ABOUT OUR TEAM
KiteTripping was born out of our love for watersports and our passion to build and support local businesses. Our founders are Moroccan watersport lovers who have been teaching kitesurfing, surfing and standup-paddle (SUP) since 2011 in Essaouira and Dakhla in Morocco. They have also been teaching in Brazil, Cape Verde, and Egypt. Our support team are friends and family who want to share the Moroccan experience with you!
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With more than 20 years of combined experience, we are ready to teach you ocean safety and how to fly on the water and welcome you to our windy hometown, Essaouira. Here, we have excellent conditions for all watersports: consistent wind for kiting, clean waves for surfing and enough space for SUP. We teach you safety first and then at a pace comfortable for you.
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Join us in our ocean adventures and indulge yourself in beautiful Morocco.
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ACHRAF LAAMIRI
Achraf has been surfing since he began walking, and he began kitesurfing when he was 15; he started working as a surf and kitesurf teacher when he was 18. In 2013 he received his VDWS kitesurfing teaching diploma, and in 2014 he received his diploma from the French air sports association, UCPA, as well as from IKO.
Since then, he has been teaching in Morocco in Essaouira and Dakhla and in Cape Verde. Achraf speaks fluent English, French and Arabic. His golden rule of teaching rule is "safety first" and by the time you get in the water, you will be prepared for anything.
ABIKA
Abika and Achraf met when they were teaching together in Dahkla, Morocco. Abika had been kitesurfing since he was a kid, learning old school tricks in the wavy bay of his home town of Essaouira. He got IKO certified in 2018 and has been teaching since. He decided to come back to his home town, so he could also pursue his second passion of fishing.
When not on the water, Abika can be found at local music clubs, chilling to or playing the sintir (guitar-like instrument) and entertaining crowds with his renditions of traditional Gnawa music.
YASSINE HOLTARI
Yassine is the cousin of Achraf and helps out the business on weekends and in the summer, when he's not busy studying toe finish his last year of school. Yassine has been kitesurfing since he was 11 years old, and hopes to someday soon become a kitesurf professional.
For the moment, Yassine will be waiting to greet you at the KiteTripping shop, and works as a shadow (supervision), helping you set up, launch, and land your kite, and making sure you stay safe in the water.
OUMAIMA LAAMIRI
Achraf's sister Oumaima books trips, classes, and helps us put packages together. She has a background in administration and communication and knows how to keep us in business - and knows how to give our guests what they need.
Oumaima speaks English, French and Arabic, so feel free to send us a message in your preferred language. Oumaima loves the ocean but is an artist at heart, and when not helping us, she is making incredible paintings and embroideries.