Local Bedouin people help American navigate narrow gorges in Jordan.
Wakeskater Brian Grubb has tackled snow streams in Sarajevo and Filipino rice fields during his amazing career on the water, however his latest adventure is the best yet after he travelled to Jordan to take on the mighty Wadi Al-Hidan canyon. Here is all you need to know:
– Jordan has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Grubb travelled there to water skateboard through the Wadi Al-Hidan canyon in the Valley of Hidan.
– Wadi Al-Hidan is a breathtaking black basaltic canyon with narrow gorges, fresh pools, mesmerising green vegetation and wildlife that feeds into the Dead Sea.
– The American needed help from the local Bedouin people to transport equipment in small boats or by person over the perilous rocks with evenings consisting of traditional Bedouin cuisine and music.
– When Grubb and his crew finally reached their ideal setting, they positioned themselves on top of one of the peaks of the valley where the long wire pulling machine that the 38-year-old athlete would hold on to was installed to launch him across the volcanic rocks.
– When he first hit the water it wasn’t plain sailing as he lost his balance occasionally, nevertheless he righted himself to master the unforgiving terrain of the valley.
– The hardest part was on the final day when the New Hampshire native needed to pass through a tight crack rapidly, which he accomplished brilliantly.
– After completing the extraordinary trip, the former world champion said: “It’s great to be here in Jordan. I never imagined that I could wakeskate right here.”
– Grubb has dominated the scene for years, along with fun projects such as Human Trailers, Urban Assault, Winch Masters, Capital Chaos and Project Blackout.