Chapter 4 - Morocco

Sunny Fassler (00:00.11)
Welcome, or should I say welcome back. It's been a while. You know, sometimes life has a way of telling you to pause, to take a breath, to let the salt dry on your skin for a moment. And that's exactly what we did. After visiting Rizal in Bali, Minichio in Mozambique, and road trip to France to talk to Billabong Europe GM Simon Charlesworth for our sustainability chapter, we tucked away our well -worn bags high up in our closets and took a moment to recalibrate. This pause though,

wasn't just about rest, it was about reflection. It was about dialing in the travels and stories inviting more friends to join our monthly escapades. And speaking of new friends, we're thrilled to announce that Duck Tape Theory has found a new home in Australia as a Traxx Magazine exclusive production. It's a partnership that feels as natural as the pull of the tides, born from our shared passion for surf culture and storytelling. For our first journey together, we touched down in Morocco.

and make our way to a small fishing village called Tagazou, the center of right -hand points, Tajin, and North African hospitality.

Sunny Fassler (01:49.678)
Morocco is home. Well, not far from it anyway. As I spend my summers in the Spanish Basque Country, I know this North African nation just eight nautical miles or roughly 15 kilometers across the Strait of Gibraltar all too well. With its short flights from most European cities, Morocco has long been a favorite for travelers seeking a taste of Africa. But it's not just the local hospitality, the mouthwatering cuisine, or the rich culture that draws people here. It's the surf, some of the very best in the world.

Morocco's affair with surfing began back in the 60s when American soldiers stationed at Kenitra Military Base first discovered waves at Medea Beach. But that was just the beginning. With an expansive 3 ,500 kilometer coastline stretching from Algeria to the Sahara Desert, Morocco has since become a mecca of its own kind. One of world -class waves, attracting surfers of every race, every creed, and every craft. But among the treasure trove of waves,

one small village stands out. Tagazou, or how one surf magazine likes to call it, Morocco's Gold Coast. Tagazou is to Europeans what Bali is to Australians, or Central America for Americans. From Agadir to Tamri, you'll find an abundance of waves. From points to beach breaks, reefs and A -frames, it's one of the richest stretches of surf on the entire planet. And at the heart of it all is one family, surf royalty, if you will.

The El Kalanis, Sa 'ad and his brother were the first to surf the points around the village, christened many of the spots with the names that now roll off the tongues of surfers worldwide. Munya, Sa 'ad's daughter, is the glue that holds the surf community together. She knows everyone, and everyone knows her. As you walk through Tagazu, it's impossible not to feel the energy of the place. Surf shops and cafes line the streets.

Boards lean against every other wall and the air is filled with the chatter of surfers swapping stories in different languages. But to really understand how the sleepy fishing village became a global address for surfers worldwide, you need to go back to the beginning. That means back to Sahad and his brother. Sahad Al -Khalani is one half of the legendary duo. He's witnessed change around here firsthand, from a quiet fishing village to an important hub of surf culture. As I sit down with Sahad,

Sunny Fassler (04:14.67)
his daughter Munia by his side to help navigate the language barrier. I can't help but feel a sense of awe. Here's a man who has lived and breathed Tagusun surf scene since its inception, who has watched it grow and change, and who still exudes an infectious love for the sport, the town, and the community it has created. I'm from Bagadier. Me and my brothers, we are first surfers. We began in 78 exactly.

brothers maybe later, a little bit later, in the 1780s. Yeah, I spent all my life in Anchor Point and we began to, we built houses there because before we rented houses and rooms, ten dirhams I remember, ten dirhams a day. It was all the surfers. Most of the surfers were like hippies, not like now. Now they have cars, they rent cars.

They have surfwear everywhere. I remember about surfwares. When OP, Pacific Ocean T -shirts or Sandeq or a lot of the, yeah, Quicksilver. When the surfers came here, they bring these T -shirts with them. So when they leave, they let us T -shirt with good marks, good brands.

We had a friend, Prosper and Jackie, they were, they took these t -shirts and they began to do copies. Very, very good copies. And the first we did is a t -shirt with kangaroo and I don't remember how, maybe 20 kilometers in the back. Kangaroo with.

We do the same exactly, we did it and we sell a lot of it. We do a camel with 22 kilometers, acre point. We got a lot of money with this. As you can hear, Saad's life is rich with experiences, each one a story waiting to be told. But to truly understand his journey, I asked him to take us back to where it all began. There are 70s. When we began, we began in 78. I began in 78, me and...

Sunny Fassler (06:38.542)
two brothers. In the beginning there was only a few surfers like hippies. We saw them in mystery in 1976, 1977. So we saw only Vans, old Vans, most of them it was for transit. Australians, English, New Zealand, a few French, Portuguese, Spanish later. So when we saw them,

When we saw them, we tried to do the same. We speak with them, they are very good guys, very nice, hippies, but not like surfers now, they changed. So after we saw them surfing anchor point, not everybody knows why it's called anchor point, because near the point there was a factory and they...

The fishing factory they fished tuna and when the factory stopped they took anchors from the sea and they put them near the road. So the first, when the factory stops. So surfers when they came there they saw the point, anchors and they said anchor point, anchor point, anchor point. Later, a lot of fresh media.

surf station. They came in there, they said, Anchor's Factory. Long time they said it was Anchor Factory. It's crazy. They never asked the locals why it goes Anchor Point. We just heard Saad's memories of legendary Anchor Point. This iconic break shrouded the mystery has gone by many names throughout its history. But among the local surf community,

one name has stood the test of time. Madrabah is madrag in French. It's a system how they catch tuna. We still have in Morocco another madrabah in the north. So they put naps inside the sea and they took the naps, naps amania, nets, nets, nets with big anchors. So tuna come and they go inside and they could, that's all they.

Sunny Fassler (09:00.782)
but the real name is Madrapa. So, and the tar sroot was very, very small, only fishermen. And they don't have engine in their boats. Remember all this. And after the surfers, we have more and more surfers, a lot of them they came from with vans. I know how they do. The Australians when they live. Australia, they live for one year.

they go to Europe, they surf to England, after they go to France, they go to, they buy a van from in Holland or Belgium. It's very cheap. Five or six surfers, they buy this and they come to Morocco. Here they stay two, three months, only surfing, surfing and smoking. In the beginning of the surf, when we began, we knew only all the surfers in the world and all the surfers.

