Author  |  Alex Brown  |  Journalist and Founder of Advanture Magazine

On the bucket list of any European surfer, and most likely any surfer worth their salt, is a road trip down the North African country of Morocco. A superb coastline spanning 3500 km offers both a wild overland journey, as well as the chance to score some excellent waves. Creative duo Aurelie and Paul, set off from home in Hossegor in their Land Rover Defender to shoot a surf film titled Southern Roads.

Across the year, Morocco varies greatly in climate. From a generally mild north that gets quite a lot of rain in the Winter, to the barren and scorching hot deserts as you travel south. The country borders Western Sahara to the south, and the entire western facing coastline is prime for catching powerful Atlantic swell. This is where creative duo Aurelie and Paul are heading to for a three-month trip, to catch waves, explore away from the often travelled routes and capture it all for their short film, Southern Roads.

In the weeks prior to departure, Paul who is not a stranger to the mechanical workings of vehicles, spent a lot of time preparing his 4x4 Land Rover Defender for the harsh environments they were going to be encountering some 2000 km to the south. Apart from the usual component repairs such as bearings, brakes, and suspension, Paul went a little further to be able to get more out of the overlander vehicle. The Land Rover Defender is such an adaptable vehicle and Paul was sure to maximise on its capability. Mounted to the roof isn’t just a quiver of surfboards, but also a number of Dometic GO hard storage boxes which are bolted to FrontRunner load bars. This extra space would be needed down the road, where food and water would certainly become scarce. 

To finish things off, the engine was remapped to 195bhp and he built a camping configuration in the bed which completed the vehicle with a bed platform and storage shelves. Living would not be a problem outside of the vehicle, where Aurelie and Paul would prepare food and eat at their Dometic GO compact table and Dometic GO compact chair setup.

 

 

Shaping Boards

GOOD BOARDS AREN'T CHEAP

Once the vehicle was ready, surfboards were strapped to both the exterior and interior of the vehicle. They were carrying blanks down to the town of Dar Bouazza, south of Casablanca, to meet up with a local shaper at Almoda Surfboards and spend some time shaping boards together. Shaping a surfboard is a true art form and each finished board is a signature of the shaper who made it. Growing up within the core surf scene in South West France, Paul was surrounded by a wealth of professional surfers and skilled shapers. His parents didn’t want him around the chemicals and clouds of foam particles while he was young, but passion and creativity brewed inside him . He eventually got his break with shaping the wooden Alaïa boards — and the rest is history. 

 

“Inspired by an old shaper in Hossegor named Guitou, I started shaping surfboards at the age of 13 making wooden boards named Alaïa. The design of these come from native Hawaiians surfers that used to ride those boards. Then I started shaping modern foam boards around age 15. Now it is my full time job, but this is truly my passion.”

Paul Duvignau

 

 

 

GEARED UP WITH DOMETIC GO

The surf was not as good as they hoped for in the north when they arrived in early December. But the first few weeks on the road proved to be worthwhile in order to settle into living in such a tiny space. As things were shaken into their places, Aurelie and Paul also warmed up with increasingly better surf conditions. The plan was to arrive in the south of Morocco in early January. 

“South of Agadir, there were waves everywhere. But it's very tricky to access because there's lots of very high cliffs. But here we were able to find all different kinds of waves. From very small longboard waves, to big powerful waves.”

For Aurelie, this would be her first big film project, so while not filming, her thoughts were set on the safe keeping of the camera equipment and what processes worked best to keep the expensive camera and lenses free of sand, dust and salt water. She also worked out a system on how to store the content material captured on a daily basis, backing up the material each evening and working on rushes. These pre-comps of sequences would be later handed over to their editor, who could easily understand the feel and flow of the trip.

