Tahiti’s Michel Bourez showed some of the outstanding form that got him a place on the Dream Tour this week, defeating former World Champ Mick Fanning, grabbing one of the first 10 point rides of the competition and raising a few eyebrows on the way. Failing to live up to expectations out in Tahiti, Bourez stamped his claim for a rookie of the year award with a mature display of powerful, precise wave riding. He eventually went out to Dayne Reynolds who went on to nail the score of the competition with a 19.20 heat total. Check out what the ASP have to say about it…

CAPBRETON, France (Friday, July 17, 2009) – Michel Bourez (Tahiti PYF), 23, placed equal 9th in the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay this week, the Tahitian charger posting his best result of the year in the fifth event of the 2009 ASP World Tour. Going down to last year’s ASP Rookie of the Year Dane Reynolds (Califonia, USA) in Round 3, Bourez was not able to find the rhythm during his match-up with the Californian who was to advance through to the Semifinals of the event on the final day.

Bourez, who surfed at his best in Round 2 of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay, to eliminate 2007 ASP World Champion and two-time event winner Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, AUS), impressed the crowds with an 18.27 point heat score (out of a possible 20) including one of the two perfect 10.00 point rides scored on Day 2 of competition, the renowned power surfer managing to eventually express his skills after six months of unexpected average results.

“I was just feeling really good in the water,” Bourez said. “To surf that wave – perfect barrels, long rights – I was definitely ready for that. On my 10, I had just come back from my first wave and was so tired, but I saw that one coming and said that’s the one. It was breaking on the sand, and I got three barrels on it. I was so stoked that I claimed it. I had to!”

Unfortunately, Bourez was not able to make it any further than Round 3, the Tahitian still earning valuable points to give himself a bit of air in his requalification quest. He is now ranked 25th in the world and will be looking to solidify his rating when the ASP Dream Tour hits Trestles for the Hurley Pro next September.

The rest of the European contingent was not able to make it through to Round 3 of competition, Miky Picon (Capbreton, FRA) being the only one out of the other five representatives to join top seed Jeremy Flores (Capbreton/New Caledonia, FRA) in Round 2 where he lost to CJ Hobgood (Florida, USA) in a close battle by a mere 0.07 point, leaving the water very disappointed with the result.

Halfway through the year, requalification isn’t looking very good for most of the current ASP World Tour European members, Picon, Marlon Lipke (Algarve, DEU), Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, EUK), Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT) and Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA) all sitting out of the Top 27 requalifying group whil Bourez and Flores are still struggling to make the final day of an event.

Check out Michel Bourez’s profile at http://www.aspworldtour.com/2009/profiles_men.asp?ID=3 1

EUROPEANS’ RATINGS AFTER BILLABONG PRO JEFFREYS BAY
No. 16, Jeremy Flores (FRA), 2430 pts
No. 25, Michel Bourez (PYF), 1870 pts
No. 30, Tim Boal (FRA), 1865 pts
No. 32, Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 1776 pts
No. 36, Tiago Pires (PRT), 1680 pts
No. 40, Michael Picon (FRA), 1495 pts
No. 43, Marlon Lipke (DEU), 1310 pts