Roshi the Devil's Rock and Banana and Anchor Point is the first Anchor Point mystery killer point and boiler we have never heard at Tamri too we have never heard about desert or others boat point I don't know them now I know because but before we have never heard about this Anza because the town is called Anza but it was forbidden to

swim there we saw the wave, a very nice wave. Not only there, Anza, but there are many factories there, and Simon factory. And when you swim there, you have problem with skin because it's all polished. A lot of pollution, a lot of pollution. And Alessi. Like for Anza, for example, there used to be a concrete factory there and the water was so polluted that no one was allowed.

to sway our surf. Everyone can have any skin problem because of this. And now they removed most of the factories. The concrete factory is gone like six years ago. So it started to clean up. So less factories, so the wave is more surfable. Like anchor point. But we surfed there twice, two times. And after, it was a little bit polluted, but not like...

Sunny Fassler (11:26.286)
Anza now. And after they built the harbor, they cut. And the surfers, we served anchor point, they told us that anchor point will change, the wave will change, they will not be the same. I say, they are crazy, why? It's very far. They say, no, sure, when the harbor will have influence, sand and everything. And it's true.

because anchor point now is not like anchor point before. I remember we have photos anchor point before it was a wall, vertical wall with now more tubes, more bars. Yeah. And before we have only one bar in the take off. You take it and you have a small section bar and another one front of our house exactly.

I remember the first time I saw, sometime in the barrel, it was Rari Russell, Rari Grisel. He was surfing with, he was sponsored by Lightning Bolt. Very, very, Rari Russell was very good fighter, very, very good surfer. We saw him in Anchor Point. And after we had the Gary Carton, one of the best surfer in the world, I remember.

Saad's knowledge of the area runs deep, and his passion for waves is contagious. As we talked, his excitement often led our conversation down fascinating trails. While he and his brother were the first to pioneer the points around Taghazou, they weren't alone in shaping the region's surf culture. Others soon followed, each adding their own chapter to the story. So, most of them, they surf anchor point, mystery, and killer point.

most of the... because the first surfers who were coming here, they were very good surfers, not like now. Now we have, yeah, only big surf riders. Anchor point, mystery, and killer point. And after, when the surf began to be known here, Roche Di Diabolo, Devil's Rock, Banana. Where we began? We began to... we learned to surf in Banana.

Sunny Fassler (13:49.966)
David's Rock and the Crocro. We gave names to these spots, me and brothers, the Crocro because it's like a crocodile, the Le Bac because we are both there, and Banana, we gave the names. And after, we came to surf anchor point in 81, I remember it was very, very big. And really dangerous. When you see the waves, it's easy. But when you are inside, it's very dangerous.

And when we were in the water, we are not very good, good swimmers. When we went to the water, we all the time asked to surfers, big surfers, Australian, they are very big, keep an eye on us. When we want to take a wave, we tell them, we go, I go, I go, I go. And then there was a story with the nose guard. I remember the first time we saw the nose guard.

Because we were surfing at the Alekdot Pesk. We were surfing anchor point, it was very, very small. And one surfer, he lost his eye, it was very, very, very bad. And I remember we were very shocked. And we don't surf maybe one week. And after when we wanted to go to the water, me and brothers, we put tiny small, we cut it and we put it.

And after we saw those guards, the surfboards, I think we think about this before them. And as it's only fitting for surf royalty, he tells me about that time he met the Moroccan king at Anchor Point. I remember one day we were in the water and the king comes, our king, he came and one surfer

I was with him and one server came and he told him, please, I want to tell you something, tell to the authorities not to build something in anchor point. And he says, I promise you, no one will touch this point. Because I told him, but Tarazut exists with anchor point. If they kill anchor point, they will kill Tarazut. Sure.

Sunny Fassler (16:17.326)
And Tamaraff too. Tamaraff was very, very small. Small and the land was very cheap. No surfers. When the surf began, it's same for Tarazut. It was very small village. With the surf, we had more and more surfers. We saw German surfers, Italian surfers, Tasmania, from everywhere we have surfers. So all the economy turns around the surf.

and Tamaracht and Tharazut exists with anchor point and economically it's very, very good. And the impact is not only in Tharazut but very far in the mountain inside. Same. You saw how many surf camps, how many shops, how many things turned around the surf and socialement parlant.

Socially speaking, you can see how the surf changed the mentality of people. Children, they are all, they all have something to do when they wake up in the morning. They say, they know that they will, they are occupied by something, a good thing. They learn to surf too. They sell surfboards, wax.

They teach, yeah, all the children are very, they learn English, they are very, very open and they, the tolerance to other child in the mountain and they are very different than other children in our other countries. Because they, when they wake up in the morning, they go to the sea, they meet English surfers, Jews, French, Australians. They married with the...

girls surfers and they go to Norway. So maybe 20 of them, I know all of them and they always come back. All of them, yeah. But then Moroccan DNA. Moroccan DNA, they cannot, I just met a very good surfers, young, young. Three years he didn't come, very good surfer. He's in France.

Sunny Fassler (18:45.198)
He came and told me, wow, Saad, I just want to eat bread, Moroccan bread. I just want Moroccan food. He was very happy to be here just for food to meet people. It's crazy. Ramzi is same, same. Ramzi and that man. Ramzi, he goes everywhere and he comes back. And just as I thought Saad is out of stories, he tells me one last one. It was very, very hard to find resin and the fiberglass. Impossible to find.

And I remember, we have a friend who was working in Agadir in a factory, this one, in a factory, who are making tables and boats with fiber. And we asked him to bring us some resin. He did it, but the fiberglass, it was impossible. So when, I remember when we fixed the surfboards in Taouaqt, in Deuzorg, we put resin.

and we don't have any, and there was dogs. I remember one dog there, we called him Tassou, he had long hair. We cut the dog there and we put, and we repaired. And after we put, stack the flour in, flour like here, and we put. But before the fiber, it was the dogs here.

As we leave Sahad's house overlooking Anchor Point, it becomes clear that this village is more than just a collection of waves. It's a community, a way of life, a spirit embodied by the people who call it home. And if Taggazoo were a person, that person would undoubtedly be Oman Chufani. Born and raised among the very point Sahad and his brother pioneered, Oman is the quintessential local. He's hospitable, passionate, funny, smart, and just a bit mad.

but in the best possible way. Oman is a product of Taghazou through and through. The salt water runs in his veins and he's a great ambassador of the big wave community in Morocco and around the world. His infectious energy and deep knowledge of the area make him the perfect guide to the people and the soul of Taghazou and its lesser known neighbor, Tamra. He's an incredible host. He speaks candidly about the changes he's witnessed over the years. On the one hand,

Sunny Fassler (21:08.206)
Ohtman recognizes the opportunities that have come with the growth of tourism and the influx of surfers from around the world. He's seen new businesses open, jobs created, and a general uptick in the standard of living for many in the community. But he's also aware of the challenges that come with rapid development. He speaks about the strain on infrastructure, the cultural clashes that can arise, and the risk of losing the unique character and charm that makes Taggazoo special. Through it all, though,

Oman remains a fierce advocate for his hometown. He's determined to see Taghazout thrive, but not at the cost of its soul. For him, the key is balance, embracing the opportunities of the future while holding tight to the values and traditions that have always defined the special dot on the map.

