Photos by Fred Mortagne and Sam Partaix.
Land yourself in the small French town of Biarritz, spend some time out in the surf, at a skatepark, or any of the cool events that pop up throughout the year, and you’re likely to meet the ever-friendly Sam Partaix.
Born in Paris, but now calling Biarritz home, Sam has spent his life travelling around the world as a pro skateboarder, picking up photography, a gig as a team manager and more recently the partner of a Moroccan-based lodge, The Lodge Residency.
Having first visited Morocco almost twenty years ago on a skate trip with Antiz skateboards, Sam found himself returning again and again on more brand trips, holidays and as he got more into surfing. When he met his partner Wafa, an opportunity to go in on a Tamraght-based lodge spawned, and the Lodge Residency started. Now he splits his time between Biarritz and Tamraght, trading the wet winter in the Basque for warm, sunny days and a plethora of world-class waves dotted along the Taghazout Bay coastline. Some people really have life dialled, and Sam is one of them. Amongst the chaos of packing his life into his car for the upcoming season, I popped over to Sam’s place for a send off lunch and a chat about the little surf town in Morocco he’s grown to know and love.
Okay so when was the first time you went to Morocco and how did setting up The Lodge Residency start?
The first time I ever went there was on a skate trip probably about twenty years ago. It was so good for skating. We were there with the guy who opened the first skate shop there and he showed us all the spots. I loved it. And then I started going there for holidays more and more, especially as I started to get into surfing. When I was young, I was obviously so focused on skating that surfing was something I only did every now and then, but as I got older I surfed more and more and Morocco was the place where I’d always go to surf. Morocco is really special in the sense that there’s not much of a party drinking scene because of the religion so it’s actually a place where you can actually chill out and surf everyday. I started the Lodge with my partner Wafa, who by the way, is an amazing skateboarder herself and from Morocco. It’s been just over a year now, running the Lodge.
Tell me about Tamraght- what’s the vibe there?
I would say Tamraght is really creative, it has a bit more arts and culture about it. When you compare it to Taghazout, which is famous for its surfing and is quite condensed, Tamraght is a bit bigger so in a way also slightly chiller. It’s the perfect spot for surfers, skaters and creatives really. A fun, younger, less touristy crowd and where all the locals actually live.
Gotcha, and then waves obviously start getting good in winter. How long is the season?
Yeah so the waves usually start getting good around October until about April. You can surf all year around, but winter is best, just like most places. And there are so many spots in Morocco. Imsouane, which is a little further north and really good for longboarders. Then in Taghazout Bay there’s Anchor Point, Killer Point, Boilers and Banana Point.
So say I’m coming to stay at the Lodge Residency, what’s a typical day like there?
So the first thing we do in Morocco is enjoy an unhurried breakfast which is typically an array of breads, spreads, spiced eggs and mint tea. They have this thing called Amlou, which is like the Moroccan version of Nutella and it’s so good. Then after that, go check the spots and spend the day surfing. The weather here in winter is still really warm so we pretty much spend most of the day outside exploring. There’s some waterfalls, horse riding, skateparks, markets and plenty of things to see. Really amazing spots to eat too, and some cool cafes starting to pop up. Then end the day up on the Taghouzout skatepark. It’s the best spot to watch the sunset and where everyone in town goes to hang. It’s really cool, all the local kids will be skating around, kind of doing a demo.
I’ve been to that spot, can vouch it’s the place to be. How is the skate scene in Morocco?
There’s a lot of skateparks in Morocco actually. There’s been a lot of development of that over the last few years. There’s one in Banana and one in Taghazout Bay near the Lodge. Every time I drive down to Morocco from France, I always stack my van with boards, helmets and whatever the kids need to give away to them, and a lot of my surf and skate friends who come to visit do the same. I also work with a few local skate organisations like the Concrete Jungle Foundation that help get kids into skating. We try to host some skate competitions at the skateparks and spend a lot of time with the local skaters to figure out what they need. Moroccan skaters are pretty fearless. Always skating with no shoes on and putting so many hours in. It’s really special to see how much it’s grown over the years.
How has Morocco changed over the years since you’ve been going?
In the last three to five years, there has been a lot of development in Morocco, especially within surfing and tourism. In the past people have held a negative perception of the place in terms of safety, but in reality it’s very welcoming and safe, especially in the Tamraght region.
What else should people know about Morocco?
Morocco is really good place to slow down. That’s why it's famous. So many people from Europe or the States go there when they’re burnt out and they love it and then keep coming back. There’s also a lot of culture here and an appreciation for the artisanal crafts. The rugs, the pottery, the art. Morocco has amazing music too. So it’s kind of this melting pot of good waves, amazing culture, and a slow pace of life. I mean we’re surfers and skaters so we come for the waves but it’s also really incredible for artists too. We’ve had all kinds of musicians and artists who can come enjoy the scenery and the slow pace and be able to work on their projects through the creative residencies at the lodge. There’s something for everyone.
Yeah, the art culture of Morocco is incredible.
There’s an incredible art festival in Morocco in March called the 1- 54 Contemporary African Art Fair. It brings artists from all over Africa to Marrakech, and it’s absolutely insane. It’s such a good place to meet people from all around the world.
Good tip. Those creative residencies sound cool.
Yeah we’ve had some really cool artists and musicians come stay. We usually try and tee up an exhibition, show, workshop or some kind of interactive thing with the community in exchange for the stay. A lot of the other lodges around the area are really surf focused, but we really wanted to create a place that artists felt like they could mix in with the surf and skate world here a bit more. It’s a bit more inspiring that way.
For sure. I think there’s a lot of inspiration to be drawn from surf and skate as an artist and vice versa. Seems like you’ve nailed the set up. What’s your favourite thing about Morocco?
I love all the different landscapes: the desert, the mountains, the ocean. It’s also so close and cheap. And the best place to escape the winter. January and February in France is pretty grim. Especially in Biarritz, there’s not much happening and the weather is hard so being able to come here is so good.
Yeah I’m so scared for winter here. And what are the plans for the Lodge and for winter?
Driving down tomorrow for the winter season. I’m keen to get down there, get back into the sun now that winter has set in here in Biarritz and show Morocco to some more of my friends from the surf and skate community. There’s always someone coming down to the lodge. The ultimate goal would be to get a skate ramp in the lodge so then even more of the skate crew come down. A cafe, sauna. Just make it the perfect getaway spot. You gotta come down Sammy!
