Profile: Moroccan young man's journey to wave chase, full-time

“I now get to be in the water and do something that fuels both my passion and me. I am overjoyed to have the opportunity to satisfy all my demands while being close to what I adore most.”

In Morocco, young people who aspire to lead sustainable lives frequently seek an academic career.

When youngsters are exposed to various degrees and career choices, they may find it very difficult to decide between the need to support a living and pursue their aspirations.

Many continue down the route of earning degrees and employment, completely burying their hopes and aspirations in the process.

The same goes for Hikmane, who attempted to follow a safe academic path but was unable to do so because of his intense love of the ocean. 

Hikmane recounts his decision to leave school in order to follow his enduring passion for waves and the ocean.

Omar Hikmane enrolls at the Graduate School of Technology and Business after earning his baccalaureate in order to get a degree and conform to the “norm” of his classmates and friends.

Omar spent some time in college, received his diploma, but his “heart knew that was not what he sought for in life,” and the certificate did not provide him the fulfillment that he had been taught it would. 

“I’ve always known that’s not what I want to do; I’ve always known that the ocean is what truly inspires me. My genuine love is in the waves.”

The young man recounts his lack of confidence in Moroccan academic life. He imagined his life after going back to school, and he did not like it at all.

He says, “trying to make a life out of degrees in Morocco didn’t seem so optimistic to me, or at least that’s not meant for me.” Graduation’s purported ‘hype’ did not excite Hikmane. 

The young man discussed his worries regarding the Moroccan labor market, adding that it was clear to him that, given the job offers and pay on the Moroccan labor market, it would be difficult to attain his life goals. It wasn’t particularly “promising,” he claims.

He ultimately decides to put his academic career on hold. He also found little attraction in the available options for work.

“I didn’t want to have a monotonous job with a set schedule. I couldn’t keep doing the same thing every day.”

The 23-year-old sea lover’s quest begins when he purchases a ticket to Dakhla and departs from his city.

Hikmane lands in Dakhla soon after the pandemic and begins his kitesurfing training. It was initially difficult for him to find work because the quarantine cancellation had just happened, and tourists were still filled with uncertainty and fear that they would be locked in.

Hikmane receives an opportunity to drive boats in a hotel in Dakhla after two months of attempting to find a job there.

The purpose of the boats was to keep an eye on the kitesurfers in the ocean and ensure both their safety and the safety of their gear.

Hikmane spends his time learning how to kitesurf while concurrently supervising others who are doing it.

Hikmane soon speeds up the pace as the hotel managers see his rapid learning and begin granting him the chance to give kitesurfing lessons.

“I started supervising people and teaching them, but I still had to deal with prejudice because I didn’t yet have a kitesurfing monitor certificate.”

Hikmane was still able to get the certificate because of his aptitude and love for the ocean, which made it simpler for him to pick it up rapidly.

Soon after, Habitas Caravane Dakhla hires Hikmane to serve as their new kitesurfing monitor, and he clearly loves his work.

He argues that the strain of pursuing an academic career is unneeded and that there are countless and unending paths in life. He exhorts people to engage in work that fulfills both their basic necessities and their passions.