping me with my energy levels. I can stay awake a lot longer than, you know, as long as I would like to be. As well as this carnivore diet — it has been helping me a lot with my energy, too.

And in the evening I go to the skate park. I get there at 7.30, and then I would be done by 9.30 or 10. Back home, shower, back in bed. And then the weekend comes in, some family time. I always try to go to the sea as much as I can. So if I am not diving on the weekend, I am out street skating with everybody. And that is, I think, the important thing in my life that I need to be able to function, I have to skate. If I don't skate, I become a dull version of myself.

— I see. And what connection do you have with Habibi Skate Shop?

— Habibi Skate Shop is owned by Maysam Faraj, the first and my favourite skater I have ever seen. He used to live here and skate for the local skate shop. I looked up to him for his skating, creativity, and attitude. He was always super friendly to me, unlike other older guys. With time, he and his wife Greta opened up Habibi Skate Shop. Maysam always pushed and motivated me and acted like a mentor and an older brother. He is a perfectionist and talked about Habibi for a good while before finally opening it. He even made a skateboard for me; whenever someone orders a skateboard, he writes them a little letter.

Habibi embodies what skateboarding is and will be on our side of the world. People call Maysam "Baba" because he is like a dad to them. He is just the best guy. He is kind, talented in videography and graphic design, and makes the best skateboards I have ever used. I have learned a lot from him about the process of making skateboards, and he puts a lot of love into making them. To me, Habibi is a representation of the beauty of skateboarding.

Photo: Karim’s personal archive

— And what is Paradise Airways? That account that you tagged in the description of your Instagram account. It is an empty one.

— Paradise Airways is something I am working on now. It is a clothing brand. My sister and mother gave me a lot of feedback, so they are the co-owners or co-designers.

I have a very distinct way of dressing when I skate. So I am making the clothes I want to wear when I skate. I have been working on this for almost a year. I got a brand name tattoo to motivate myself to follow through. I have dreamed of starting my clothing line since I was 18, and this brand is an all-around casual, formal, and skating clothing line that is different from what you usually see.

— When are you going to launch it?

— The aim right now is to launch it, hopefully. I am not in a rush. So, hopefully, I will release it before summer.

— So, is it your main goal for this year?

— It is tough to say the primary goal; I got many of those. But yes, it is one of them.

— What are the other goals?

— I have a few goals in mind. My father and I are planning a dive safari in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. One of my goals is to swim with manta rays there. Another goal that I am considering is to participate in an Olympic qualifier event for skateboarding that will take place in Dubai at the end of February. I don't necessarily want to compete, but I think it would be cool to be the first person from Egypt or the UAE to represent their country in skateboarding. This might inspire more people to get into it and try it out themselves. However, this is not a definite goal yet, just a possibility. My goals are dynamic and can change from one day to the next.

— Do you have a list of goals for the year?

— Oh yes, I do. I got like five pages of it!

— How many skateboards do you have?

— I always keep one skateboard I use, and I don't have any extras. If I tell you how many skateboards I have owned throughout my life… I think, over a thousand.

— How old is your present one?

— Almost two weeks. Skateboards come in various sizes, and for street skating, a size nine is considered large, while most skateboarders use a size 8 or 8.5. When I use a size 9, it usually lasts longer — around two and a half to three weeks of daily use. However, if I use a size 8.5, it typically lasts me just one week before breaking. Choosing the right size skateboard is a preference thing and, I guess, compliments the style of skating you are into.

— Can you please tell me some names of skateboarders you admire?

— I feel fortunate to have many friends in the skateboarding industry, some of whom are big names. I would never have met these people without being a skater in Dubai. There are guys whose names I can tell you; everybody will know who they are. But more importantly, I would rather tell you about my favourite skaters. Luckily for me, my favourite skaters are the ones that I skate with today. They are my friends. I think their skating style is super cool, and it inspires and excites me to skate. When I was younger, it was all about watching a video online of somebody somewhere. That still happens, but I am more excited when I see my friends around here.

One of my favourite skaters is Maysam Faraj. I always looked up to Maysam’s skating when I was a kid. He always had huge pop, such good style and a unique trick selection.

Another one of my favourites is Wathek Allal. He is like a brother to me, and he owns a clothing brand called Precious Trust. Most stylish guy I know. I love his style, its super loose and flowy, he is a natural.

Mohamed Mansour is another favourite skater of mine. His skating’s powerful. He also surfs. He reminds me of a younger, better version of myself when I was his age. His trick selection and style are super cool and flowy. I got to watch him grow into his skating, I am very grateful for that.

Ahmed Khalfan is practically one of if not the best Emirati skaters here. He has been skating for a long time, and age hasn’t affected the guy. Still looks the same as the day I met him more than 15 years ago.

Mark Issa too, one of the most talented skateboarders I have witnessed in person. He literally figures tricks out live. 15 minutes and he has learnt it. The guy’s super technical with his skating and has really clean style.

Evan Collison is another skater I admire. He was really good when I was a kid, and today, he is still just as good, if not better. He is the lightest person I have ever seen on a skateboard and always does tricks that surprise me.

I can go on and on about these guys, but I would say these are my top five in Dubai. I am blessed and fortunate to skate with my favourite skaters and call them friends. Anytime any or all of these guys go out to skate, I get this itch to as well. I just get hyped and have to drop whatever it is that I am doing and get down there ASAP.

by Alexandra Mansilla

Nawstique: ‘I Become a Dull Version Of Myself If I Don't Skate’

5 Feb 2024

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by Alexandra Mansilla

Nawstique: ‘I Become a Dull Version Of Myself If I Don't Skate’

5 Feb 2024

More from Interview

Wolfram: Italo Disco, Fashion Parties, And a New Year’s Eve Takeover

A New Chapter Of Oasis Festival Is Cooking. Interview With Marjana Jaidi

Lux Enters the New Generation: Interview With RM Sotheby’s

Life In the Fast Lane: Tyrrell Winston’s Dubai Debut At Volery Gallery

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