Maryam El Gardoum continues to pioneer female surfing in Morocco, after winning five National Surfing Championships and becoming a surfing instructor, she has now opened the first-female led surfing school in Tamraght.
As Morocco’s ultimate surf girl, she sees her cultural legacy as the foundation to build her surfing school. In order to do so, Maryam has drawn inspiration from the legendary Amazigh warrior queen Dihya.
Dihya, also known as the “Kahina,” was an Amazigh queen and female warrior who fought and resisted the advancing Arab invasion between the 7th and 8th centuries CE. Dihya is a powerful historical female figure who stands as a testament to female empowerment, resistance, bravery, and strength.
The ancient Amazigh queen is a symbol of Maryam‘s personal journey as one of the first female surfers in a male-dominated sport in a Muslim country where she faced a lot of challenges. Maryam El Gardoum had to break stereotypes and put in extra effort to pave the way for other fellow female surfers in Morocco, while showing that women can accomplish anything.
Maryam El Gardoum told digital sports network FanSided that she grew up hearing stories about Dihya, who fought and resisted the eastward conquest of North Africa for many years. Similarly to the Amazigh queen, ‘’Meryam has had to fight to belong where she feels most at home.’’
Maryam gained a surfing teaching qualification and began working for a local surfing school. However, one day she was poorly treated by the manager. He assigned her a mix of novice and advanced students for a lesson, making it impossible to teach them since their skill levels were not similar.
“I couldn’t help them all on my own because some needed to be helped in the white water and others needed to be helped at the surf break. I asked the manager why he had booked me to teach an impossible lesson, and he told me, “If you want to work, then work. If you don’t want to work, then f* off,” she told FanSided.
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Meryam, inspired by Dihya‘s bravery, decided to quit her job and open Tamraght’s first female-led surf school. She named her new school Dihya Surf School in homage to the Amazigh queen warrior.
The surfing pioneer was born in Tamraght, a small fishing village that is part of Taghazout bay, situated 15 km north of Agadir and 2 km south of Taghazout village.
Tamraght is one of the best surf spots in Morocco, characterized by its long waves, sunsets, nature, and picturesque scenery.
