Ramzi Boukhiam
{{Short description|Moroccan surfer (born 1993)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox surfer
| name = Ramzi Boukhiam
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|9|14|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Agadir, Morocco
| death_date =
| death_place =
| residence = Agadir, Morocco
| height = 1.84 m
| weight = 85 kg
| best_year = 2024 – Ranked #12 WSL CT World Tour
| career_earnings =
| sponsors =
| major_achievements =
| stance = Goofy
| shapers =
| quiver =
| favorite_waves =
| favorite_maneuvers =
| website =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Surfing}}
{{MedalCountry|{{MAR}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Surfing Games}}
{{MedalSilver|2024 Arecibo|Men}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships}}
{{MedalSilver|2013 Florianópolis|Shortboard}}
{{MedalBronze|2012 Bali|Shortboard}}
| show-medals =
}}
Ramzi Boukhiam (born 14 September 1993) is a Moroccan surfer. He placed 6th overall at the 2019 ISA World Surfing Games, earning qualification for the 2020 Summer Olympics as the highest-placed African surfer. He competed in the men's shortboard event at the 2020 Olympics, where he was eliminated in the third round by Michel Bourez of France.{{cite web |title=Surfing - Ramzi Boukhiam |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/surfing/athlete-profile-n1378890-boukhiam-ramzi.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816002531/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/surfing/athlete-profile-n1378890-boukhiam-ramzi.htm |archive-date=16 August 2021 |access-date=25 July 2021 |work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games}}{{cite web |title=Ramzi Boukhiam Surfer Bio |url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/athletes/1349/ramzi-boukhiam |access-date=30 July 2024 |website=World Surf League |date=26 June 2024}}{{cite web |last=Mondy |first=Ben |date=17 March 2020 |title=Meet The Man Who's Got Morocco Dialed In |url=https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/447327/ramzi-boukhiam-morocco-olympic-surfer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920054110/https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/447327/ramzi-boukhiam-morocco-olympic-surfer |archive-date=20 September 2024 |access-date=25 July 2021 |website=World Surf League}} He qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Biography
Boukhiam was born in Morocco to a Moroccan father and a Dutch mother.{{Cite web |last=Haskouri |first=Khouloud |date=26 March 2022 |title=Moroccan surfer Ramzi Boukhiam wins international championship in Israel |url=https://en.hespress.com/38861-moroccan-surfer-ramzi-boukhiam-wins-international-championship-in-israel.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920055956/https://en.hespress.com/38861-moroccan-surfer-ramzi-boukhiam-wins-international-championship-in-israel.html |archive-date=20 September 2024 |access-date=9 December 2022 |website=HESPRESS English - Morocco News}} He was encouraged to begin surfing at age eight by his brother Samir. His father passed away when he was eleven, and, two years later, his family moved to France.{{Cite web |title=BOUKHIAM Ramzi |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/ramzi-boukhiam_1551552 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240730012613/https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/ramzi-boukhiam_1551552 |archive-date=30 July 2024 |access-date=29 July 2024 |website=Olympics.com}}
In his junior career, Boukhiam was twice a medalist at the World Junior Championships, including finishing as runner-up to Gabriel Medina in 2013.{{cite web |title=Gabriel Medina and Ella Williams are 2013 ASP World Junior champions |url=https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/gabriel-medina-and-ella-williams-are-2013-asp-world-junior-champions |website=Surfer Today |access-date=25 July 2021}}{{cite web |title=Freestone wins World Juniors |url=https://www.espn.com/action/surfing/story/_/id/8512586/jack-freestone-wins-2012-asp-world-junior-championships |website=ESPN |date=16 October 2012 |access-date=25 July 2021}}
Career
Boukhiam debuted in the World Surf League at the 2011 Quiksilver Pro France, where he came in thirteenth after being defeated by Kelly Slater.
