If you follow Boujmaa Guilloul on social media, it can’t have escaped you that he has been scoring big this winter at home. Endless Starboard tack points and uncrowded waves, it looks and is an amazing coastline to call home. We caught up with the multi talented wavesailor for the low down on one of the best days of his winter and windsurfing in his beloved country.
Words Boujmaa Guilloul // Photos Seva Shulgin
(This feature originally appeared in the April 2015 issue of Windsurf Magazine. To read more features like this first, Print and Digital subscriptions are available. Prices include delivery globally for 10 x issues a year!)
Wow Boujmaa, epic images, tell us more ! Boujmaa – So basically it was one of those perfect forecasts that we had been looking at for a week, with the team of the Yard Movie on hold waiting for a go. Actually the perfect day was predicted for the next day, luckily we didn’t hesitate to go that first day as it went off ! The launch was a challenge, it involved launching in front of mast high white water from another bay, north of the break and then sailing downwind with some huge swells, it was pretty crazy ! I hit a fin on a rock and couldn’t go back in to fix or change it so I just kept on banging it until it went back in and sailed on, lots of spin outs, which you don’t want to happen in over mast high waves ! The highlight of the day was a wave I caught really far out, riding it for a few minutes ! and making it through some very long sections. At the end I got caught and broke the top of my mast which still didn’t stop me from sailing. It was so good, fingers crossed for more insanity like this soon !
Tell us about the Yard Movie Boujmaa – The Yard is a movie about windsurfing and a bit of surfing, made by a Russian windsurfer, Seva Shulgin. Seva has made several windsurfing movies before and this one is about travelling around the world driven by the passion of riding the best waves in Maui, Mauritius and Morocco. It is funded by some friends and some Russian companies, together with the Wind channel team, who were filming with a Redcam. We have some beautiful footage and now the movie is in post production. Hopefully it will be ready by the end of the year or early next year for a couple of premiers around Europe.
What has this winter been like in Morocco Boujmaa – After my competition in Maui, I stayed at home for the winter, expecting some big swells to charge around home in Moulay and Essaouira. We have scored lots of great surf days and a couple of windsurf sessions inbetween and of course this incredible session. I’m still hoping for more conditions in Morocco this Winter but will be happy to score something on Cabo Verde as well and hopefully score another good Moroccan day before heading to Maui
How do you feel scoring days like these by yourself then going to places like Maui where it’s very crowded – does that make it easier or harder to deal with the crowds ? Boujmaa – It’s true Morocco has spoiled me by lots of endless rides with no one around and when I go away to places like Maui or breaks like Mauritius and Cabo Verde, I realize how really lucky we are to have such fun spots with so little crowds. It does give me more patience and more chilled out to handle crowded waves around the world; crowds are a product of the sport growing and generating more and more people in the water, might be good for the sport but also bad sometimes 😉
What forecast sites do you use for Morocco Boujmaa – I use a lot of times Windguru, but also magic seaweed a lot when it’s an unclear forecast. Also the Navy maps for accurate swell movement..
Where is this wave ? Boujmaa – The wave is called Boilers, at Cap Ghir, region of Taghazout, up north from Agadir.
What are your tips for people travelling to Morocco Boujmaa – I think it’s best to travel to Morocco in Spring time for the wind and swell, but you will get more wind in summer. For wave lovers, best is to travel on a forecast and contact me if you need gear to rent and a place to stay and for any extra tips. www.boujxsports.com
