Windsurfing World Cup in Morocco

Moulay Bouzerktoune, located in the province of Essaouira, will host from March 27 to April 7, the Windsurf World Cup PWA (Professional Windsurfers Association), a first in Africa and Morocco.

For those who do not yet know Moulay, it is THE Moroccan wave spot. A small sandy beach with flat rocks form up a line up breaking waves in 'right'. Side starboard shore wind blowing stronger than in the bay of Essaouira.

From March to June, the swell shape beautiful waves from 1.5 to 3 meters for the delight of the passionate of wave riding. In summer the wind strength increases up to 30/35 knots and wave size gradually decreases. In autumn the beautiful swell is back with a slower wind regime which allows to alternate windsurfing sessions and stand up paddle.

Initiated under the High Patronage of HM King Mohammed VI, organized by the Moulay Bouzerktoune Association for Development and Water Sports and the Essaouira Mogador Association, this sports competition is supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Ministry of Tourism, OCP, Masen and the Royal Moroccan Federation of Sailing (FRMV).

This competition promises to experience great moments as it hosts host a triple competition, namely: the Women's World Cup Windsurf - Wave Category (PWA), the men's qualifications for the World Cup - Wave Category ( PWA), and the 1st stage of the International Windsurfing Championship (IWT).

This event will see the participation of some 100 riders coming from Morocco, the United States, Australia, France, Sweden, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy and Norway.

The organization of this event for the first time on African soil is of crucial importance, since it will allow Morocco to shine on the international scene concerning this sport, and to encourage young people to fully engage in this sport, confided Boujmaa Guilloul, founder and organizer of the event.

On the sidelines of this competition, several other activities are planned, including social, cultural and environmental actions, initiations to windsurfing, dedicated to young orphanage boarders, as well as paddle surfing, surfing and windsurfing lessons for children and women. The menu also includes a day of wind energy awareness, as well as cleaning days at the beaches of Essaouira and Moulay Bouzerktoune.

Moroccan surfer, Boujmaa Guilloul, holds the world record for the highest jump in the history of windsurfing - 20m in height in 2012 -  and he is the only Moroccan and African windsurfer to have won the International Windsurf Tour (IWT) in 2016 and was vice-champion in 2017.

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Surf is up in... Casablanca!

The Atlantic coast of Morocco is well known for its surf, but this  week Tuesday afternoon saw some unusually huge waves striking the Casablanca coastline. Result: The Tahiti Beach Club complex, located on the Casablanca corniche, was submerged by the waters

Surf up at the Tahiti Beach Club

During the afternoon the water level rose several metres and caused material damage. Locals say the problem was exacerbated by the relatively low height of the beach club structures and their proximity to the coast.

This is not the first time such events have occurred. In January 2014, the Casablanca Recreation Club was devastated by giant waves,  making several months of work had been necessary.

On Tuesday the ocean was serving up some gigantic waves further up the coast, one of which resulted in the death of one person and injures to five others. The wave, on the golden beach of Harhoura, a few kilometres from Rabat, also injured six other people who were walking on the beach when the wave took them by surprise.

Giant waves strike Harhoura

Amongst the wounded were two French nationals (a father and son) and three women, who were saved from drowning by lifeguards "The ambulances and the helicopter arrived very quickly," says Hafida, a resident of Val d'Or.

A Canadian resident in the area who wanted to take photographs of  the waves, was also swept away by before being saved by the lifeguards. He had no injuries.

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Think of Morocco - "picture the ruins"!

"When you think of Morocco you immediately picture the ruins, the sandy beach, the camels and the traditional houses. It’s true that this is how most of that area looks like, but there are modern adaptations too. Take for example this spacious house. It’s located close to Sidi Kaouk’s long sandy beach and the surrounding landscape is full of history." - Homedit.com

Believe it or not, but that quote is from a reasonably professional looking design and architecture website. When a colleague brought it to our attention we decided to have a look and decided it was worth sharing. And, for the record, we don't "immediately picture the ruins" when we think of Morocco!

"rather traditional furniture"

The house, with furniture oddly described as "rather traditional but with a modern twist" is situated at Sidi Kaouki, just 27 kilometres south of Essaouira. It has established itself as one of the top windsurfing and surfing venues in Africa and now boasts some pretty decent accommodation. You can see more pics of the house here: HOUSE

See The View from Fez Postcard from Sidi Kaouki here.

The View from Fez "Postcards" - snapshots from around Morocco - are all here: POSTCARDS FROM MOROCCO

Postcard from Oualidia

SAFI
It's ironic that 'saafi' in Darija means 'enough'. One night in the industrial port of Safi, north of Essaouira, was quite enough. Approaching from the south, we passed the enormous phosphates plant, belching out sulphorous white smoke from its labyrinthine tubes.

