Destination News » Essaouira, Morocco » From the streets onto the water

31|08|06 +++ From the streets onto the water

In our new Club-Mistral Sofitel (managed by Mr. Youssef Gournit), we are giving all local street kids the chance to use our surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing equipment for free during the long days of the main holidays.

This has been made possible through the intervention of the popular ”ASSOCIATION ESSAOUIRA MOGADOR" which is run for the kids by Mr. André Azoulay, a special Consultant to His Majesty, King Mohamed VI.  This association is now 20 years old, and, in conjunction with other associations, has been focussed on looking after disadvantaged children, locally referred to as the "Derari" or the "Louled"

All the local kids who participate in our Club-Mistral programme get daily instruction in a safe, supervised manner which means they have the chance to get involved with important, local sports and can learn new skills for their personal development and well being that would otherwise not be open to them.  Further, during the long holidays they are effectively taken off the streets and away from the temptations that would otherwise get them into trouble.
As part of this action, Club-Mistral has additionally sponsored two extra events this Summer.

1. The "ELITE WAVES CHALLENGE:" this was the second such event organized by Michael Richard,  a French pro-windsurfer who simply decided one day whilst on vacation here in Morocco to organize a Pro Am competition!

The aim was to attract a maximum number of pro sailors to take on a number of amateur sailors in the same competition, cutting out the exclusiveness usually reserved for the elite pro sailors.  What was particularly interesting for us was that the sailors also had to teach the local kids, giving them at least one hour a day of their time, in order to enthuse them for the sea and to give them some of the skills that might one day bring them to the top!

Club-Mistral lent children's/entry level equipment to the event so that the youngsters could get on the water everyday and provided storage free of charge for all the kit that the sailors brought with them.  Further, our partners in Essaouira, the "OCEAN VAGABOND" restaurant, provided a free lunch each day to the organizers and to all competitors.

Top windsurfers Michael Richard, Yannick Anton, Yann Sorlut, Léo Ray, Fettah Alhamara, Valentina Cruqnola and Anita Blanch simply wowed the kids.  Just magic!
And that is just the beginning!  Michael Richards was able to secure a special deal with Starboard, who gave brand new 2006 windsurfing equipment valued at € 8000 to the association.  Next June 2007 will see more sailors in the bay and we hope that more local kids will be involved in this great project.

Check out the website:
http://www.elitewavechallenge.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=3

2.  The "SOUIRI SURFERS ASSOCIATION:" is again a local association, which allows the local kids to take part in the 3 sports we love: surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing.  In one week more than 100 local youngsters were out on the water every day under the watchful eyes of Instructors from many different centers, such as the "Royal Club" who made an impressive number of instructors available.

Club-Mistral lent their full complement of beginner material free of charge.It was amazing to see how the kids enjoyed themselves, forgetting the cares of a difficult background whilst happy on the water.

Club-Mistral is very proud to participate in the programmes of these associations as they reflect our wider engagement in the environmental and social activity of our Sustainable Tourism policy.  We shall continue to support the local associations in Essaouira as much as we can and as long as we can to ensure that the locals are engaged with us and reap the benefits that our sports can bring.

Jean-Baptiste Messiaen,
Club-Mistral / Skyriders - Manager in Essaouira."

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