Surfers their stories: Haisam Farache

"One of the great things about surfing is that once people are out in the water most socio-political-religious references are removed. People are just seen as surfers and the measure then is how you conduct yourself in the water and how well you can surf. In the line up it doesn’t matter what you do on land."

Sheikh Haisam Farache perhaps provides a point of departure though for anyone with preconceived notions of who surfers are or what they should look like.

Born in Sydney Haisam grew up on the Northern Beaches at a spot called Chatswood, where his Lebanese family background set him apart. His parents encouraged young Haisam to do well at school, something that he remembers he “really enjoyed”.

His earliest memory of the beach was at Balmoral. At about eleven years of age Haisam had his first surfing experience via some family friends that had a holiday house at Avoca Beach.

“The first time I rode a wave, I can remember like it was today” says Haisam “ The feeling was freedom, I felt free. At the same time I felt in tune with something greater, it was a very profound moment in my life”.

Like many surfers who experience such transformative moments the challenge then is to keep surfing.

“There was no one that I knew that surfed.” he recalls, “I would catch the bus to Manly just to paddle around in the whitewash, I loved the ocean I was young and strong and I loved the physical challenge.”

The surfing experience is something that has informed Haisam’s faith, he finds parallels between lessons and impressions experienced in the ocean and his behaviour and conduct as a Muslim. Working as a Lawyer in family law he is well respected within his religious community where he has worked on multi faith programs such as ‘Together For Humanity’.

Sheikh Haisam Farache may not be name familiar with readers of Australia’s surfing publications, and while dressed in traditional attire he might not look like most people’s idea of a surfer. Some people might struggle with the idea of surfers from an area not readily associated with great waves, or be able to name one middle eastern surfer.

However, there is a little known fact that might surprise you. The world’s greatest surfer of all time is of Syrian/Irish ancestry, and that surfers name? None other than Kelly Slater!