Safi does not delight the visitor

Next came the huge sardine works that also don't produce much in the way of pleasant smells. The other big industry in Safi is pottery - much of the ceramics found across Morocco come from this town and the potteries dominate it. There's absolutely nothing for the tourist here apart from the potteries. We were glad to move on.

A hair-raising ride to Oualidia followed. The taxi was older than us, about the same vintage as the elderly driver. But appearances can hide all sorts of things - here was Mad Max himself. In a car that rattled and bucked, where the instrument panel had long given up and there were no seatbelts (not necessary in taxis in Morocco, of course, though we wonder why), this driver got up to knuckle-biting speeds on the poor coastal road between Safi and Oualidia. Thank goodness there's a white line in the middle of the road to guide the driver - for most of the ride this old bucket straddled it, when it wasn't on the wrong side of the road overtaking huge trucks on blind corners.

OUALIDIA
Arriving in Oualidia meant a fight with Mad Max - we wanted to be taken to our hotel, he would go no further than the taxi rank. In the end he couldn't anyway, as the car died there and then. We were secretly quite pleased about that. So we hiked the kilometre or so down to the beach to find our hotel. There are no taxis in Oualidia, and no signposts to hotels, strangely enough.

an aerial view of the lagoon at Oualidia

Oualidia is truly beautiful, set on a peaceful lagoon. The town is split between the usual Moroccan conurbation up on the bluff, and the string of hotels, restaurants and holiday homes along the beach about a kilometre down the cliffside. Around the lagoon there are plenty of sea sports - a surf school run by Morocco's champion surfer, Noureddine Joubir, quads, scooters, windsurfers and kayaks for hire, or you can just laze in a beachside restaurant savouring fresh fish. This week there's a red tide (a form of algae ingested by molluscs making them inedible), so no oysters or mussels. The oysters are farmed in the lagoon - you can visit one of the factories to see how it's done, and then taste them in the restaurants.

The lagoon in Oualidia

See all The View from Fez POSTCARDS HERE.

Postcard from Sidi Kaouki - surfer's paradise

The View from Fez has just visited Sidi Kaouki, a small village some 25km south of Essaouira, on a 5km-long sandy beach.

If you like long walks on the beach, horseriding or camel riding, this is a great place for a few days. The exposed beach gets plenty of wind, though - there's even a wind farm a couple of kilometres north of the village.

Sidi Kaouki himself, after whom the village is named, is buried in a marabout on the rocks (pictured above). He was a saint who lived in the late 19th century and was known for his healing powers. Pilgrims like to visit his shrine. Behind the village are forests of argane, mimosa and juniper.

Surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing are all hugely popular. There's an exposed beach break that has quite reliable surf and can work at any time of the year. Offshore winds blow from the south. It tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell direction is from the northwest. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. The quality of the surf isn't affected by the tide. Even when there are waves, it's not likely to be crowded and it's good for experienced surfers as well as beginners, though you should watch out for rocks.

The Auberge de la Plage was recommended as a good place to stay, and that it certainly was. Delightfully rustic with a terrace ideal for watching the sun set as well as a shady garden, it was perfect as a quiet getaway. Fishermen bring their catch to the door, so the fish is always fresh and well-cooked. At the nearby Surfcenter, you can rent boards and equipment, and opt for lessons from qualified instructors. There's also a restaurant and bar.

Now we're so laid back, we're in danger of falling off our surfboards.

See all The View from Fez POSTCARDS HERE.

Essaouira Kiteboard World Cup

While the football World Cup plays out at the other end of the African continent, Essaouira is hosting the Kiteboarding World Cup from 7-11 July.

Organised by the Association Marocaine de Kitesurf, there's prize money of $30 000 up for grabs.

Just how popular are water sports in Morocco? The BBC website carries this report by Sylvia Smith today:

Essaouira beach

As Abdul Nasser Ouahad walks out of the water and up a sandy Moroccan beach the thing that stands out most on his white surf board is the word "Moor". Morocco may not be the first place that springs to mind when one thinks of a surfing paradise. But Mr Ouahad, in his 30s, is one of a new breed of sports entrepreneurs in the North African kingdom.

He is combining his love of the waves with the benefits that come from having a monarch who is a fan of water sports.

Abdul Nasser Ouahad (pictured left) learnt how to surf by joining a royal sports club.

"I began surfing when I was young," says Mr Ouahad, who runs Explora - one of the most popular surfing shops in the Moroccan coastal town of Essaouira.

"I joined one of the royal sports clubs here. In those days it was the only way of learning how to surf and being able to borrow a board."

Nowadays there are companies all along the bay of Essaouira offering tourists the chance to buy or rent all the kit needed to surf, kitesurf or windsurf at a low price.

First discovered by Europeans for its year-round waves and wind which favour different types of surfing depending on the season, the beach in Essaouira stretches the entire length of the town.

