Crossing countries by bike has a way of recalibrating how you see a coastline. You move slower, notice more and the gaps between surf spots – often skipped on a typical trip – become the whole point. Niokobokk, a journey with Ben Herrgott and Laura Wilson from France to Senegal on two wheels opens up a different kind of surf exploration where finding waves sits alongside connecting with people and places that don’t usually feature on the well-trodden map.
As Ben wrote, “Cycling and surfing along 8,000km of the Atlantic coastline wasn’t part of our original plans.” But what unfolds is a journey from France through Spain and Portugal, before pushing into Morocco, the Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia – less a straight-line mission, more a rolling immersion. The bikes dictate the rhythm and with it comes a closer connection to the land and the communities they pass through.
Set against a backdrop of global noise, the decision felt instinctive. “At a time when global events felt a little overwhelming and deflating, this seemed like a refreshing way to live, to move with intention and to embrace everything around us…” Armed with “a camera each and a microphone,” they document what resonates – “the wisdom of other cultures and customs, traditional music, and life in the desert and along faraway shores.” Surfing is there, but it’s just one thread in a broader experience shaped by curiosity and proximity.
By the time they reach West Africa, the takeaway is pretty clear. “What we discovered was far more energising than we could have ever imagined.” Niokobokk doesn’t oversell it – it simply shows how changing the pace can change everything.
Hit the link above to watch.