Sunny Fassler (22:02.222)
So yeah, I grew up in Agadir, which is the main town, 10 minutes, 15 minutes drive from Tarazutaria. So we used to drive or our parents used to drive us here to surf all the time. And it's been crazy to see the development over the years. But like I often say, what Mexico is for Californian and what Bali is for Australian is what Morocco is to Europeans. So as soon as the big storm hits,

their country in the winter and it's cold and it's depressing. They come to Morocco, it's a cheap flight, a quick flight, good food, good waves and the weather is way better. So I'll compare that to those two spots in the world. And yeah, we now have a lot of people from all around the world that comes in the winter to surf, you know, but most likely back in the day it was mostly European that used to come and now it's just took an important spot.

As a surf town in the world, Tarazut especially, nobody really knows about Agadir anymore. They just know more about Tarazut, which is pretty crazy. Oubman is the guy you want to have in your crew. The life of the party and super passionate. Traits that seem to go hand in hand with big wave surfing. But when it comes to his hometown and its development, his fun -friendly demeanor gives way to a more serious tone. Like back in the day when we started surfing, like more than 20 years ago,

It wasn't that many surfers, but it was a couple. And like Tarek and his brother and the one guy we called Psyka, Christophe Chemsdine, or Zoher, which is the brother of Sad, who has the first house at Anchor Point. These guys were the older generation that took us under their wing at Anchor Point, you know, but we had a little rat pack of 10 of us that go surf as soon as we didn't have school.

And we'll just chase some spot and really like we were just pushing each other. And then when we got to surf all those points, so when we was 10 years old, my first time at anchor point, that's when this big dog came in the picture and took care of us and was super nice to us and, and told us the respect you need to have in the ocean. That surfing is not like, this is not a circus and, and that's where we, we had our surf education from, you know.

Sunny Fassler (24:25.326)
say hi, wait for your turn and everybody used to get waves. All the locals at the peak. Somebody missed a wave, one of us missed a wave. no worries, you go on the next one, it happened. Boom. You know, like we, I want to say we is like my friend and Ramsey and his brother Samir and Lou, this is the rat pack I'm talking about. We grew up with a beautiful surf education when we respect the elders and we got our wave. And I see this becoming less and less.

You know, in a page, people are just like, paddle out, it's just a circus sometimes. And I miss that, honestly, but it comes with the development, you know, people, it's not because they have a passion for it, it's because either there's money in it to open a surf camp and be a part of this, or because it's like, like yoga has becoming like a trend 15 years ago and surfing has been the same, you know, so...

It's kind of sad, but it gives a lot of opportunities to people from here to get jobs and to meet people, and to open their mind, and to travel the world because they can make money in the winter. So it's a 50 -50 and I'm not saying it's all bad, but it's not all good. And yeah, so growing up here and see what it becomes, I'm happy at the same, because it's the same everywhere around the world, but at the same time I'm a little sad because

some of the main important points has been lost which is respect the elders, wait for your turn. So like I travel the world and I have friends all around the world and I'm able to surf some of the most like craziest perfect secrets wave around the world because of the respect I give you know and you give respect you get respect but when you just started surfing you shouldn't be expecting everyone to respect you right away you know you have to pave your way and

And pave your ways that by let your surfing do the talking. And I think this is really, really important for the new generation to listen to this and try to just embrace the lifestyle and the passion of like, hey, wake up in the morning, check the surf spot. You know, it became so easy to watch the webcam, the forecast, watch all the clips on Instagram, you know, like back in the day we had surf movies that come out and we're just like, wow, like you saw that part and we just listened to it.

Sunny Fassler (26:49.326)
watch that part just before so we have the music in our head, you know, that's the kind of passion I see living the surf culture and the surfing world and I miss that but I see guys from my generation working on making surf movies again and making punk rock cool and all this stuff so good job, you know, like on the people that don't care but like because I've seen it before it's hard for me, you know. The others, they arrived 10 years ago, like 5 years ago.

You know, they didn't see the way I saw it, you know? Like every hotel that has been built here, they weren't there. Like where I have my condo, where I have my apartment down, down Tarazude Bay, used to be a ranch. Like my parents' friend used to have a ranch and we used to go in with my school, ride the horses and stuff. That's where they built my residence. So, you know, I built my apartment there too, you know? I'm so happy to have such a nice place, five minutes driving from Anchor Point. Passionate about his hometown.

Oatman is equally committed to big wave surfing. He's become Morocco's export to the global big wave scene and he is a household name in legendary spots like Mavericks, Jaws, Nazaré, and anywhere around the world. Honestly, since I'm like 10, 11 years old, I've always been the one that pushes. You know, even when I was skating or when I was surfing, I always had that little thing that I want to push. I want to go a little further. I want to see how far I can go before I get hurt or...

like stuff like that. And I always been amazed by the pictures of Big Wave Surfer. I remember watching Flea jumping off the cliff at the AD and I was like, wow, can you survive that? And then I saw Tyler Knox in 1998 at Todos Santos and I was like, wow, you can do that? And I had like Mark Healy on Outer Reef. He was young, like a photo of him. I think he was 18, but so, you know, to tell you. And I was just amazed by that. And I always wanted to surf these waves.

And when I was in France at the boarding school, honestly, like I always been like super empty surf big board and big gettari and all those big wave spots since I'm 15. And I really loved it. And everything started with a dream, you know, with following my dream. And my dream was to push my own limit to try to be on big wave spot and catch the biggest surf that come to me and ride it well and get sometimes the biggest barrel I could. And I just...

