WAIMEA BAY, Oahu (Wednesday, December 4, 2008) – ASP Europe caught up with new European ASP World Tour recruit Michel Bourez (Tahiti, PYF), 22, during his profile photo shoot at Waimea Bay for a chat on his spath to glory. From his beginnings to his new elite ASP Top 45 status, Bourez talks about his successes, weaknesses, people around him and his look back on a young but already great career.

Full Name: Michel Bourez
Residence: Patu, Tahiti
DOB: December 30, 1985
Sponsors: Quiksilver, Kelly Surfboards, Red Bull
Career highlight: ASP WQS 6-Star Prime Reef Hawaiian Pro win

3. What about the symbolic part of winning in Hawaii?

It is the greatest win of my life so far and I am pretty sure it will remain up there. Many people don’t even dream of getting a win at one of these events on the North Shore, so when you grab that trophy, it is just so special. I never even thought I could win that event at Haleiwa before that day, it seemed so far and almost out of reach.

4. Let’s stop a while on your "path to glory". When did your surfing story start? Where and how did it get started?

I started surfing at 8 years old in French Polynesia with an old board my brother and I were sharing. Like many other teenagers, I am from a middle class family and I just had fun free surfing a lot everytime I could. The first thing that made a big difference came from my neighbour who opened a surf club right next door and that neighbour took us to the contests around Tahiti. I surfed my first event at 14 and got a few results here and there before it became clear I wanted to try and travel to compete. My dad told me that once i graduated from high school, I could do whatever I wanted so during that last year at school, I focused very hard to make it and did not even look for any other option: I wanted to become a pro surfer and my only sponsor Kelly Surfboards helped me to go to Australia and do a few events. Then Quiksilver saw me Down Under and accepted to help me. I went to do the ASP European Junior Tour and finished No. 4 which made a difference.