When swells generated by hurricane Epsilon recently hit Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, bodysurfer Erraji Mohamed was waiting. Determined to pit himself against nature as a surfing purist, Erraji ventured to a volcanic reef 1km offshore from La Santa village and kicked into a colossal wave. The action was captured on film and given a curious soundtrack. Intrigued by this solo escapade into huge seas we touched base with Erraji to find out about the motivations behind his big wave antics and quirky music selection.
Video by: Andrew France / Ana Garcia Olivero.
AMar XXL ❤♻️ Huracán Epsilon from Hijo Del Mar on Vimeo.
Why did you want to ride a wave so big as a bodysurfer?
Being a xxl bodysurfer, storm epsilon brought me the perfect opportunity to ride the waves that I yearn for.
Do you also ride boards?
What!! What is a board ?
What is the appeal of just bodysurfing?
It is just me against mother nature .
What technique did you use to catch the wave? it looks like you dolphin-kicked in.
I usually do the take-off in a dolphin-style and see where the waves takes me. Adjusting my style to suit the particular wave
Was the wave breaking over volcanic reef?
Yes, is the outer reef, 1 km offshore of La santa village.
Was it a good feeling?
I have never taken drugs, but I’m sure this is the feeling the guys pay for ��
Was it frightening?
I can’t describe it to other people. You need to be in my position, and I’m sure the big waves surfer guys will tell you the same. And this is why I love doing it.
What is the next goal? Will you aim to bodysurf other giant or hollow waves?
PLASTIC FREE OCEAN
Do you think it is possible for surfers who have lost their boards in big waves to bodysurf in like this? Will they need a flipper to actually catch the wave because of the speed it moves at?
I’m sure the surfer guys are fit enough to ride the waves, but I can´t tell a surfer what to do. They have their own style and are crazy enough to work things out. If they are out there riding big waves I’m sure they know what they are doing.
The soundtrack is pretty classic- Did you choose it?
Yes, I choose it. It describes perfectly our present…People talking without speaking, hearing without listening, writing songs that voices never share, praying to the neon god they made. We lost contact with ourselves and with mother nature. The fruit we eat first was a seed. If you take care of a tree it takes care of you back. You feed it, it feeds you. Few things in this world operate like that, fair and square. I just can say to dear mother earth: Please hold on until good people grow in numbers and kick some sense into the egoistic, blind majority of the population. There are good people hidden in the crowd and they will save you one day. Till then, show the world how important you are by unleashing your power; I am a child of your sea, I love it, I CARE.
A different perspective by @mvcdronevisualfligth
<iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/481496923″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; fullscreen” allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/481496923″>BODYSURF XXL Drone Footage</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user94317114″>Hijo Del Mar</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
