Surf Camp

Making plans in Morocco can sometimes be like writing in water. In mid-April the volunteerism camp we had been planning on holding in our town was cancelled at the last minute. Fortunately, I had previously been invited to participate in a surf camp during the same week. I hopped on a train to Casablanca the next day.

In Dar Bouazza, a small beach town just south of Casablanca, I met up with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and friends Ryan, Lee, and Bernice as well as American expatriates Mark, Scott and Ashley. Mark owns and operates Kai surfboards and offers surf tours to the many known and unknown surf spots Morocco has to offer.

Camp lasted for four days and involved 45 orphans from the SOS village. Each day campers cycled through stations where they learned how to surf, simple ways to protect the environment, how to stay healthy and avoid substance abuse. There was also a soccer game or two. Ryan, Lee, and Mark had done almost all the groundwork to hold the camp, including writing the grant and connecting with the local orphanage. Mark provided all the surfboards and wetsuits from his shop and surf school. It was a privilege to be a part of their hard work. While the camp facilitators were not coordinating and instructing we managed to score some waves ourselves.

The camp was an extreme success. Knowledge and skills were transferred. I’m still looking into a tool for measuring ‘stoke’ levels, but until I find one, the smiles will have to do.