Morocco’s history-making surfer Ramzi Boukhiam believes best is yet to come

ABU DHABI: Last summer at the Paris Olympics, Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam attacked one monster wave after another at Tahiti’s iconic Teahupo’o, going toe-to-toe with Brazilian Joao Chianca in one of the most memorable heats of the Games.
The duo traded perfect 8-to-10-foot barrels throughout the heat, with Boukhiam scoring a stunning 9.70 on one of his waves. But the Moroccan’s total, which combines the highest-scoring two waves per surfer, ended up being just 0.3 points short of Chianca’s tally and he missed out on a spot in the quarter-finals and a chance to fight for an Olympic medal.
“It was pretty much the conditions that I love, that I dream of. Perfect heats, at perfect Teahupo’o, big waves, barrels.

And I was against Joao Chianca. He’s one of the best barrel riders in the world. And he’s a good friend.

And I knew he charged a lot,” Boukhiam told Arab News on the sidelines of the ongoing Surf Abu Dhabi Pro at Hudayriyat Island in the UAE capital.
“We knew that both of us were going to go for it and bring the best out of each other. And we did. It was an amazing, amazing, amazing heat.

And I was really bummed.
“I think it’s the toughest loss of my career. Even though I put on a show and it was amazing, but I still didn’t come home with a medal. So, at the end of the day, I was really sad.