Stab Magazine | Michel Bourez, Off The Wall, Hawaii

Live Now — Episode 3 Of Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico

120 Views

Michel Bourez, Off The Wall, Hawaii

This is 25-year-old Tahitian Michel Bourez, at Off The Wall in Hawaii. Photog Jimmy Wilson, who fired off this doozy of an image, has been staying at the Nike house right there at Off The Wall. According to Jimmy, the lucky residents of the Nike house (Michel included) are living the good life. There’s a chef every day for lunch and dinner, as well as a masseuse. Michel and Jimmy both feature in our hard cover book, out any day now. There’s some stellar water shots of Michel and some honest insights into the proud Tahitian’s mind, such as: Stab: When you lie in bed, late at night in the dark, what do you think about? Michel: 2012, the end of the world. I’ve been watching all those TV shows about the world ending in 2012. I think about that, and how to spend my money. Where could be good to spend my money. I don’t feel scared, if it’s the end of the world, it’s the end of the world for everyone, so there’s no difference if you’re rich or poor. So I just feel like I want to live as well as I can and make my girlfriend as happy as I can. I don’t really think it’ll end, but you never know. If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.” Michel may be worried about the world’s demise in 2012, but for now he’s content with racing tunnels at Off The Wall. Photog Jimmy digs this shot, but thinks the next shot in the sequence would’ve been better: “I could’ve had a better shot of this on the next frame, but I lost focus because of those randoms in my way who aren’t even taking the photo. Shit happens. There’s normally more cameras than regular spectators on the beach here. It’s ridiculous. Everyone is a photographer or videographer.”

full frame // Mar 8, 2016
Words by Jimmy Wilson
Reading Time: 2 minutes

This is 25-year-old Tahitian Michel Bourez, at Off The Wall in Hawaii. Photog Jimmy Wilson, who fired off this doozy of an image, has been staying at the Nike house right there at Off The Wall. According to Jimmy, the lucky residents of the Nike house (Michel included) are living the good life. There’s a chef every day for lunch and dinner, as well as a masseuse.

Michel and Jimmy both feature in our hard cover book, out any day now. There’s some stellar water shots of Michel and some honest insights into the proud Tahitian’s mind, such as:

Stab: When you lie in bed, late at night in the dark, what do you think about?
Michel: 2012, the end of the world. I’ve been watching all those TV shows about the world ending in 2012. I think about that, and how to spend my money. Where could be good to spend my money. I don’t feel scared, if it’s the end of the world, it’s the end of the world for everyone, so there’s no difference if you’re rich or poor. So I just feel like I want to live as well as I can and make my girlfriend as happy as I can. I don’t really think it’ll end, but you never know. If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.”

Michel may be worried about the world’s demise in 2012, but for now he’s content with racing tunnels at Off The Wall. Photog Jimmy digs this shot, but thinks the next shot in the sequence would’ve been better: “I could’ve had a better shot of this on the next frame, but I lost focus because of those randoms in my way who aren’t even taking the photo. Shit happens. There’s normally more cameras than regular spectators on the beach here. It’s ridiculous. Everyone is a photographer or videographer.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Correction: J-Bay All Foreplay, No Climax

Slim pickings on Day 1 of the Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025.

Jul 11, 2025

What Do Hollywood, Surf Lessons, Michael Jackson And Traction Pads Have In Common?

A Stab Interview with Teva Dexter, the man behind surfing's hardest new hardware brand —…

Jul 10, 2025

Surf100 Challenge Series Presented By Pacifico: Episode 3

"The tribe has spoken," Dane Reynolds pronounced, and a surfer's torch was snuffed.

Jul 10, 2025

How Josh Ku Nearly Died Trying To Cross From Ulus to G Land by Hydrofoil

“If someone finds me dead at least they can find my phone and know what…

Jul 10, 2025

Expect No Kiss, All Climax At The “World’s Most Perfect Pointbreak”

A Corona Cero Open J-Bay 2025 preview.

Jul 9, 2025

SEOTY: Liam O’Brien stars in ‘Friction of Perception’

"Hopefully I don’t come across like too much of a peanut."

Jul 8, 2025

10 Shapers To Watch In The Next 10 Years — Part One

“It’s like a drug empire, man. Cut the head off the snakes, and more will…

Jul 7, 2025

Mason Ho Joins Ritual Vision, Releases Remix Of Greatest Hits

Dion Agius riffs on the eyewear brand’s U.S. expansion, Ritualistic Tendencies, and the new stars…

Jul 7, 2025

Is It Time For A New Judging Format?

We have a modest proposal — a WSL head judge disagrees.

Jul 7, 2025

Luke Thompson Turns Last Year’s Priority Disaster Into Ballito Gold

+ earns himself a wildcard into Jbay.

Jul 7, 2025

Fiji Has Its First Professional Surfer, And He’s Unbelievable

16-year-old James Kusitino’s incomprehensible tube lounging leads to a deal with Former.

Jul 6, 2025

Laird Hamilton on The Limitations of Being a Purist, Invention vs. Ownership + Why He Never Had a Sticker Deal 

Untold stories from his How Surfers Get Paid interview.

Jul 4, 2025

When Surfer’s Eye Is Actually Cancer

Erin Campbell's brutal journey from surf camp dreams to chemo drops, cryotherapy, and surgical horror.

Jul 3, 2025

Surfing’s 2025 Q2 Report

An assessment of surfing's vital signs throughout the second quarter of 2025.

Jul 2, 2025

What Actually Happened to Occy’s Mad Max Plunger Pool In Yeppoon?

Surf Lakes’ brass talks: internet hecklers, the unplugging of the plunger, and the Tom Curren…

Jul 2, 2025

Poor Goofy Foots 

Data shows that the world is stacked against goofs — they even make 15% less money than…

Jul 1, 2025

Britain’s First Wavepool Has Closed — What Really Happened?

Bankruptcy, social media hackings, debts unpaid — and yet, reopening looms.

Jul 1, 2025

Watch: Was Matt Meola’s Air Actually Better Than Hughie’s?

Watch the full Swatch Nines highlight reel and decide.

Jun 30, 2025
Advertisement