Team News

Michel Bourez leads Euros through California with 5th at Hurley Pro Trestles

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 21 September, 2009 : - - Capbreton -- Michel Bourez (Tahiti, PYF), 23, got back to his best level of surfing last week placing 5th in the Hurley Pro Trestles for his best result since he became a member of the elite ASP Top 45. Bourez, who reached the Quarterfinals of the prestigious and richest event ever on the ASP World Tour, confirmed his rise amongst the world’s best surfers securing valuable points to go to No. 21 on the international ratings, his career best.

Bourez, who defeated several of the current ratings front-runners en route to the Quarterfinals, including Jordy Smith (Durban, ZAF), Dean Morrisson (Gold Coast, AUS) and former ASP World Champion C.J Hobgood (Florida, USA), was stopped by event winner and 2007 ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, AUS) in the last Quarterfinal. Using his powerful backhand attack to advance through the first rounds of his Californian run, Bourez was in rhythm on the high-performance peak of Lower Trestles throwing buckets of water on all his turns, lacking excellent scores against Fanning who was in a stellar form.

Bourez, who had a slow start to his rookie season not placing better than 17th in the first four events of the year, got his first significant result at the Billabong Pro J-Bay in July where he was able to get a 9th after defeating Fanning in an amazing high-scoring exchange where the Tahitian was to score his first perfect 10.00 point ride of the year. With the confidence back and a fresh approach, Bourez kept his good roll going in the ASP WQS 6-Star U.S Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach netting a 5th there before getting making the Quarters in the Hurley Pro Trestles.

One of three rookies of this year’s historical 7-Man contingent from Europe to compete on the ASP World Tour, Bourez is now two steps away from team Europe leader Jeremy Flores (Capbreton/New Caledonia, FRA) on the ratings and ready to keep his solid run going when he lands in South West France for the Quiksilver Pro France, an event where he’s had excellent results as a wildcard in the last couple of years.

The rest of the European crew was not able to go any further than Round 3 at the Hurley Pro Trestles, experienced soldiers Jeremy Flores, Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT) and Miky Picon (Capbreton, FRA) all placing 17th along with rookie Tim Boal (Anglet, FRA), the four men showing solid surfing and heat tactics but losing in close heats after delivering serious battles to some of the world’s best surfers.

Aritz Aranburu (Zarautz, EUK) and rookie Marlon Lipke (Algarve, DEU) were stopped in Round 2 of competition, both men leaving California with another 33rd place finish, a tough result as the tour enters its second half and the ratings’ race becomes harder towards requalification for next year’s ASP World Tour.

EUROPEANS’ RATINGS BEFORE QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE
No. 19, Jeremy Flores (FRA), 2840 pts
No. 21, Michel Bourez (PYF), 2602 pts
No. 30, Tim Boal (FRA), 2275 pts
No. 33, Tiago Pires (PRT), 2090 pts
No. 36, Aritz Aranburu (EUK), 2001 pts
No. 40, Michael Picon (FRA), 1905 pts
No. 43, Marlon Lipke (DEU), 1535 pts
 
For more on the seven European surfers of the 2009 ASP World Tour, check out aspworldtour.com and log on to quiksilverlive.com. For all action from the Quiksilver Pro France

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