In 2022, he became the first Moroccan to qualify for the World Surf League's (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).{{Cite web |date=3 December 2022 |title=Morocco's Ramzi Boukhiam qualifies for world surf league championship tour 2023 |url=https://northafricapost.com/63196-moroccos-ramzi-boukhiam-qualifies-for-world-surf-league-championship-tour-2023.html |access-date=9 December 2022 |website=The North Africa Post}} He was unable to compete after breaking his ankle, and was replaced by Costa Rican surfer Carlos Muñoz.{{Cite web |last=Easton |first=Ella Benson |date=15 December 2023 |title=Olympic surfer Ramzi Boukhiam rides the waves for Morocco |url=https://www.newarab.com/features/olympic-surfer-ramzi-boukhiam-rides-waves-morocco |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730014724/https://www.newarab.com/features/olympic-surfer-ramzi-boukhiam-rides-waves-morocco |archive-date=30 July 2024 |access-date=29 July 2024 |website=The New Arab}}{{Cite web |last=Trnka |first=Holden |date=1 February 2023 |title=Carlos Muñoz To Fill The Ramzi Boukhiam Sized Hole In Our Hearts |url=https://stabmag.com/elsewhere/carlos-munoz-to-replace-the-ramzi-boukhiam-sized-hold/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Stab Mag}}{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Clara |date=29 June 2024 |title=Ramzi Boukhiam, The Lion from the Kingdom of Waves |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/06/363541/ramzi-boukhiam-the-lion-from-the-kingdom-of-waves |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730030941/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/06/363541/ramzi-boukhiam-the-lion-from-the-kingdom-of-waves |archive-date=2024-07-30 |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Morocco World News}}
In February 2023, Boukhiam underwent ankle surgery.
Boukhiam replaced Filipe Toledo, who withdrew from the WSL 2024 CT season to focus on his mental health in February 2024.{{Cite web |title=Current World Champ Filipe Toledo Announces Withdrawal from Remainder of 2024 CT Season |url=https://www.surfnewsnetwork.com/filipe-toledo-announces-withdrawal-from-remainder-of-2024-ct-season/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Surf News Network}}
On 3 March 2024, Boukhiam won a silver medal at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games, thus becoming the first Moroccan to ever win a medal in the World Surfing Games.{{Cite web |date=3 March 2024 |title=Moroccan Surfer Ramzi Boukhiam Wins Silver at World Surfing Games |url=https://en.hespress.com/80824-moroccan-surfer-ramzi-boukhiam-wins-silver-at-world-surfing-games.html |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=HESPRESS English - Morocco News}}
Boukhiam placed third in the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro, defeating Kelly Slater in the quarterfinals.
= Victories =
| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;" | |||
| bgcolor=skyblue
| colspan=4; style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" | WQS Wins | |||
| bgcolor=#bdb76b
!Year!!Event!!Venue!!Country | |||
| style="text-align:center" |2022
|Seat Pro Netanya | Kontiki Beach, Netanya | {{Flag|Israel}} | |
| style="text-align:center" |2020
|Oi Hang Loose Pro Contest | Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco | {{Flag|Brazil}} | |
| style="text-align:center" |2018
|Caraïbos Lacanau Pro | Lacanau Océan, Gironde
| {{Flag|France}} | ||
| style="text-align:center" |2017
|Pro Anglet | Chambre d'Amour, Anglet | {{flag|France}} | |
| style="text-align:center" |2012
|San Miguel Pro Zarautz | |Zarautz, Basque Country | {{Flag|Spain}} | |
| colspan=4; style="background: blue; color: white" align="center" | Juniors Wins | |||
| bgcolor=#bdb76b
!Year !width= 33.8% | Event !width= 33% | Venue !Country | |||
| style=text-align:center| 2012 | WAHRLD Pro Junior Junior | |Coruña, Galicia | {{flag|Spain}} |
| style=text-align:center| 2012 | Sooruz Royan Atlantique Pro Junior | |Royan, Charente-Maritime | {{flag|France}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{WSL profile}}
- {{Olympics.com|ramzi-boukhiam}}
- {{Olympedia}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports|oly}}
{{succession box
| before = Samir Azzimani
| title = Flag bearer for {{MAR}}
| years = Tokyo 2020
with
Oumaïma Belahbib
| after = Yassine Aouich
}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boukhiam, Ramzi}}
Category:World Surf League surfers
Category:Olympic surfers for Morocco
Category:Surfers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Surfers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Sportspeople from Agadir
Category:Dutch sportspeople of Moroccan descent
Category:Moroccan people of Dutch descent
{{Surfing-bio-stub}}
{{Morocco-sport-bio-stub}}