Safi is no joke. While Anchor Point is arguably Morocco’s most well-known wave — one that sets the image of a land of reeling right-hand point breaks — Safi’s best days are the stuff those dreamy images are made of. Scarcity is in many ways its best resource. Or its worst resource since we’re all coming from the perspective of trying to snag waves for ourselves.
When the wave turns on at Safi, the lineup is packed with locals who wouldn’t dare miss a swell there. And those locals are no joke either because we’re not talking about any old wave a random tourist with a few months of surf lessons under their belt can handle. The barrels are thick. The waves are fast. And the rides are long. You know, the kind of stuff you’d trek around the entire globe for if you could.
Nic von Rupp, of course, is one of those guys who can. He’s turned his career into visiting and revisiting some of his favorite places on the planet and sharing them with the internet. He rarely goes to a place and only has waves to show for it. There’s always a story, always a touch of the local vibe and culture.
“It amazes me how close (Portugal is) to Morocco yet so culturally different,” Nic said after a recent visit. “I love everything about it, the culture shock, the people, the waves, the food.”
Von Rupp showed a glimpse of what those packed and hectic lineups are like on Safi’s best days. He scored one of those “you don’t want to miss this” swells that every Moroccan surfer with enough ability makes sure they’re available for.
This was one of those few times Nic didn’t dive into the Anthony Bourdain-style tour of local culture. It’s just Safi on a gem of a day. And sure enough, the barrels were thick. The waves were fast. And the rides were long.