Sunny Fassler (29:12.942)
pushed myself and I was my... I never wanted to compete with anyone else. And then when you surf big wave, you compete against yourself and the ocean. So you got to be healthy, you got to train, you got to get more experience and big wave surfing is more like a marathon. So it's not like the competitive surfing, which is a sprint. You do not qualify at 25. Besides a couple guys, you're done. Big wave surfing, I feel more confident now that I've never been and I know that in the following years I'll be even more confident. And you look at

Guys like Pete Mail and Twiggy and all those guys, they got the biggest wave maybe sometimes between 30 and 40 years old, besides Pete who got it at 51. But experience is everything in big wave surfing and he teaches you so much about life in general and how to be patient and how to get over your fear and take your determination, not into stupidity. You can be stupid in big wave, you're not going to last long. So it's this whole package that I really

then fell in love when I got into this world, you know? And like people will think you're crazy, but no, you're a calculated person when you serve big way for a long time, you know? You don't go on stupid way, like you try not to, but there's always that thing that is 50 -50 and the one that you think you're not gonna make and you make are the one that stick with you forever. So that's of course a little bit of craziness, but there's so many different...

people in the big wave surfing and when you go out there and if you interview any of them, everyone is so rich in terms of knowledge about life in different stuff. They're passionate people and there's so many things you want to pick their brain on and like, you know, I've hang out with so many guys and girls that surf big wave and everyone has such an amazing personality and you can tell we all have something in common but we can be very different at the same time but we have this thing.

that is like this determination to be at your best physically and mentally to ride the best wave possible. And when it comes to you, you're so stoked and you just look at the journey more than the moment, you know? Oatman's career began like many others on the competitive circuit, but he soon discovered that his true passion is away from the confines of traditional contests. I used to love competing when I was young, you know, but I love also just the fact that I was with all my friends.

Sunny Fassler (31:36.302)
and surfing with everyone and having fun and then get a couple like stuff when you get on the podium. And I did a couple little results in not major competition, you know, when I was young, nothing crazy, but still like a couple international contests that I've been a part of, like the King of the Grom, when I qualified for the main event and all the stuff. And I loved it. But I remember that then I lost and I'll be bombed for a couple minutes and then I'll go out and surf all day. And it's like nothing happened.

You know, I didn't give one or two shit about like losing, you know, like I was like, okay, I lost. I'm just going to go watch Ramsey win tomorrow. You know, like it was really like something that didn't, didn't, I didn't hold onto that. I was just like, okay, let's, let's do something else. And I was like, okay, you know what? I love surfing and that's not the contest or losing at a contest or winning a contest that will make me, you know, stop my passion and what I live for and what I.

I drive for and what I breathe, what I, you know, like surfing is everything for me, really. Like I can't imagine my life without surfing. So I just was like, you know what, I'm going to keep surfing. And I always loved that big wave free surfer image of the guy, you know, in the magazine and a guy that you don't see much on contest, but he's scoring and he's always like in the boardchart getting like wild shot on secret wave and on missions and have tales to tell.

So that's what was so like, driving me on that, you know, in a way. And yeah, I was, I like to compete when I play ping pong or soccer or all this stuff. I want to win, you know? Like who doesn't want to win? Have you ever seen someone who say, I want to lose, I want to be ugly and broke, you know, like no one ever, you know, you, you always want to win. You always want to be successful. You want to, want to feel good about yourself. So, so it wasn't just like something that will.

make me not like surfing, you know? So I just decided that my path and I was really aware of like how hard those guys reaped at a certain age and I knew that I was a little late, you know, late bloomer. And I remember my coach, Philippe Malveaux telling me, bro, you're going to surf really good in your 20s. I'm telling you, just focus on what we're going to work on from now on. And I was 15 years old and

Sunny Fassler (33:54.702)
I remember at 19, 20, I start to really, really, really enjoy my surfing and really enjoy the way I surf too. And, and, and I knew at a young age, you know, I grew up with Ramsey, who is one of the best surfers in the world. And we always go on surfing bigger waves together. And I was like, been always like, sometimes, like I say, like sometimes I stand out, I'll go on the big one, I'll pull in anything and I get good barrels. But like,

I knew like technically I was far from being able to qualify one day on tour too, you know, but like I said, if you want to be good in big wave surfing, you got to be a good surfer too, you know. So it was something that I were like related, I could use what the surfing I had in small wave to the big wave. And that part too made me really enjoy the process because like I improve a lot my small wave surfing after being on the...

You know, on the run for big waves, like being chasing big swells, I come back and I surf way better than before. You know, so it's funny. Our talk moved from ocean giants to the challenges within. It's a topic that often surfaces when discussing Morocco's top surfers, the so -called Moroccan curse. I know, like a couple nights ago we're talking and they say, fuck, what will be your dream? And I say, anchor point to be a left just for a week, you know? But yeah, I mean, we all goofy.

That's true, but at the end of the day, fam, we're having so much fun on our backhand and Ramsey became one of the best backhand guy probably because we have so much rights, you know, in the barrel and doing turns. And yeah, it's just crazy, man. Like everyone is goofy and we have so many rights. It's the land of rights. That's why I used to spend my summer in Indochina to have my left fix, you know? And as a goofy, you can tell whatever you want, but if there's a one foot...

left and a four foot perfect right, I'll go serve the one foot left. I don't know why. If there's a right and a left, I always look at the left. I don't know why. Natural footers, they're not like us. But we are, I feel like we're just different in that way. So it was just, yeah, sometimes I think about it and actually I really love to serve on my backhand. I really enjoy serving on my backhand. So yeah, I mean.

Sunny Fassler (36:13.518)
It's not a curse anymore for me. Oman is the perfect host on his home soil and the ideal ambassador to represent Morocco around the world. As he travels, he carries with him the essence of his homeland, sharing the spirit of Morocco wherever he goes. What I take is my happiness and the education my parents gave me here and being really respectful of everyone's home.

when you land on someone's land, you know? So I take that with me everywhere in the world. And after that, my personality is really like, I'm really social and I like to share and I like to learn and I'm happy about life, you know? I choose to be happy so I'm always smiling. So that's more of my personality that I take with me. And what I bring back is, usually I bring a couple friends that I met, you know? Like I'm like, hey bro, like you're super cool. You've been my brother, like.

in Mexico or in Cali or in every places or in Tahiti, like you come to my home and come surf with me, you know. And then everyone that I brought here always had such a good time and people love them, you know. So, yeah, I think that's what I do, you know. I travel, I make some friends for life and then I want to share with them my home and show them where I'm from because it's pretty unique, you know, Morocco. My home means our lifestyle, you know.

and the different landscape we have, honestly, when you come to Morocco, there's so many different ways, but some places look like Western Australia, some others look like a beach in France, some others look like Mexico, we have all of that in one country. And also, the way how we eat, the cultural and the food stuff, on Friday it's couscous time and you can go in the street and there's no one. Sometimes my friend will be like, why will we go surf now?

on Friday, it's gonna be busy. I'm like, no, brother. They go to pray at the mosque and then they go have couscous with their family. So I use that time to go surf, because surfing is everything for me, like I said. So it's just those little things. And then there's so many characters here. Our humor in Morocco is really unique. And then you have guys that sell their stuff at Anchor Point. They're amazing. This guy, Friday, he has the best quotes to...

