Hi Tarek, nice to talk again! Let’s dive in!

What does a perfect kite day look like for you? "It starts with good wind and good people. I wake up and already feel it; that excitement, no stress. I want to go straight to the water and get into what I call my happy mode.

When I'm in that mode, everything clicks. I'm focused, I'm riding well, I'm not crashing too much. Sometimes when I'm overthinking, I crash more, and the whole day feels off. So for me, a perfect day is also a quiet mind.

But also the people make a perfect day more perfect. When guests come back to the boat smiling; no injuries, no complaints, just: 'That was an amazing day'. That's when I know it was perfect."

You didn't grow up thinking this would be your life. "Not at all. My father worked in a marina. So I grew up close to the water. At twelve, I was already sleeping on boats. By fourteen, I was doing hard physical work on them. Later I moved to the beach, and that's where I saw kitesurfing for the first time.

People flying, doing jumps, having so much fun. I didn't even take lessons at first. I watched instructors every single day, listened to what they told their students, copied what I saw, and practiced early in the mornings when no one was around.

I made a deal with myself: if I don't make real progress in six months, I'll stop. But before those six months were up, I was already an instructor. That's when I understood: This wasn't a hobby. This was my life.

At what moment during a session do you think: this is it? "During big jumps. When I go high and land something I wasn't sure I could do, I feel this thing, I want more, I want to push again. It gives me energy.

But I also feel it when I watch someone else progress. When a student is scared and then suddenly isn't. When that shift happens, right in front of you. That's a different kind of feeling, but just as good."

But you wanted more than just teaching. "I wanted to create experiences. That's why I started island trips, kite safaris, camps. I used Instagram, built relationships with schools and boat owners, and slowly put together something of my own.

What I love most is when people from completely different countries meet on one of my trips and actually become friends. Some of them travel together later, years down the line. That still makes me happy every time.

The bigger dream is a global kite community; schools and companies supporting each other, sharing clients, connecting people who wouldn't otherwise cross paths."

And on the days with no wind? "Everything in my life is built around the water, so there's always something. I take the boat out, fish, snorkel, or organize something for clients. The phone still rings.

But even when I'm not working, at night sometimes, I sit alone at the marina and just look at the water. I don't need to kite to feel connected to it. That connection is always there."

Which mistake taught you the most? "In business, I once had a partner who talked a lot about building something together. I shared ideas freely. Later I realized he was using them for himself.

At first I doubted myself, maybe I was reading it wrong. But I wasn't. That experience taught me to trust my gut and be careful with who I bring close. In business, people aren't always what they say they are.

On the water, I've made plenty of mistakes too. My first kite loop: wrong kite, strong wind, tiny harness, no real experience. I crashed hard and broke my ribs.

But I never quit. Every crash taught me something I couldn't have learned any other way."

Where do you see yourself in ten years? "A bigger operation; a proper team around me, not doing everything alone. Still near the water, still traveling." (laughs) "And hopefully kiting with my son. He’s just a toddler now. The only problem there is that he hates the water."

Things might change, as they did in your life! Did having a family changed how you ride? "Completely. Before, I just pushed. Now I think. If I get injured, who takes care of them? That's always in the back of my mind now. I still go hard, but there's a different weight to the decision."

What do you hope you'll still feel in ten years, walking toward the water with your board? "I know exactly what I'll feel. The same love I feel now. Even if I can't kite anymore, I'll still be sitting by the water somewhere. That feeling will never leave me."

And last but not least, make a choice:

●     Flat water / waves

●     Solo / With friends

●     Sunrise / Sunset

●     Pushing / Cruising Both! Pushing while kiting, cruising in life

●     Silica / Graphite

Are you in El Gouna, Egypt and can’t wait to try a ROODE Graphite yourself? Let us know!