“I think we would be more surprised to discover a perfectly clean beach than a polluted one.” A sad reality. Photo: ASP/ Kirstin Scholtz
After two victories in Rio and Margaret River followed by a second place at Cloudbreak, Michel Bourez now occupies second place in the WCT rankings, just behind Gabriel Medina. Despite the fact that he had never won any titles at the elite level, Michel Bourez defeated the best surfers of the planet, most notably Kelly Slater at Fiji. The folks over at Aloha Surf Journal decided to meet him and ask him to participate in another installment of “I SURF, I CARE.”
Do you think in surfing, more than in any other sport, there is a special relationship between surfers and the environment?
Of course! We spend most of our time in the ocean, so we try to take care of it as much as we can. We don’t want to surf in polluted water, with plastic bags and other wastes. When I go surfing, I try as much as I can to pick up litter and clean the beach. I know that the next morning the tide will bring another one back, but we need to act and it’s the little things we do today that will change the future and have a very positive impact. If everyone was acting like that, our oceans would certainly be cleaner. It’s hard to see a beach completely destroyed by the hand of human beings; to see paradise transformed by pollution, losing its soul and its natural beauty.
Do you have any bad memories of surfing in polluted areas?
Everywhere I go, I face marine pollution. I can’t remember a single place where I didn’t see human waste… plastic bags, bottles, fish nets. I think we would be more surprised to discover a perfectly clean beach than a polluted one. In summer, councils try to do their best to hide this sad reality from tourists by cleaning the beaches early in the morning. But locals experience this reality every day the rest of the year.
Do you see a positive or negative change regarding ocean protection?
Yes, I think we are slowly realizing how serious the pollution issue is. Today, major players in the surfing industry, along with surfers, are trying to make things change. Contests are more and more respectful of the spot. Organizers also try to educate people about environmental issues that threaten the future of surfing. The result can only be positive. Pollution is not a taboo anymore.
Are you personally involved in the the ocean’s protection?
I am not ambassador for any organization, but every day I try my best to contribute the ocean’s protection and to be inspiring for people who follow what I am doing. I pick up waste when I go surfing, and I talk with youths about these issues.
