Ever wondered what would happen if you combined go-karting with sailing? Well, you’d get Blokarting! We’re not making it up, this is a very real thing and it’s happening right here in UAE.
First things first, what is a blokart? A blokart is a three wheeled carriage that resembles a recumbent bike with a 3m high windsurf sail attached to it. It was first introduced in the Middle East almost a decade ago in 2006 and is said to be the most fun you can have without an engine.
Paul Beckett from New Zealand was the one to design the first blokart in the year 1999. He’s a sporting enthusiast with a background in surfing and hand gliding. His aim was to create a device easy enough for anyone to use whilst being super fun at the same time. That meant that it had to be small enough for children to use but also big enough to fit an adult and be designed for people with limited mobility.
So how does it work? You guessed it! It’s in the wind. Blokarts move across land with the help of win through the use of the sail attached to it. It’s super easy to learn and is very safe. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a slow ride. Quite the contrary, it can go up to speeds of 100kms/hr.
But how do I control it? Well, essentially you just get in, belt up, hold on to a handle with one hand and with your other, pull a sheet rope – which is attached to the sail – to control the angle of it. To sail, let the rope go so the sail fills with wind.
Blokarting is ideal for flat terrain such as flat beaches, car parks, sports grounds, etc. But everything comes with a price as blokarting, more than anything, depends on the weather. If there isn’t any wind, then blokarting is pretty useless.
There are plenty of avenues for you to enjoy blokarting right here in the UAE. You could have a go at it through rental at Dreamdays Blokarts - The Meydan Hotel at Meydan tennis Academy, Dubai (Contact: 800 20 80). Or you could just buy a blokart of your own from Noukhada in Abu Dhabi (Contact: +971 2 558 1889) and it would roughly come around AED 9,500 (the basic model) and will include all the required accessories with it.
So if you’re a lone adventurer or a groupie, don’t miss out on this fun activity for everyone and every occasion. Plus, the weather is just perfect if you ask us.