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Mary Mathis

Outside profile

Mary Mathis is a photographer and editor originally from Iowa. She's becoming accustomed to seeing large areas of raised land, known as “mountains,” surrounding her. She also loves running, taking photos of everything, and looking at maps.

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It might not have the name recognition of the North Shore or the Gold Coast, but Morocco’s Atlantic seaboard boasts some of the best surfing in the world. In recent years, it has launched a number of homegrown professional surfers onto the world stage. But never a woman. Now, for the first time in its seven-year history, there is a women’s division at the Agadir Open, a countrywide surf and bodyboard competition held on on a stretch of shoreline home to Morocco’s premier breaks. The event is run by the Imourane Surf Association, a local nonprofit that counts pro Moroccan riders Ramzi Boukhiam, who is sponsored by Quiksilver, and Othmane Choufani among its members. This year, ten women took to the waves during the three-day contest, which started on March 24. Meryem El Gardoum, a 20-year-old native of Tamraght, won the surf division, outscoring four competitors in her 13-to-38 age group with a combination of wave choice, maneuvers, and style. “I always wished that one day they would do more contests for girls,” El Gardoum says, adding that some local families have a negative view of the sport. “They say if you go to surf, you’re gonna drink alcohol, you’re gonna smoke, and you’re gonna go with the boys. I don’t think it’s about that.” El Gardoum hopes the addition of a women’s division at this high-profile event will change those perspectives and create more opportunities for female surfers to compete around Morocco, and even internationally. She’s not alone. A swell of female Muslim surfers have made headlines in recent years, from Gaza to Iran to Bangladesh, for learning to surf. But with seven women’s competitions per year, national championships, and female members on the national team, the surfeuses from Morocco are raising the bar. Photographer Mary Mathis and reporter David Fuchs, who produced this story with Round Earth Media, were on the ground to capture several women who competed at the Agadir Open last weeken
Water Sports

A Famous Moroccan Surf Competition Just Opened Up to Women

In this predominantly Muslim country, women are shredding waves—and the patriarchy

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