Windsurf and kitesurf stars will be in Dakhla to take part in this amazing contest : the Dakhla long distance race, with its famous 40 kilometers course from the north to the south of the lagoon. The best windsurfers and kitesurfers in the world are invited to race and challenge each others on the water: who will be the fastest, windsurf or kitesurf?! The race direction will be managed by Phillipe Bru, the famous organizer of the Défi Wind in Gruissan (which actually is the biggest windsurfing event) promising us a great show!

Foum Labouir waves

With the participation of the Morrocan Federation of Surf and Bodyboard, this spot will welcome the 16th best surfers of Morocco and the greatest name of international longboard and shortboard surfing for an ambitious contest mixing together young guns and professionals. On-site some windsurfing, kitesurfing and stand up paddling contests will be organized and our watersports stars will show up to the public during water sports action shows, interviews and signing sessions.

A legendary battle on the water

For more than a decade, Bjoern Dunkerbeck and Anders Bringal, two international windsurfing stars, were fighting for the first place on the windsurfing world cup. Dunki managed to keep really often his sweedish “double” but this edition of the festival will allow us to be backstage of this incredible revival fight! This long distance out of time will stage the best women riders too, with Kitesurf against Windsurf again and the world speed record women Sjoukje Bredenkamp vs top 3 in the windsurfing worlds Sarah Hébert.

DAKHLA FESTIVAL 2010
February 22nd - 28th

THE STARS

Bjoern Dunkerbeck / Windsurf / Denmark
12 times Windsurfing World Champion between 1988 and 1999, the Danish star became legendary and got in the Guinness Book as the most qualified windsurfer ever. Still at the top, Bjoern was last year 3rd in the Windsurfing Slalom Championships. In Dakhla he will have the chance to show us once more his supremacy, facing his very old rival Anders Bringdal.

Anders Bringdal / Windsurf / Sweden
Several times Windsurfing Slalom World Champion too, Anders is also a talented waverider. In fact, his sailing and surfing sessions in Jaws, on one of the biggest wave in the world, have made him very famous worldwide. Then he will take the best out of Foum Labouir's waves to impress the locals!

Boujmaa Guilloul / Windsurf / Morocco
Born in Essaouira, an other amanzing windsurfing place in Morocco. He's from far the best Moroccan rider and represents his country proudly, by being at the top of the Waveriding Windsurfing World Championships. He's actually a professional windsurfer and travels all over the world to ride the best places possible.

Alex Caizergues / Kitesurf / France
Dethroned last year from his position of “the fastest man on the water”, Alex begins 2010 with a new challenge : break the “wind barrier” by going even more faster and take back his sailing world record. He still hold the kitesurfing world record from 2007, and went over the mythical barrier of 50 knots in 2008 with a new record of 50,57 knots on a 500 meters course. Let's see
what he's going to do in the huge bay of Dakhla against the best windsurfers...

Ben Skinner / Longboard / England
If this English surfer feels comfortable with both a shortboard or a longboard, he triomphs in the longboard discipline for two years. He became two times European Champion in 2008 and 2009.

Ludo Jossin / Windsurf / Spain
This french windsurfer is Spanish for several years now, and last year he became both French and Spanish Windsurfing Champion! He has set up in Tarifa, a real paradise for windsurfing. He will also be on the starting line of the Dakhla long distance race, with his 4th place at the Windsurfing Slalom World Championships, to fight at the top!

Sebastien Josse / Open sea race / France
This famous French sailor, in love with huge water crossing, established himself as a leader in different important open sea races (he actually won the Vendée Globe in 2008/2009). During the festival, Seb will be crossing the great lagoon of Dakhla beside our champions to give the best of himself on a windsurf equipment.

And other local champions will be there : Alexis Deniel (surf, longboard – French Champion), Pascal Toselli, Bieuzy Mauffrey and Cédric Bordes (top 3 French windsurfers), Jochen Krauth (German champion)...

On the women's side we'll have Sarah Hébert (3rd Windsurfing Slalom World Championships), Sjoukje Bredenkamp (fastest women on the water), Ainhoa Garcia (Kitesurfing World Champion), Fabienne D'Ortoli (Kitesurfing Champion) and many other figures...

SOURCE: Dakhla Festival