Michel Bourez

Michel Bourez, born on 30 December 1985, is a French professional surfer from the island of Rurutu in the Tuamotus of French Polynesia, who started surfing at the age of 13. He was European champion in 2006 and joined the ASP World Tour in 2009. His best season came in 2014, when he finished fifth overall after winning the Margaret River Pro and the Rio de Janeiro event and taking third place at the Fiji Pro. A severe injury at Teahupoo in May 2015, a fractured hand and cervical vertebra, kept him out of the Rio and Fiji events that year. In 2016 he earned his third career victory at the Billabong Pipeline Masters, the final event of the tour, and finished sixth overall. He qualified to represent France when surfing made its debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics.