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Boujmaa Guilloul, by PWA / JC

At the beginning of this week, Moroccan aerial maestro Boujmaa Guilloul crashed a triple-forward loop attempt at Ho’okipa. The impact knocked him unconscious, and he was dragged out of the water by lifeguards and rushed to hospital where he spent the next two nights. Bouj suffered concussion, a cut lip, broken bones in his hand and some water on his lungs – he recovered quickly, but pretty soon there were concerns from the windsurfing world at large that he might not have been covered for rumoured $10,000+ hospital bills. But yesterday Boujmaa sent round this message, to be published as an answer to the people around the forums and blogs talking about his situation…

Hi everyone, this is just an update of my situation, after my accident, I’ve been looked after very well, from my friends in the water, through the hospital and now back home, I was very lucky to be surrounded by such good people, I thank them all so much…

I don’t think I would be here trying my crazy stunts if my sponsors weren’t around, I owe them lot. Our agreement always said that I had to have my own insurance coming to such places, in fact, Mr Svein the boss of Starboard was ready to cover my bill in the MM Hospital, and I knew I could rely on him about such matters, but I also knew I had to have a travel insurance when coming to the States. Right now I am out of the hospital and everything feels good so happy I am alive thanks to Klass and Ferdinando, I owe them my life…

I think my bill has been taken care of by the insurance company, have not heard much about it so far, but thanks to the windsurf scene so worried about me and concerned about how it was gonna be paid. I just think there is no need to blame my sponsors and the industry, they’re here to support us traveling and windsurfing, doing what we love the most, and each one of us has to have an insurance program, it’s the easiest way to be able to go crazy in places where we travel the most such as Maui… It was my worried friends’ idea to create a support account to prevent me from falling into any problems where I can’t pay hospital expenses, but I was so shocked by then I decided to let them do it for me, and realised later I had two different insurance subscriptions, either one had to work.

Now I am back on my feet waiting for my hand to heal and be back in the water… I won’t stop my chase to the triple-loop here, knowing we are many trying to get there, but next time i will wear at least a wetsuit and helmet for it

Regards, Boujmaa