Navigating the route became more challenging as they ventured south and away from the bigger cities. But the Land Rover was in its element and offered a first class experience due to the way Paul had set things up. “I bought my Defender five years ago, it has been my dream car for a long time. Not only can you fit loads of surfboards and gear inside, but also a bed, storage and other extras. It’s like LEGO the way I have it setup with removable Dometic GO 50L storage boxes, the Dometic GO water faucet and also a carrier for my motorbike fixed to the back. Having the Dometic 50L boxes and being able to lift them up and down, stack them up, and not worry about the contents getting damaged helped out when it was time to make or break camp. And, I plumbed the Dometic GO water faucet into a 70L underslung fresh water tank, which was a critical setup for us when we were between civilizations.”

 

"It’s like LEGO the way I have it setup with removable Dometic GO 50L storage boxes, the Dometic GO water faucet and also a carrier for my motorbike fixed to the back. Having the Dometic 50L boxes and being able to lift them up and down, stack them up, and not worry about the contents getting damaged helped out when it was time to make or break camp".

Paul Duvignau

 

 

The intensity of the road trip kicked up another level as Aurelie and Paul closed in on Tantan, a town just over 100 km from the Western Sahara border. While water and food was possible to find, communicating with the locals had changed from a common understanding of French in the north of Morocco, to Darija in the south. This native Berber language contains some French and Spanish. Well planned, Paul had installed a 70L underslung water tank to ensure they had a supply when the offering was thin. Food preparation was made easy with the Dometic 2-burner gas stove due to the efficient consumption of fuel and the ability to dial up or down the power output. Delicious plates of local recipes came together which was much needed after a day in the water, as the next day the action would start all over again.

Aside from the joys of navigating a foreign country and slowing down their pace to the vibe of the locals, it was the surfing that Aurelie and Paul had ventured this far for. “Waves in Morocco are really intense. In the Winter, big swells cross the Atlantic Ocean and arrive on the Moroccan shores. This is the well-known surf I wanted to enjoy. And you have a bit of everything which includes quality point breaks and endless rights.”

For Paul the waves eventually scored were the icing on the cake for the Southern Roads project. In good company he was able to explore a country he has come to love, enjoyed driving his dream car on a serious 4x4 route, and captured some stunning visuals thanks to the eye of Aurelie.

 

"We will remember the waves we rode and the tracks we wove, for the rest of our lives. But even more than that, we’ll remember the people. A local saying that we heard there, illustrates well our experience with the Moroccans : « Mountains never meet, but people do. ». Even when things seem impossible or distant, human beings always end up connecting with each other."

Paul Duvignau

 

All of the meticulous planning and preparation meant the entire trip went without a hitch. In total, Aurelie and Paul travelled 11,000 km over a three month time frame, in a round trip back to Hossegor. No doubt, ready to surf the epic local waves as soon as they pulled back up at home.

 

The Film

SOUTHERN ROADS

 

 

THE FILM

Southern Roads is a surf and adventure film capturing the quintessential lifestyle of surfing road trips over a three month journey. Join French surfer and shaper Paul Duvignau on a quest for the best waves along the Moroccan coast, with filmmaker Aurelie Guerin riding in the passenger seat and documenting the journey for this short film. Not all roads were marked, as powering this journey is a fully kitted out Land Rover Defender.

It’s a search for both thrilling waves and desert landscapes, traveling the Atlantic coast aboard a carefully prepared 4WD, crossing one of the most beautiful and diverse regions of West Africa.

 

"This film is an ode to travel, immersion and meeting others. Coming from an artistic background, I think I managed to blend my contemplative and gentle vision with Paul's adventurous one. I always find it interesting to build bridges and bring together different worlds because each enriches the other."

Aurélie Guerin

 

 

 

About Paul and Aurelie

Paul Duvignau is well-known and trusted in the surf community as a skilled surfboard shaper and passionate longboard rider. He’s on the Vissla Surf Brand creator team for his timeless surfboard styles, craftsmanship and can-do mindset.

Aurelie Guerin is a French fashion designer and filmmaker who also has a thirst for travel and creative pursuits. It was while surfing in Raglan New Zealand when she realised the next destination for her would be Hossegor in France. Now home of five years, she works on a number of projects, Southern Roads being the biggest movie project she has undertaken to date.