Garrett Parkes
The Spartan won Sunset. And he didn’t just win, he smashed the field. In massive, shifty Sunset conditions, Michel Bourez used his trademark power to combo a field of Hawaiians. “Sunset is a tricky wave,” he said. “You have to surf it for a long time just to figure out the spot. And even then, you can get caught really easy out there.” The nail in the coffin of his competitors was an incredible 9.0 ride. Bourez started off with a trademark wrap, then set his line and pulled in, stalling for a few seconds before emerging triumphantly.
Bourez made it his mission to do well at Sunset this winter. His next challenge? Pipeline. And while his power surfing in the Sunset event was second-to-none, the Tahitian’s tube tube-riding skills have been honed in his backyard: Teahupoo.