Sunny Fassler (38:39.726)
to sell and then you have like all the, like I say, like how people are when you're like, hey, you come out of the water, they're cooking a tagine. They're like, no, you sit with us and you eat. And my friend is sometimes like, really? What? No, we don't have for you. And I know, you sit and you eat, you know, like boom, and they give you like the best part of the meat and they give you everything. So I wanted to show them that.

hospitality and that's what Morocco made me who I am as well. So that's what I took with me when I travel. So then they understand me more. They're like, okay, like I just thought you were super nice. Like you were one of a hundred. No, we like that, you know. So at the same time, I try to show like, to show them around and everything. There's so many different special stuff you can show them and we have a very, very different culture. Every time I bring someone, it's like nowhere they've ever been, you know.

Sunny Fassler (39:42.702)
As Othman speaks about the delicate balance between progress and tradition in Taguzu, it's clear that this small town has a knack for producing individuals who embody resilience and adaptability. And perhaps no one represents these qualities better than Ramsey Bouhiam. Ramsey's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, a decade on the qualifying series, multiple heartbreaks at the cusp of qualifying for the Dream Tour. And then, just when he finally made it,

A season ending injury that forced him out of his debut year on the championship tour. But his story is not one of defeat. It's a story of relentless determination and the ability to rise above adversity. As the only pro surfer from the Arab world to ever make the CT, he carries the weight of representation on his shoulders. And when he's on, he can outsurf just about anybody on the planet. Proving that his journey has been one of growth, not of stagnation. Of resilience, not of resignation.

and of stubborn belief in himself, in his abilities, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. But perhaps Ramsay's greatest strength lies in his honesty. He openly shares his struggles with injury, mental health, and personal losses, shedding light on the often unseen challenges of pursuing a dream at the highest level. One note, when I sat down with him to record this chapter, Ramsay was an alternate injury wildcard for the tour. Since then,

He's joined the dream tour full time and is currently preparing for the 2024 Olympics in France. But make no mistake, his journey of overcoming setbacks and betting on himself might be his most significant accomplishment yet. Well, first of all, it started in Agadir down south of Morocco. That's the city where I was living with my brother, my dad and my mom. I went to school there and stuff. That's where I grew up.

And my dad used to take us a lot to the beach, me, my brother, even my mom, because he used to love fishing. He was fishing a lot, my dad. So we would always be around, you know, the sea and at the beach all day. And I started standing up on the boogie board. Honestly, I was starting, you know, I was doing boogie board a lot and I was just hanging out playing soccer on the beach, just spending the whole day at the beach, right? And my brother, my older brother started surfing before me.

Sunny Fassler (42:04.59)
And then he was like, man, you should try surfing or not. And I tried after like, I think a year or something, or even more of Oogie. I tried and I don't know, I just clicked really fast, I guess. And then, yeah, and then we went to, to Alidia to surf land. It's the surf camp where I like pretty much everything started for me, where Laurent Miramont kind of like, you know, saw I guess the potential I had from, from the start and told my parents like, maybe your kid has some, you know, have something special in the

in this sport, but I was playing soccer too on the side. Soccer was my main thing, you know, and I loved soccer and I was pretty good at it. And then my dad came to me after like I think six months. He was like, what do you want to do? You want to go soccer or surfing? And I just went surfing and I quit soccer. It was pretty hard, honestly, because I loved it, but I guess I loved surfing more. And so I kept going a lot.

to surf land. Every holiday, every school holiday, I was there. It's up north. It's close to Casablanca, Wadi Diyah. Super nice place to surf and to learn. You have every type of waves too. I loved it there. Just being around kids too, it was amazing memories, the time I had in surf land. Then not even a year after I started, maybe less, I did my first contest in 2003 in Wadi Al -Muhammediyah.

It used to be the Gromitz Trophy, which is, I think, the king of the Gromitz now. Back then it was called the Gromitz Trophy. And they had like a contest, I guess, in every places in the world. And the final would be in Cap Breton in France with all the best of each regions. And I won in under 12 and came second in under 14 for my first contest ever in Morocco.

So I won my ticket to go there, but my dad thought I was too young, so I never won the first year. And then the second year I went, and that's how I clicked with Quicksilver as well. And that's where my story with Quicksilver started. And I went there and everyone was baffled because I was like, I was a little shrimp, man. I was so skinny, so small back then. And when I got there, the guy said to Laurent, the Quicksilver guy said to Laurent, man, what's this skin you just sent us? Are you kidding me? Like, what is he gonna do? And I ended up...

Sunny Fassler (44:30.414)
I ended up finishing fifth in this contest back then with John. Everyone was there, all the best, Garrett Parks, Tamaro Amakum, Christo Baldecol, Peter San Crisanto, all the boys, Wiggily. And I did that. So my story started with the, with Quickie and then I was still living in Morocco. So I would go back to Morocco for the school and on holidays, especially the summer holidays, I would go to France and do the contest.

during the two months of summer. And then unfortunately in 2005, I lost my dad. So that was a very tough part for me and for my family, unexpected, you know. So that was very hard. And we decided to move in 2007. So two years after we decided to move to Biarritz.

I mean, we wanted to move anyway from Morocco because school was pretty expensive in Morocco and in France, it's free, right? And we went to this region because I had surfing and I could continue and maybe do something with it there. So I went to surf school. I was at school and surfing in the afternoon. And I feel like that's a big, like critical point of my surfing journey. I feel like, I'm not saying if I stayed in Morocco, it would have been

I would have never made it this far, but maybe, because you get into a whole other thing there. You surf pretty much every day and you're around the best in Europe. So you're surfing with good guys in the water, so you're pushing your level up and stuff. And yeah, just surfing a lot. And then you're just in the scene. Back then, Europe was big in surfing and you're in the scene, you're in the...

You know, the sponsor scene too. So you're not all the way in Morocco by yourself, you know? So that was the thing. That was the thing. And then, yeah, then first QSs and then boom, a long, long, long few years on the QS to finally qualify last year, two years ago. Yeah. Last year. Life has a way of shaping us through its challenges. As we heard from Ramsey, adversity came early.

Sunny Fassler (46:50.798)
forcing him to confront loss and responsibility at a young age. Like I said, you know, of course, especially the first year, bro, I was very tough because it's a whole thing. You know, you're still a kid. You know, I was 12. I was 12. You lose your dad. You're like, wow, you have your life. You have your friends. You have, you know, the the climate in Morocco is, you know, it's nothing compared to the French one in the winter. So, you know, there's a whole there's so many things that come come come in to this, you know, and

But on the other side, it's a good thing in terms of me growing up, I had to grow up faster, me and my brother, that's it. In Morocco, you have everyone, you have the woman to cook, the woman to clean your clothes. So we have, man, we are really lucky in Morocco. And to be there in an apartment with my mom working from eight or 7 .30 a till like 6 p every single day.

