In November 2023, the North Atlantic Ocean got angry. A massive storm sent swell hurtling toward Morocco, where Jerome Sahyoun was waiting.
Sahyoun spearheaded an all-out effort to a fickle and remote slab off the Moroccan coast. It was a star-studded lineup that included Garrett McNamara, Billy Kemper, Lucas Chianca, Andrew Cotton, Dylan Longbottom and more. Sahyoun also brought his 14-year-old son and avid surfer, Liam.
It goes without saying, but this shifting, powerful wedge is no joke. Kemper, one of the most fit and focused surfers in the world, fractured his foot when that thick lip landed on him. So it makes sense that Sahyoun was apprehensive to let his son take a crack.
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As is often the case with teenagers, they love doing the opposite of what their parents tell them. But Liam is a savvy and confident surfer and, according to his post on Instagram, has been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time. Hungry to prove himself, he eventually grabbed the tow rope beyond Dylan Longbottom’s ski and found himself a bomb on his backhand. Chumbo whistled him in, and he started flying down the shoulder.
A menacing tube broke behind him, and Liam eventually kicked out safely. Elation in the channel soon followed. Given his father’s connections, experience and skill, this could be just the beginning for young Liam.
“I still don’t know which is the best feeling yet,” Liam wrote. “Surfing this wave among the world’s best or seeing my dad in tears of joy.”