Tahiti, But For Regular-Foots

You can’t keep a Spartan down for long. Though French pals Michel Bourez and Jeremy Flores are no longer on the Championship Tour, it’s plain as day both are still more than capable in overhead tubes traveling in whichever direction you choose. 

Case in point: Just before last Christmas, Michel and Jeremy took young Tahitian up-and-comer Mihimana Braye to the Tuamotus Islands, a French Polynesian chain roughly 700 miles east of Tahiti. They scored.

In what I can only assume to be a South Pacific paradise, they tuck into tubes ripe for the picking in classic pro-making-hard-surfing-look-easy form. But, as filmer Tim McKenna tells us, this trip was the start of a long road for Michel, who had to undergo knee ligament surgery in France after the tropical sojourn.

Now six months post-surgery, Michel is back on the Challenger Series looking to requalify for the 2023 CT. If he does, then he’s likely a lock into the Teahupoo lineup for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Imagine that, a Spartan making a comeback, fighting against international forces on his home turf for honor and glory. Eat your heart out, Gerard Butler.