And as you know, me and my brother, we had to like, okay, there's no one here. You know what I mean? In the face of personal loss, Ramsey found strength in his community. The village rallied around him with local surfers stepping in to guide and support both Ramsey and his brother. Yeah. I mean, there's a few, there's a few locals, you know, in Morocco, a few older surfers that I grew up, you know, watching them, you know, especially at Anchor Point. When I was going to Anchor Point, it was big.

I was scared. I was sitting on the rocks watching. I mean, big back then for me was big and I was pretty big, you know, but I was like, wow. And I was watching a few locals that rip, you know, especially, you know, like there's a few, a few names, Karim El -Bihi. He was goofy footer. He had a sick back and I feel like he had a sicker style. I watched him a lot. There's a lot of locals, you know, Zuhir from Anchor Point, Christophe Chemsdine. There's a whole crew, you know.

of all the guys and when we were small, Kamel, Kamel Herboula as well, you know, and then Laurent Miramon, Laurent Miramon was pretty much my mentor, you know, the one I told you from North, from the surf school. He's the one who really like took me and, you know, said to my parents, like your kid have something and pushed me, you know, pushed me into like, into surfing deeply, you know, and so yeah, he was my biggest mentor, but there's a few guys, you know.

Sunny Fassler (49:16.494)
And then growing up with the Ottoman, even other friends, there's other guys like Lou, we had a nice little crew, Ali, we had nice little crew of best friends. And we would all surf there, surf and push each other, push each other. The path to professional surfing is grueling. For Ramsey, a decade on the qualifying series meant relentless dedication and constant support from those around him. It's a journey, bro. It's a journey.

Man, QS is hard. Honestly, it's very hard. I feel like it's the jungle because man, people rip. No, it's true, bro. People rip like everyone rips and conditions are really hard and then you can easily, I mean, you can easily get into, you know, and even me, like I feel like I could have qualified earlier as well, you know, is that you know, you do your little mistakes, you know, you do your little road, you know, you, you know, you, you.

You learn, you learn while, you know, on the road and it's a whole thing, you know, and yeah, it took me 10 years. I could have done it earlier, I'm pretty sure, but that was it. That was my journey. That was how it was supposed to happen. And it's hard, man. Honestly, it's hard. I had a few times where I wanted to stop, to be honest, especially one time I feel like it was in 2019. I really wanted to stop. I was feeling like pretty, yeah, pretty much depressed, honestly, having a baby and stuff like that.

I was bombed, like I didn't want to surf anymore. And I said it to my coach back then. I told him, yeah, I'm done. I'm really done. And I at least, yeah, I don't want it anymore. I don't feel good. I don't feel happy. And he told me that was right before the qualification of the first Olympics. It was in 2019. And he told me, Ramsey, look, give me these four events, four next events.

And then if you don't want to go to Hawaii, you don't go to Hawaii and then you stop. That's it. But just give me that. And, and we're in those four events. It was the Miyazaki contest, the qualification for Tokyo in Japan. Right. So first contest, we go boom, panting boom. I'm surfing great in free surf. I feel great. Boom. I lose first round with two, three points. I'm like, wow. I'm like, okay, this is it. This is like, this is.

Sunny Fassler (51:39.822)
putting me even, you know, I'm like more sure about quitting now, you know? And then we go to Japan and I get there. I don't know what I have to do to qualify. Honestly, I don't expect anything. Like I'm at the lowest in my career. I just wanted to surf, that's it. And I got there and I ended up, you know, I ended up qualifying for Tokyo and that was the switching point. I was like, wow. You know, I didn't realize, but when I came home and I saw the

you know, the buzz, the whole thing that, you know, was happening. I was like, wow, actually, you know, there's a lot of people looking up to you and supporting you, you know, like a lot. You cannot do this, you know, like wake up and, and it gave me a, I don't know, like a fresh, you know, reading again. And, and after the next year, so 2020 first contest, I go to Brazil, I win, boom.

I'm like, wow, this is big. This is it. That's it. It's a switching point for me. I'm on, you know? And then COVID, boom. COVID comes, then it stops me again in my thing. No contest, boom. I'm like, la la. You know, everyone had a hard time in COVID. I'm like, wow, this was my momentum switch. And now, you know, again, we're going through some weird phases, you know? But I was like, in my head, I was like, no, no, no, it's happening in this next year or two. You're in.

That's it. I don't know, something clicked, you know. And I made the, it's true that I made way more sacrifices as well than before when I was younger. And I just committed to it fully and I knew what I had to do after all these years, the experience, I knew the mistakes I've done many times, many times, you know, I was like, okay, just boom, control all that and do your best and give your best until the end, not for months or two until the end. And then if it doesn't happen, well, it doesn't happen, but at least

No regrets, you know? And I qualified right there. So, man, you see the life is crazy, bro. Like it's a roller coaster, because look, I just qualified. I just had the best year of my life, right? I was in Hawaii. Boom, I took a flight. Boom, went all the way to Qatar to watch the World Cup. Morocco has the best World Cup in the history. I'm having a crazy time. All Moroccans are united. It's crazy time for sports in Morocco. You know, Moroccans.

Sunny Fassler (54:03.662)
And then one month later, I go to Hawaii before the first event of my dream. Since I'm a kid, both, I break my ankle, biggest injury I've had in my whole career in a month part, you know, it's crazy. So you go from the highs of highs to the lows of lows. And I was like, no, I couldn't believe it was happening to me. When it happened under the water, I was like, no, no, I knew it was serious. I thought I broke my leg, but then I was like, no, I knew something wrong.

I knew it but I couldn't believe I didn't want to believe it. So, I tried even, man, I had five raptor ligaments and I tried to put in a boot for 10 days and like thinking I'm surfing, bye. I was like no, I'm doing it. And when I went to France, I showed the guy, the surgeon is like man, what were you thinking bro? Like your ankle is gone man, you need a big surgery like no way you can surf, no way.

