Yoro Thiam

 

NAME: YORO THIAM

AGE: 23
FROM: NGOR VILLAGE, DAKAR

 

 

What is your name?

My name is Yoro Thiam

 

How old are you?

I'm 26 years old

 

Where do you live?

I live in Ngor, it's been a long time

 

Why do you like Ngor?

Because it's my home village

 

Where is it in Dakar?

It’s the cape on the sea

 

And you like it because it’s next to surf spots?

Yeah, there are good spots there and lots of surfers over there

 

When did you start surfing?

When I was younger, It took me one year to learn how to surf

 

Do you think your level is good or do you want to get better?

Yes, now I surf well, but I want to keep improving!

 

Why do you surf? Describe to me the emotions you get when you surf? Why do you like it? Is it a sense of freedom? Or you like the feeling?

Because I love surfing, when I see Babou, Ibra, Cherif — quite simply, I just want to surf like them. Surfing makes me feel better, because when I surf, after I'm with my friends …

 

Thanks to this [being a coach] you can help your family?

Yeah because we surf, and I put in the work too, I'm now an instructor

 

You have a big family?

I have a big family, two little sisters and two big brothers

 

What does your family think about you surfing?

They are happy because I like surfing and working, they can see it

 

Do you think there is an African surf movement at the moment? Are many people coming here to surf? Is the African surf message getting stronger?

Yeah, there are a lot of overseas people who come to take lessons

 

And he’s [Babou] your mentor? 

For me, Babou was the one who motivated and taught me, and  he still does

 

If you send a message to people who want to learn how to surf, Senegalese and locals whose families don’t want them to, what would you tell them?

I would like surfing to be successful in Africa because there are good surfers here! but there’s not enough equipment, we need help with that, and to get that we need more young people to be involved and motivated by their families