Dubai’s Mo Rahma Takes One Of The Worst Mullaghmore Wipeouts Ever

Luke Gartside

7 years ago

Yesterday saw a day of crazy of tow surfing at Mullaghmore, Irelands premiere big wave playground.

Joining the usual crew of locals was Mo Rahma, an aspiring big wave surfer from Dubai. Yep, Dubai, the middle eastern nation on the Persian Gulf, known best for its ludicrous extravagance and, within the surf community, its wave pool.

You’re probably wondering how on earth a surfer from Dubai, who it turns out has only been surfing for five years, ended up getting whipped in one of the most serious days of the year at Mully, and we were too.

So, we decided to do a small amount internet digging and can now bring you the story of the young charger from UAE, in all its hollywood-esque glory (from the Bio of his website):

“Mohammad Rahma (better known as Mo), is the first sporting protégé from the United Arab Emirates in representing the country at an international level in rugby and football.

“Mo Rahma started playing football at a young age, due to the fact that football was the only sport he knew that existed, as it was the only sport that was played at school and at home with friends.

“A few years later during his college years, Mo was introduced to rugby by one of his peers. Mo instantly fell in love with this sport, as it was a fresh and exciting sport that was rarely played in the UAE. This was the moment where he started to break out of his comfort zone and created a drive to try out new sports that he would not of considered attempting previously. From golf to MMA, Mo tried them all, yet he realized that rugby was his passion.

“Mo’s rugby career was cut short due to a severe injury to his leg during one of his matches. The surgeons advised him that he would never be able to play rugby or football again and that it would take years until he could walk on the leg again.

“Not taking no for an answer Mo searched for new physiotherapy methods that would help him get back onto his feet fast. A Dr from the US was to become his saviour. Mo was introduced to an extremely new method of physiotherapy that involved water (and plenty of it). Seeing that there was nothing to lose Mo jumped at this opportunity. The method would mean walking in water for hours on end to build the muscle back into his leg. Everyday would now be spent walking in water for up to 6 hours a day. It was during this time he observed surfers carving the waves around him which generated his new passion, Surfing!

“It was just five years ago when Mo, who was curious to try one of the fastest growing sports in the world, had his first attempt standing up on a surf board.

“Mo’s passion, enthusiasm and sheer motivation means he’s been able to achieve what some might call the impossible on his own. His potential to grow even further is awe inspiring.

“Mo is focusing on introducing new and existing extreme sports to the UAE, showing children that there are other sports available such as surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding which they too can be part of and possibly one day represent their country in that sporting category.

“Mo Rahma is also a motivational speaker in the UAE and loves to share his story and motivate others to follow their dreams.”

So there you have it.