a community of waves, connected by a respect for the sea

Fayed Nouvian, The Interview

Written by: Ronnie Reyes

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Time to read 8 min

Surfing needs more people like Fayed. The world needs more people like Fayed!. Us surfers can be selfish. In our pursuit of chasing after waves it's easy to forget the importance of giving back to our community. When Fayed and his friend Juliette Cordani proposed to me an opportunity to help them with a trip to teach kids to discover surfing in Martinique, I jumped at the chance. Their energy was pure and I felt an instant connection to them. In this age of endless self promotion it's rare to find people who are quietly making a difference by bringing joy and happiness into world. Let's get to know Fayed Nouvian a little better and perhaps find inspiration in his story. 

"We can say surfing has made me what I am today"

Tell me a little about yourself. Where did you grow up and how did you discover surfing ?

Hi, my name is Fayed Nouvian. I’m a 25-year-old surfer from the Mayotte Islands! I think I was in the ocean for the first time before I was 1 year old if we check the photos…
Chifaou, my mom was too young to take care of me when I was born in Mamoudzou, but life led her to meet a woman along her path—a mathematics teacher who would become my new mother. She showed me throughout her life that you can give to others even if you've just met them. She funded the construction of new houses for my grandmother, financed my mom's studies in Kenya, and so much more. As she always said, life in Mayotte was magical: every day on the beach, doing boat trips to find dolphins or whales, parties with locals, walking barefoot everywhere, and having a true connection with nature.
In 2002, we moved to Brittany in France, to a city called Redon, where we stayed for 6 years. Surfing was not in my dreams yet, but I had a strong desire to be in the water. So, my older brother took me sailing with him and the family between some of Brittany’s islands. On weekends, we would often go to a beach called Damgan near our home, where I started sliding on a wave for the first time with a bodyboard when I was around 5 or 6 years old.
Against all odds, I left Brittany in 2008. My mother had just been transferred to a new high school in Martinique. Surfing was still not my main activity when I landed there, and for the first year, I was once again enrolled in a sailing school to go windsurfing near the city of Le Carbet. But like almost all the children there, I was having fun trying to catch waves on my knees and standing on my bodyboard or using it as a skimboard. That's how, in 2010, a colleague of my mother's, a sports teacher, spotted us on the beach with my group of friends and kindly offered to teach us how to surf for free, all year round, on the beach of L’Anse Charpentier. That was the trigger.
At the same time, my big brother had just given me my first skateboard. It was the start of a new life. I registered for the Surf option at my secondary school (Anse l'Étang) and took year-round lessons with Fred Bahuon at Ti Plage (Anse Bonneville). I went on missions to the north spots with the clubs near Grand-Rivière, the point break at Basse-Pointe, and that of Anse Couleuvre with its black sand further east! It was a dream for a teenager like me.
I also had the exhilarating experience of exploring almost all the hidden corners with my mother: hiking, diving, listening to live concerts with my feet in the sand in the south, and discovering the cultural wealth of this island.
We returned to Brittany in 2014 for me to attend high school. It was tough to put on a 5/4 wetsuit after 6 years in board shorts, but my passion for surfing was so strong that I continued to surf every year in France, including winter, with long missions along the coast to find the perfect waves!
Since 2021, I’ve been spending most of my time between the southwest of France and traveling around the world to surf.

Do you remember your first time on a surfboard?

Yes, it was at L’Anse Charpentier in the northeast of Martinique with Régis, our first surf coach, in 2010! I was already familiar with this beach; I had bodyboarded there many times in the green waves. But this time, the challenge was to stand up in the white foam! I remember that I wasn’t very toned when I was younger, so the first part of the training wasn’t great for me—I didn’t have enough strength to pop up on my board smoothly, and my lateral balance was lacking, haha. After about 4 or 5 waves, I started to feel more comfortable, and I finally caught my first wave, standing up all the way to the sand after riding it for about 20 meters. It was on a 6.0 NSP, which would become my first surfboard for my first two years of surfing

"For most of my days, I was still one of the only Black surfers in the water, just like 15 years ago."



How has surfing shaped your life?

