Two UAE-based Filipinos have taken long-distance skating to new heights, gliding for four hours straight from Dubai to Abu Dhabi on longboards. What kept them going wasn't just the physical challenge, but the idea of doing something unique: being the first in the UAE to travel between the two emirates on a longboard. "For us to go far, we need to maintain a heart rate where we can fully have a good conversation or a funny one," they said. Much of the ride passed through open desert, with no shelter and no easy way to stop. "Distance skaters" Agoe Ray Manzano and Kyle Custodio began their journey at Marmoom Mosque in Al Qudra and finished at the cycling lane’s end at Mawasem Park Green House in Abu Dhabi, covering 66.12 kilometers in 4 hours, 27 minutes, and 49 seconds. "We trained for months to be self-sustained without any support," Manzano said. Even with months of preparation, the ride tested their endurance. He stopped at the 50-kilometer mark to eat, admitting he didn't fully understand endurance strategy at the time. "That’s when it came to my mind—is it possible to do this without break time?" he said, sparking a shift in mindset. Powered by energy gels and electrolytes, they trained with the goal of ‘no going off the board for 5 hours.’ It started moving away from the usual idea of what longboarding is. After completing the Dubai–Abu Dhabi route, Manzano said he already has several goals in mind, though he is taking them step by step. He plans to join the International Distance Skateboarding Association (IDSA) and take part in its virtual races, as well as join New York’s Broadway Bomb, one of the most well-known push races in the longboarding community. "Not sure which will come first, but these are some items on my bucket list," he said. Manzano also shared an earlier spontaneous 100-kilometer round trip from Satwa to Flamingo (D3), Internet City, and back. "Everything is calculated," Manzano added. He said this journey was the longest distance he has completed to date, tracing his motivation back to an earlier solo challenge. "Out of curiosity, I wanted to know how a 100-kilometer push would feel like," he said.
