Kevin Bourez in a Chopesian dream, Tahiti

“All the local kids here are real good in the barrel, but Kevin is on a whole different level,” says photog Laserwolf, who’s been in Tahiti getting skunked for the last two weeks until yesterday when Chopes finally turned it on (though, as Laserwolf puts it, “Nothing that would tickle Shane Dorians fancy but enough fun to get me and the boys going”). The younger bro of Michel, Kevin has the left reef quite dialled. “He takes off on waves that are way too deep for most,” continues Laserwolf, “free falls into all of ’em and gets spat out of everything. Style? Smooth as butter. I’m ashamed to admit it but I didn’t even know Michel had a little brother until a few days before I left Hawaii. I’m stoked Kekoa Bacalso linked us up and looking forward to working with Kevin this winter on the North Shore. Watch out for him holding his own with the best out at Pipe!”