Michel Bourez defeats Daniel Ross in Round 2 of Billabong Pro Tahiti – 2011 ASP World Tour
Tahiti’s Michel Bourez successfully extended his life in the latest edition of Billabong Pro Tahiti by prevailing over Australia’s Daniel Ross in the seventh heat of Round 2 that went down at Teahupo’o in Taiarapu, Tahiti, on Friday, August 26.
The victory allowed Bourez to secure his place in the third round, while removing his rival from the competition.
The surfing conditions at the primary event site turned out to be extremely challenging on Friday morning, with over six-to-eight foot waves breaking at the beach, accompanied by strong winds. Despite the odds, expectations were still high as the world’s
top surfers battled for survival.
As the seventh heat kicked off, the 25-year-old Bourez combined his local knowledge of the waves with his exceptional skills to make the most of the huge waves on offer. Locking his first wave, he showed off his big-wave prowess to collect 8.17 points for
the effort. He soon followed it up with an even more spectacular manoeuvre on the next wave, earning 8.87 points off it, to move to a heat-total of 17.04 points.
Ross got off to a promising start, scoring 7.93 points off his first business-wave, but failed to back it up with another impressive score and eventually had to settle for a heat-total of 10.86 points. Finishing in a 6.18-point deficit, the Australian could
do nothing but helplessly watch his rival walk away with the win.
Talking to a reporter after the heat, Bourez said, “I don’t really think about the pressure of being from Tahiti when I’m in the water. It’s my third year on tour so I’ve figured out to deal with stress. I take the event at Teahupo’o the same as if I were
at Snapper or J-Bay. It’s still good to be here and surf the backyard and it’s great to have all the friends and family. I’m stoked to do well for Tahiti and make my heat.”
The fifth Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour event, Billabong Pro Tahiti, is extremely crucial as the September rotation is just right around the corner. World Tour competitors lying close to the danger zone are looking to collect a good
result in the current event to maintain their place among the elite ranks.
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