And I, but I, you know, it was, it was just hard to swallow, but then I feel like, and that's where you have to be strong as an athlete because then you cannot get into that, that phase of, you know, questioning everything and going dark and deep into the bad thoughts, you know, like, wow, why me? Why is this happening to me? What did I do? Blah, blah, blah. Of course they go through your mind. I'm not lying. I would be lying if I said no, but you have to be stronger and able to, you know,

get rid of those thoughts and start reaching process to, okay, what I have to do to recover and to be back in there where I was like 10 days ago? What do I want to do to get back to that position? If Ramsey's story tells us anything, the Taggazoo area seems to greet incredibly resilient and determined individuals. But it's clear that this small town's influence extends far beyond the domain of surfing. Because while the waves may have put Taggazoo on the map, the rich mix of cultures, traditions and flavors

truly make this place world class. Morocco and by extension Taghazou is a melting pot in every sense of the word. Over the centuries, a diverse blend of influences has left its mark on the country's culinary landscape. The Arabs brought spices and dried fruits from the Far East in the 7th century, while the Moors introduced olive trees and oil. The Ottomans left their impression with barbecue grills and the French added a European twist to the mix just over 100 years ago. But it's the Amasiyya.

Sunny Fassler (56:27.182)
the indigenous people of the region who perhaps had the most profound impact on Morocco's food and culture. Slow -cooked stews like tagines named after the pot in which they are prepared and shared dishes like couscous are just a few of the culinary traditions that have been passed down through generations of Amazigh families. This spirit of hospitality and sharing is at the very heart of Amazigh culture.

Regardless of means, the Amazigh have always opened their homes and their hearts to visitors, embodying the true meaning of their name, free people. And there is no better ambassador for the Amazigh people than Mariam El Gurdum, a five -time Moroccan surf champ who wears her Amazigh identity loud and proud. Raised in the sleeping fishing village of Tamrat, just a stone's throw away from Taghizou, Mariam's story is one of breaking stereotypes and navigating the balance between tradition and the modern world.

Growing up as the only girl among a pack of boys, Miriam faced her fair share of challenges in a community where women were often discouraged from sports or even leaving the house. Miriam's love for surfing could have easily been stifled, but thanks to the support of her parents, she was able to pursue her passion and shatter expectations along the way. It's a story that reflects the very essence of Morocco, a country that is constantly evolving yet deeply rooted in its rich cultural traditions.

Sunny Fassler (58:06.126)
I live in Tamrath. I'm original from Tamrath. I was born there and even my family. I started surfing when I was 11 years old. I started competing. I won 5 times Moroccan champion. Now I stop competing. I'm a surfing instructor and a surf guide. Maryam has many things. A five -time Moroccan champ, a surf guide, and a business owner.

But first and foremost, she's an Amazigh woman. The Amazigh are the indigenous people of North Africa, with a rich cultural heritage predating Arab influence in the region. Amazigh, it's in my blood, so which is I'm 100 % Amazigh. So yeah, and they grew up in a family who keeps teaching us like the traditional thing like Amazigh and we...

like in the house we keep speaking in Tamazigh and also when I was young I had an issue with when I was studying I don't even know how to talk Moroccan Arabic so it took me longer and everyone was Latin on my accent which is like you know it's a Amazigh accent but I'm proud of it so yeah I would say in the like 10 years ago

Being Amazigh, most of the people, they are not proud of saying I'm Amazigh. But for me, it's all the time, yeah, I'm Amazigh. I love my original. So yeah, and I never forget that we are the first people in the North of Africa. So if we will say, is all the Moroccans are Amazigh? I will say...

90 % of them are Amazigh. You know, just they get mixed with Arabic, so which is like Morocco got colonized from Arabic and most of us, we become Muslims, I'm Muslim. So this is the thing that doesn't make any difference between us. So we respect each other, we live in the same country. So we don't have any issue between each other. Even sometimes, you know, there is racism between, you know, like, which is, yeah, you are Amazigh,

Sunny Fassler (01:00:31.054)
You know, I don't care about it. You know, we are, for me, the most important thing, it's to respect each other. And even there is Sanfio Moroccans who doesn't accept that Amazigh existed. You might know the Amazigh people as Berbers, but as Maryam explained, this isn't their preferred name. The term Berber carries a negative meaning, originally used to describe savage. Normally people that used to call us Berber, which is savage. For us, we don't really accept someone to call us Berber.

We are not savage. For us, it's Amazigh. Amazigh, we are free people. Miriam is proud of her DNA, serving as an ambassador for the first people who settled in North Africa. And even with, we don't, we didn't really study about our history, you know? It makes me sad. You know, like when I was in the school, I didn't know even, I didn't even know that Amazigh, they were the first people in the North of Africa. Just I was searching by myself.

which is, you know, like normal, we should study that at the school. We should know more about our history. We were studying about like European history, which is, you know, like it's not our culture, it's not our country though. So yeah, I'm proud and Amazigh is in my blood until the last day in my life. I would say Amazigh people from like before they become Muslims, it was also like still

They were hard, especially like being a female. It's not easy though. The only thing is it's about growing up, getting married, having kids and taking care of your family. This is the only thing. And I was inspired from Deiya. She was out of this way. She was like taking another way, which is she's following her dream. Like she was a fighter, her dad was teaching her.

You know, like when her dad passed away, she became a queen. And everyone wasn't like, they didn't accept about that in the beginning, which is like the girl, she has to stay at the house, et cetera. But when they, yeah, she did that, most of the girls, they start getting, you know, following her, which is, you know, like they want, they wants to, they wants to make them dream come true. It's not only like a...

Sunny Fassler (01:02:54.67)
Yeah, like being a mom or being a wife, it's a part of our life, but it's not important, important thing in our life. There is a lot of things to do. So yeah, this is one of the things. And for me, when I was young, I'm not gonna lie. When I started surfing, I had a lot of problems, a lot of issues, which is people in my village, because in Tamraht, most of the people there are my family. You know?

are my blood, you know, we are sharing the blood, so which is Amazigh first thing, we get married between each other, you know, we don't go out to the other village to get married or something, you know, and everyone there is my family and so yeah, they didn't really accept like it just like seeing a girl, a surfer girl like going with the boys for them, it's like, no, no, no, this is not, this is not our culture, we should...

she doesn't have to do that etc. But in the end I showed that like it's a sport it's not something bad that I'm doing. So but when I got the respect the moment I win my first Moroccan champion when I was 14 years and everyone is proud of me I was like okay now I got you. So yeah and then I like

they completely changed. And I was saying, imagine I did stop surfing and I didn't show them that it's a sport. I didn't show them it's different thing. It's not something bad. So like they won't understand the boring. They're going to keep all the time saying, this is not for a woman. this is not for a woman, you know, because for them, like the only one who goes to the sea, it's a fisherman. And then when they see a woman going...

Going to the ocean it means like you know you are not respecting the your culture etc but I do it's a sport I love it

Sunny Fassler (01:04:56.846)
As an Amazigh woman, a Muslim, and a surfer all at once, she skillfully navigates the intersection of old traditions and modern pursuits. First thing, if my family wasn't behind me, that would be a big, big struggle because I'm not going to find the support. So I'm glad that my dad is a fisherman and my mom, she used to...

