BOUJXSPORTS 2019 - Makani fins & 2 Rad travel trip ! 

I met Boujmaa Guilloul in 2018 at the OBX wind in Hatteras. I wanted to have a really good wave rider to give a wave clinic over there to get guys over the sand dune and jump in the waves so Sam Bittner referred me to Boujmaa. He accepted the invitation and flew over for the week. Everyone enjoyed the clinic but we all realized it was a pretty harsh place to learn wave riding. Then came the idea that we should instead cross the atlantic and ride at Bouj's own resort. 

I teamed up with the young punks of the 2 RAD team in Montreal, Vincent Lindauer & Tom Ben-Eliyahu. We managed to get enough guys to make the trip happen in a few weeks ! 

Getting there 

It is actually pretty easy to get to MOULAY from Canada or the eastern coast of the US. There is quite a few airlines that makes direct flights out of Montreal, Boston, Newark etc to Casablanca. If you want to get your gear ROYAL AIR MAROC is the best option and if not then you can select any other. Once in Casablanca a private shuttle will drive you to Moulay in about 5 hours. The drive is easy and safe in an official tourist van on a freshly build highway. The scenery is amazing.  You can also fly to MARRAKECH and then the drive is only 2h30 hours especially if you have a connection in Europe. In the spring the cost of the flight varied from $700- $900 cad round trip. 

The Resort 

Boujmaa has 2 homes to take care of you ! You can select a private room or a shared one and since everyone is there for the same reason its pretty to get along with your roomate if you have one ! The rooms are comfortable, safe and cleaned often as well as the shared bathroom.  The architecture is typically Moroccan and gives you a welcoming comfort and warmth. 

We had the chance to meet the talented chef Ahmed at Boujmaa's main house and after a few moroccan meals you start to be as eager to eat the next one as much as the next wave you are going to hit on the water. Ahmed is cooking great meals everyday with an impressive mix of traditional flavours and diversity, fish, lamb, chicken etc in beautiful Tajine ceramic pots. He can also accommodate vegetarians with lens & chick peas meals and so on. Just the meals are worth the whole trip !!

The Spot  

Wave riding Moulay is a unique experience but you need to be prepared for it. Opening the door to wave riding needs a certain commitment and having someone like Tom Ben-Eliyahu to help you understand the waves and get the skills to enjoy the rides is a must if its your first time in the ocean. Totally priceless ! Even if you had a few rides all the little tips that Tom can give can make the whole trip a totally different experience. Mastering waterstarts and jibes is a must ! 

The spot is usually really windy. It starts in the morning and keeps building up to a good 30 knots + many days of the week. We did have some calm days and we enjoyed SUP in the swells and it gave our soar hands a nice break. SUP also gives you a good feeling of the wave you get to know the spot really well. 

The waves can either be wind swells or ocean swells and we had 0 days of flat. Its better to wear water shoes since the beach is great at mid-tide but the reef uncovers at low tide and you have some rocks uncovering on both sides of the spot. The water temperatures is warm but you still need a 3 mm wetsuit to stay comfortable and dont forget your harness ! 

Rental Gear

If you dont like travelling with your gear BOUJXSPORTS is ready to get you on the water with top of the line gear with Starboard and Severne boards and sails and even surf boards and SUP's. The guys at the shop will get your gear ready in no time and will always give you a helping hand to bring it down to the water. 5***** service by Soufian and the crew ! 

Excursions

Boujmaa is a proud Moroccan and loves to make us see his country. One morning he took us down to a typical open market were we could enjoy the traditional exchange place where you can find anything from building materials to fine spices. The experience is unique and enriching. 

We also made a nice afternoon late day dinner trip in beautiful Essaouira. We discovered the Portuguese fort, the amazing beach and a beautiful walled city. Finishing with a nice meal on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the sunset over the ocean ...

 The Experience 

All in all BOUJXSPORTS in Moulay is an amazing destination not only if you want to make a great windsurfing trip on a nice wave spot but also if you want to have a different cultural experience without having any shock.  I would recommend to anyone who wants the challenge of wave riding waves and even more to guys who keep going to Maui or Hood River and wants to make a change ! 

Chokran Boujmaa !!! (thank you)