We can say surfing made me who I am today. Ninety percent of my friends and most of my travels were made possible because of surfing. It's amazing how many different connections you can create every day when you go surfing. A stranger can become one of your best friends in just one minute, thanks to your mutual passion for the ocean. From the beaches of Martinique to the west coast of France, Indonesia, Australia, or Africa, surfing has led me to incredible adventures, and now I feel at home everywhere because of it! I like to tell young surfers during my lessons that surfing teaches us humility in front of the ocean, and we should hold onto that feeling in our lives to become better human beings every day.

You are currently in Martinique on a surf trip and personal mission. Can you tell us about your project there? ?

I had the opportunity, after a phone call in April 2024, to return to Martinique after 10 years this September for four months to teach surf lessons at Surf Up Surf School in Tartane. It was truly a dream for me to go back there and teach my true passion, but I didn’t want to stop there. With the help of my photographer friends, Juliette Cordani and Antoine Coupe, we had the great idea in August to combine our passions to create content for small brands that share our values, so we can grow together. That's how I met Ronnie from COMMUNE DES VAGUES and over 15 other brands that we ended up working with! This project was amazing to create, and for me, it was the first time I had to manage a team to create photos and videos with me as a model! The waves were incredible, and we captured so much great footage! But because I cannot live without being busy, I simultaneously started to look after the local population in the ocean. We can actually say that only 5-10% of the locals enjoy watersports. It’s really sad because many of them don’t go in the water due to fear from their families, as well as financial concerns when it comes to surfing. For most of my days, I was still one of the only Black surfers in the water, just like 15 years ago… I truly want to make a change in that regard, and I know some of my friends from Paddle Paddle Surf Project and SurfGhana will help me make a difference for the locals in the future, but we need to better organize this project! (Little spoiler: We started a new surf documentary about me.)

What are some of the challenges you see with helping kids and people learn to surf in Africa? ?

The first big challenge I encountered when I was in Ghana with the local community of Busua is the access to equipment. Even though many organizations try to bring surfboards, fins, and wax, it’s really hard to have enough for everyone, and the quality can be lacking! The second challenge is helping them believe that surfing is not just a toy to play with in the ocean but a real game changer for those who want to create a new life, whether as a surf instructor for tourists or as future professional surfers with the inception of the African Surf Tour in 2024. It’s a perfect platform to showcase the level of surfing in Africa. The last challenge is accessing good coaches and materials. For example, Sankofa Surf Club brings volunteers year-round to train 10 kids from Busua. However, it’s really hard to find someone who can handle lessons, fitness training, swimming pool training, video analysis with their own camera/computer, yoga meditation, safety training, and everything else all on their own.

Beyond surfing skills, what life lessons do you hope these kids take away from your teaching?

I hope they will continue to dream about how amazing life can be beyond borders. This is just the beginning for some of them, and I’m sure they will travel to many different places to represent Ghana and Africa. I want them to maintain the camaraderie and strength they all have as a team. Most importantly, I truly hope they will give to others when they can without waiting for something in return because they learned to surf for free like I did, and they can do the same for future generations to share this passion and gift as a community.

What are your hopes for the future?

I’m really not sure how the world is going right now, but I wish we could reach a point where everybody loves each other without judgment, jealousy, or comparison. I see the world as a big family living on the same ship, and we have so many beautiful things to learn from one another. But yes, I hope we will be able to catch waves with more friends and share new stories with the next generations.


If you could share one piece of advice with someone who has never been to Martinique before, what would that be?

Take your car and go explore! Don’t just visit the same places as everybody else; try different routes, meet the locals, and search for that hidden wave. There are so many beautiful spots to discover. The main tourist areas aren’t what Martinique truly has to offer. Every time I come back, it feels like I’m discovering a new island.


How can others support your mission?

You know, sometimes just a little message is enough to uplift my spirits! But I am very open to meeting new partners who want to help bring supplies to new places, such as surfboards, fins, board bags, and assist us with logistics (flights, cars, food, equipment, etc.). In 2025, we have this amazing project planned to go to Madagascar, Mozambique, and the surrounding areas to coach as volunteers and create new surf stories within different organizations. However, it requires a lot of funding, so any little support is welcome as we work to share our passion for surfing as a community around the world.

To learn more about Fayed and follow his journey click the link below