Although it has more than a mile of golden-yellow sand, because of the constant wind blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, it is not a place to lie and sunbathe for hours at a time. The hip crowd sit in the beach-front cafes and sip soft drinks. And the music they listen to is more likely to be Gnawa, a deep soulful sound derived from sub-Saharan Africa, than the Beach Boys.

For the last few years, the town has been cashing in on the world's surfing fraternity as the waves can vary from half a metre in summer - safe for beginners - rising to three metres in the winter.

Hassan Quessan, who is the Moroccan co-ordinator of Union of Open Air Sports Centres, feels that warm weather and the safety offered by the bay has helped win Essaouira the title of "Morocco's windsurfing capital".

"We offer training for would-be kitesurfers from Europe," he says.

"But we don't only get beginners. The conditions appeal to those at an intermediary level and those with experience. We bring groups over from France on package holidays."

Some of the profits from the water-sport tourists are channelled into getting local Moroccan children interested in the water. Primary school groups and youngsters from orphanages are encouraged to get their first taste of the sea under the watchful eyes of trained Moroccan monitors. They learn to swim and are taught about the marine environment as well as initiated into ecological awareness and safety.

The best way to start mastering wind and waves is to learn kitesurfing - the most popular branch of water sports with beginners of all ages.

Kitesurf fans like Fred Peyre from Paris fly regularly to Essaouira for lessons.

"With kitesurfing you need helpful monitors to hoist your kite aloft," he says.

"You get more help here than elsewhere because the residents of Essaouira are so friendly."

He is joined by a well-heeled couple from Casablanca, about 300km (190 miles) further up the coast, who have driven down for the weekend with their boards on the top of their van.

But some less well-off Moroccans, like Tareq Chaabi, are also joining in the trend.

"I surf for five months a year," he says as he carries his rather worn board into the old town.

"You can get a second-hand board at a reasonable price," he says. "Lots of boys and girls here are taking up surfing."

And, he adds, lots of people are inspired by images of their jet-skiing king, 46-year-old Mohammed VI.

Ismail El Gaz, a qualified water sports monitor in Essaouira, even travelled to Egypt last year to teach surfing for a month. In comparison, he says, Essaouira is very cosmopolitan.

"You find Australians, American, British and Italians coming down here because you can enjoy the water throughout the year in different ways - and it is cheap."

And if any more proof was needed that Essaouira was firmly on the surfing map, the bay this week hosts the first heat of the Kiteboarding World Cup.

But for Mr Ouahad the best bonus comes from the large number of Moroccans now taking to the waves.

"Over the last few years we've seen how the policy of introducing young children to the water pays off," he grins.

"I would say that Moroccans now outnumber foreigners when it comes to sea sports."

Who was the first surfer in Morocco?

Michael Scott Moore, a blogger in Berlin, is after information about the first person to ride a wave in Morocco. The author, Michael is a novelist and journalist from California, living for complicated reasons in Berlin. He’s also a surfer, an American, and a German (with two passports). Here is what Michael has to say:

The last push for an elusive surf-book fact has started: I’m looking for the name of a U.S. serviceman who first paddled a surfboard out in Morocco in the 1950s. The session happened, according to legend, at Mehdiya Plage, and the guy in question was stationed at Port Lyautey. He would have been the first person ever to surf Morocco, period. If anyone has any information post your story over here.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news

Surfing Morocco - a female surf camp

Tamraght, located a short drive from the infamous village of Taghazoute and a five-minute walk to the beach. The surf camp sits upon a small hill overlooking the ocean and from this vantage point, many a surf session has been planned and thousands of beautiful sunsets celebrated with a cold beer after a hard day in the waves.

Female surfers often get left out of the surf camp action, but Errant, a Brit surf travel company, have an offer that sounds pretty good. The venue is Tamaght and if you can imagine yourself catching the perfect waves off Banana Point or Devils Rock ... or simply all that golden sand, then this could be the holiday for you. As Errant's website claims.... As far as you can see to the North, is beach and perfect waves and in the far distance is Killer Point and the village of Taghazoute.

Celine Gerhart has teamed up with Errant to offer a Surf and Pilates week in Morocco. Gul Pro team rider and experienced surf instructor Celine Gerhart will be there to coach, lend advice and take your surfing to another level throughout the week alongside BSA surf coach Zoey Cotton and top longboarder Chris Thomson.

The week includes surf coaching every day sunrise and sunset Pilates lessons with Amy Swanson from Body Control Pilates in London. There will also be a chance to dive into the souqs for some shopping.

One week is £449 which includes all meals, transport, airport transfers and surf guide. The first week starts 18th November, the second begins 8th April 2008 and every girl who signs up will get a Gul and SurfGirl goody bag.

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news