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We interview Abdel El Harim as the Round of 144 gets underway
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The waves out at New Pier are very rippable and we’ve witnessed the world’s best in action in round of 192 here at the Mr Price Pro, and we’re now heading into the Round of 144. Abdel El Harim is the lone Moroccan surfer on the WQS, representing the only other African country to have full time tour campaigners. Craig Ritchie caught up with the 23 year old goofy footer after he blitzed his Round of 192 heat.
CR: You’re the only Moroccan touring full time, right? What’s the surf scene like up there?
AEH: Yeah, we have some very good waves in Morocco. The problem is that there aren’t many surfers actually doing the tour. To do it alone, you know, to compete against a lot of South Africans, a lot of Australians and a lot of Brazilians – they’re all very good surfers and to do it alone is a little bit difficult, you know? (laughs)
CR: You won that last heat, but it looked a little slow out there. How was it?
AEH: Well right now it is a little inconsistent, you have to wait about ten minutes to get the next set. So I was stressing a little bit in the water, but it’s cool to make it through so I’m stoked!
CR: So what are your professional surfing goals?
AEH: I want to go as far as I can with my surfing. My goal is really to show Morocco all over the world, to do well in competitions so that people can hear about it. A lot of people don’t even know that we are surfing up there, so it is a pleasure for me to do that. And hopefully one day I will make it onto the World Tour.
CR: Sounds like you’re not trying to keep Morocco a secret and have it all to your self?
AEH: No way, we have really nice waves all around the coast and we don’t have bad crowds. A few Europeans come, but that’s it. Everybody is welcome to come to the spots at my home and have a good wave.
CR: I remember about two, maybe three years ago you had a really good run at the Pipeline Masters. Where do you get to practice in big barrelling lefts, in a country more famous for long rights?
AEH: I’ve got a perfect left in front of my house. It’s a little like pipe, kind of wedgey. It’s a big bowl so you take off and get barrelled, and that’s it, just one barrel. So I have a lot of practice in this kind of wave.
CR: Last year you were here and you had a knee injury, did you still get to surf the Mr Price Pro?
AEH: Yeah, I had a knee injury and the Mr Price Pro was my first event after that so I didn’t do too well. I just wanted to come here to get my level of surfing back and get in the water with all the great surfers and surf with my friend Damien Fahrenfort and all the boys here. This is actually my fourth time in Durban. The first time I came for the ISA.
CR: And after this, are you going to go anywhere else in South Africa, maybe get some waves around the country?
AEH: Nah, I’m going to go to France and practice a bit in the beachbreaks before I go to the US Open.
CR: Well good luck and well done.
AEH: Thanks.
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Q&A; with Greg Emslie
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Team Red surfer Greg Emslie, South Africa’s longest standing ASP World Tour competitor, has earmarked the Mr Price Pro as a vital "stepping stone" in his quest to re-qualify for the Dream Tour. And the 31-year-old East Londoner will undoubtedly be hoping to take a few steps up the podium after finishing third in 2004, the year he finished first on the WQS ratings.
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