When the wind picks up around the coastal town of Dahab in Egypt, it usually brings an exciting spectacle – the kites. On these cool, breezy days, colourful rigs swoop through the air with adventurous passengers in tow, skimming the surface of the Red Sea with their boards before soaring higher into the sky.
Hamza Ismail, 19, one of Egypt’s top kiteboarders, is often among them, leaping above the water as if he’s dancing with the wind.
“There’s nothing better than the sea,” he tells The National, talking about the thrill of harnessing the desert breeze around the Blue Lagoon and soaring more than 24 metres into the sky with his board. Kiteboarding, the high-octane sport in which athletes ride ocean waves while attached to a kite, has been growing in popularity for some time. Here in Egypt, there’s something even more special about the kiting community.
Not only is Ismail a celebrated Egyptian kiteboarder, having made the podium at the Red Bull Winds of Sinai competition for three consecutive years, but he’s also from the Bedouin community – adding to his unique sporting credentials. Descending from ancient Arab tribes, this group of formerly nomadic people has preserved their traditions, rules and customs across the Middle East, sometimes maintaining a rustic way of life that includes camel herding and fishing. Records of the number of Bedouin in Egypt are hard to come by, but some estimates place the population at up to 1 million, predominantly in the Sinai Peninsula, where Ismail is from.
Unlike the generations before him, Egypt’s shorelines have now given the Bedouin youths more thrilling opportunities to explore. The region attracts kiteboarders from around the world, so those who live here find themselves at the centre of a thriving sports scene, often brushing shoulders with international sports figures.
Ismail was only a young boy when he first remembers seeing kiters jumping across the water, although his father initially wouldn’t let him learn, denouncing the activity as “really dangerous”.
But by 13 years old, the calling of the wind was too loud to ignore. “When I started, I didn’t think about it,” he says, finally convincing one of the older kiteboarders to show him the ropes. “I just kited every day. Two years later, people started noticing … I decided to train harder every day and got there.”
Among those who noticed Ismail’s kiting talents was Nicole Lambrecht, who, alongside her sister Nathalie, became integral to supporting Ismail’s ascent to sporting stardom. Kitesurfers themselves with deep ties to Egypt, the sisters remember first seeing Ismail take to the water on borrowed kiteboarding gear – too costly for the teenager to own himself at the time. “He grabs a harness from the beach, but there was no leash,” Lambrecht recalls. “So he asks another person for a leash and then he takes someone else's kite because he didn't have his own gear. He then grabbed another board and just made a rig.”
Then he took to the water, stunning onlookers. “It didn’t matter what he was riding; he was just performing,” says Lambrecht, who in that moment was inspired by Ismail to start helping Egyptian kiteboarders, who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to go professional. “I was like, ‘he’s the beginning’.”
With the support of Makani Beach Club, the Lambrecht sisters are now helping Egyptian athletes with equipment, social media support and even English-language skills, all of which are crucial for attracting sponsors. They’ve helped several locals take to the waves, including Ismail, who quickly climbed through the ranks and began competing against international athletes. They also donate kiting equipment to local children, who would often fashion makeshift kites out of plastic bags in an attempt to replicate the older kiteboarders.
But while winds around the Red Sea can reach up to 25 knots, elite kiters such as Ismail need more. “I always wanted to be the first Egyptian to compete in the world championships. That was my goal for two years – compete and travel,” he adds. However, holding an Egyptian passport means that travel is not always easy. According to the Passport Index, Egypt ranked 76th globally, with holders required to obtain visas to access 133 countries, a process that isn’t always guaranteed. It’s yet another barrier that puts Ismail at odds with athletes in Europe and beyond.
“Most people that Hamza competes against chase the wind,” Lambrecht says. “Every week they’re in a different country – they have the privilege to be in whichever country because it’s easy with their passports.”
Despite such hurdles, he has been able to go professional, travelling when he can and broadening his horizons to a vast sporting landscape, thanks to the support of the kiting community. “I was chasing my dream to be a champion,” Ismail says, adding that Nicole and Nathalie “helped me so much, it changed my life”. His biggest breakthrough finally came early this year when he received a Red Bull Egypt sporting contract. His next ambition, he tells The National, is to break the record for the highest jump, which now sits at around 36 metres.
And while he is now working towards international competitions and breaking more records, he’s never forgotten his roots. He’s even more excited for the younger generations who grew up watching him at the beach, and now organises English-language classes to give back to his community. “They’re really young … no fear, they just go,” he says about the younger kiters.
“You can tell the young generation is evolving fast, with several international riders coming for the Redbull Winds of Sinai event and showing what is possible,” Lambrecht reiterates. “But Hamza is still staying on that podium, defending his place, showcasing Egypt’s rising kiteboarding scene.”
For Ismail, it’s never been just about introducing more people to the magic of kiteboarding, but also about bringing his community to the world stage. “I feel very special representing Egypt and the Bedouin,” he adds. “A lot of people don’t know about us. I want to bring the Bedouin community into other sports, not just kitesurfing.”