She was like thicker, thick in corvass, but sometimes when there is a big tide, especially like when it's low tide, she goes to the rock, like to the false rock, my home spot. And then she keeps selecting mussels from the rocks. There is special like a season for it. And then she keeps selling that to the, to the locals or the tourists. And you know, she knows how to swim. Both of them, they love ocean. So this is the first thing that did a big change, which is like they don't. When I said, when I told them,

Dad or mom, I'm going to the beach. There is no, no, it's dangerous for you. They know ocean is dangerous, but you just know how to deal with it. And yeah, first thing, my family and I'm a challenger. I'm a challenger person. Since I was young, if you told me you can't do that, I'm going to focus on that. I'm going to do it. You know, even if you don't want to, I'm on the way to make it happen.

But of course, like those words hurt when you say, when someone keeps saying, it's not for you, et cetera, you can't do it. I keep hiding, crying, and then five minutes of crying, and then back to work again. So this is how I am. I asked her about the interplay between Islam and Amazigh culture, exploring their differences and similarities. I would say we are living

First thing first, we are living in a man's country, which is most of the priorities is for men. And I totally respect that. For me, it doesn't make any change in my life. I don't care. I'm focusing on my goals. I can't do that. I don't care if it's a man's country or a woman's country. But yeah, this is the thing. On men's, they get more support.

Sunny Fassler (01:07:16.654)
And the women, I was saying, even in, also in Islam, there is some few rules, there is rules that we should respect, but yeah, like people who's gonna watch this broadcast or hearing that, they're gonna say, first thing, you should wear your hijab, et cetera. I can do, like for the moment, I'm happy like that when they can do that if I want. I'm listening to my heart. I'm not pushing, like putting a pressure on something that I'm not ready to do it. And,

There is people who's mixing between a culture and Islam. And there is a huge difference. In Islam, like Prophet Muhammad said, you can teach your kids, which is he didn't mention the boys or girls. You can teach them swimming, riding horses. So this is one of the important thing. And swimming, it means surfing also. Before that, we don't have a swimming pools.

so then it's the ocean. So this is the thing. So like it's a sport. You have to teach your kids a sport, something that they can do and they can get a good health. So it's one of the best thing they can do, which is swimming, riding horses. So yeah, and this is a thing. But people, they keep forgetting that it's on, they keep saying, no, it's only boys, boys, boys. A boy can do whatever you want. A girl, no, she doesn't have.

In a dream, she doesn't have to dream, she doesn't have to do nothing. This is a culture. This is not Islam. Islam, girl, she can study. A girl, she can be a businesswoman. A wife of a prophet, Muhammad, she was a businesswoman. So like in Morocco, we keep mixing about the culture and Islam. We have a lot of traditional things. So Arabic.

Even Amazigh, we do have different traditional things like culture, which is the ones in like in Agadir, Sus, we call it Suwassa, and then the ones in Atlas Mountain or the ones more in the north, we have completely, completely different culture. We have the same flag, which is like the ones in the blue, green, yellow, and we have the z like in a...

Sunny Fassler (01:09:43.246)
in a way which is blood. But if we went there, like the Berber, like Amazigh is completely different, which is the accent. I can't really understand them. So this is the first thing. We have two different cultures. And then Arabic, like they are here, they keep mixing between Amazigh culture and Dhimmi culture. It makes like a huge salad.

between and then Islam, it makes it like, you know, a mass of people that they don't know, especially girls, they don't know which way they have to follow. So this is the thing. And for me, I'm trying to take like the way that I'm happy with, you know, like first thing first, I'm respecting my religion. Even, you know, I have to do it 100 percent, but I'm doing my best. And also like, I'm like

For me, Amazigh, it means a lot to me. So this word means a lot to me, like, which is someone who keeps saying Amazigh or something, you know, like, it makes me hungry. Like, my culture is the first thing. It's, you know, I found out like Amazigh, a woman or Amazigh people, they are strong, you know? If you want something, we can get it.

Our focus shifted to how she navigates her faith and beliefs within modern surf culture. Because there is a connection between being patient, fighting for your turn or you know, like for your dream or your goal. It's the same thing. You know, like it's the same thing being a surfer or just, you know, like now being like a business woman in surfing. For me,

It's like, I keep here, like for me, it makes a big difference because you need to really fight for it. I was thinking that having a surf school, it's easy. You know, you just be a surf instructor and teaching, pushing in the water, all good. no, no, no. It's completely different. It looks easy when you are working for someone, but when it's your own thing, it's a lot of hard work. So yeah.

Sunny Fassler (01:12:04.878)
And the thing that I keep saying to my mom, she keeps telling me, nothing is easy, just fight for it. And honestly, I became from a poor family, which is we didn't have a perfect life. But now, Alhamdulillah, we do have a good life because we were fighting for it. We didn't say, this is how God wants us to live.

or etc. No, no, no. Man, move on. So this is what I've done for my family and I'm proud to be Amazigh. As the sun sets over the weatherbeaten town on the Atlantic coast, casting a warm glow over Anchor Point, I can't help but reflect on the incredible journey that has brought us here. From the moment we set foot in this vibrant little town, it was clear that we were in Fesanta Special.

I got to meet Saad El -Kolani, who paved the way for surfing in Morocco and watched his treasured hometown transformed into a global surf destination. I spent time with Big Wave Charger, Obed Monchoffani, who exemplifies the spirit of hospitality and the delicate balance between tradition and progress. And we've been inspired by the stories of resilience and determination, like that of Ramsey Bouhiam.

who has overcome countless setbacks to become a true ambassador for Arab surfing on the world stage. But perhaps most striking of all has been the mix of cultures and traditions that make this place so unique. Morocco is a melting pot in every sense of the word. And nowhere is this more evident than in the streets of Taghazou where the call to prayers pierces through the narrow alleys spilling with surf shops, hip cafes and street vendors selling culinary delights on the go.

As I pack my bags and prepared a bit farewell to this special corner of the world, I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude for all that I've experienced here. The waves may have brought me to Taghazou, but the people, the culture, and the invincible spirit of this town will stay with me long after I've left. And so, with boards dialed for my next trip and a full heart, I set my sight on the horizon, ready for whatever adventure the next chapter may bring. Because if there's one thing I've learned from my time in Morocco,

Sunny Fassler (01:14:21.39)
It's that that the world is full of surprises and untold stories waiting to be discovered. Until next time, and thanks for listening. I'm Zany Fassler, and I'm signing off from the land of right -hand points. Shukran.