EPISODE 21

THE WAVE CHASERS

A sun-warmed ocean laps at the shore. Revealing new sand with every tide. A fresh canvas, full of potential. It’s what surf school founder Maryam sees in each of her students. And what she saw in herself from a young age. We’re in the colourful village of Aghroud, just north of Taghazout, on the windswept coast of Morocco. Maryam’s joined by friends and fellow surfers Chaimae and Salma. Each looking to bring more women into their sport. One wave at a time.

From left to right: Salma, Chaimae, Maryam

Maryam: When I started surfing, I got a lot of support from my brother's friends and locals from Tamraght. Everyone knew me there. Everyone knew little Maryam who was fighting to get her waves.

Salma: I started on the soft top, which is the basic board for beginners. I’d seen people longboarding, and I loved the flow of it and how chilled it seemed. It just talked to me, and I thought ‘I’m gonna dance on a board like that’. So I did. Surfing began as nothing to me. And then it became kind of everything.

Maryam: I definitely know what you mean. Once I got my first wave, I loved it. It was just me and my board. Riding, moving. I started with a shortboard from my cousin. An Australian second-hand board. I was so happy, but it broke. Then I was asking people to borrow their board, even if only for one wave. I just wanted to get out there. You know, to get that feeling.

And can you describe that feeling?

Chaimae: When I'm in the water, I forget that we have another life outside. It’s the best sensation in the world.

Salma: Sometimes you're super scared if the waves are big or steep, and then you do your take-off and you have this adrenaline explosion. You're just having fun but nothing happens around you. Everything stops.

Maryam: Being in the ocean takes all the negative energy away. Surfing can be therapy. It can teach you a lot.

And how have your surfing journeys progressed?

Maryam: I won my first contest when I was 14. There were only two girls in the final. That was the moment I said ‘one day, I will be a champion’. So I continued competing, and then I became Moroccan champion five times. Which was amazing.

With my surf school, I started from zero. I didn't have any transportation. I was renting boards from surf shops. But I didn't give up. I started teaching about 11 years ago and my students kept coming back, and brought friends too. I went from having two to three clients a month to having more than 25 or 30 a month.

The surfing community was small when I started. But now it’s growing. At home most of the locals were fishermen and farmers. Now a lot of them are surfers and surf instructors with their own camps or schools.

Maryam: Definitely. I'm so happy to see more girls surfing. I love to see them improving. I really hope more women start competing and don't give up.

Chaimae: It would be great to have more surf camps in the future, and a lot of hostels for surfers to stay in. That way, the surfing world will keep growing.

Maryam: Right now, I’m working on doing retreats for women. And I also want to have another surf school by the ocean. That would be a dream.

How have you found running a business, Maryam?

Maryam: When I was just focusing on the surf school, I totally forgot about myself. About looking after myself. And this year I said ‘no, if I don't feel good, then my business is not going to move forward’. So now it's growing, I’m putting myself first and then my business.

Out of interest, when’s your favourite time to surf?

Salma: Sunsets are always the best. It's a nice way to end the day. It's a whole vibe. The water changes, the sky gets new colours. You reflect and think ‘wow, I’ve made it to the end of the day in such a peaceful place’.

Maryam: And then we go and eat! Healthy food, but when we’ve surfed for longer, that’s when we deserve a burger.

Finally, what would your advice be to someone thinking about surfing?

Salma: Don't try to do too much in the beginning. Take it easy and don’t compare yourself to others, because we're all different.

Maryam: Your first wave might be good. The second wave might not be so good. You’ve got to stand and fall. It's kind of the same as our daily lives. Ups and downs. You just have to take it all as it comes.

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