Perhaps all the canoe paddlers in Tahiti can make a toast for Michel Bourez now.

Six weeks after Tahitians dominated the Moloka'i Hoe canoe race, the Tahitian Bourez won the Reef Hawaiian Pro men's surfing contest yesterday.

"I followed the canoe race from home, and I drank a beer when I heard Tahiti won," said Bourez, 22. "That was big news because canoe paddling is the No. 1 sport in Tahiti. I hope people back home will be happy with this, too."

They should be. Bourez is the first surfer from Tahiti to win a Vans Triple Crown of Surfing contest.

The Reef Hawaiian Pro was the first of three events in the Triple Crown Series.

Hawai'i surfers Kekoa Bacalso and Dusty Payne placed third and fourth, respectively.

The final day of the contest was run in waves that ranged from 3 to 6 feet throughout the day. By the afternoon — when the rain cleared and the winds shifted — the conditions were spectacular.

Bourez was up to the challenge, snagging several high-scoring barrel rides in the semifinals and final.

"It was so good," he said. "All I was thinking about was getting barreled. I wasn't even thinking about winning because I was having so much fun."

Bourez trailed for most of the 30-minute final heat. But with about five minutes remaining, he tucked into a long barrel and made it out. The judges rewarded him with a score of 9.77 (out of 10). He finished with a two-wave score of 16.77.

"I had a couple good ones, but Michel got that screamer," Bacalso said. "He was in the spot and that was all him. He made it out of that one, so he deserved the win."

Bourez received $15,000 for the victory, and moved up to No. 2 on the 2008 World Qualifying Series. He is now assured of qualifying for the elite World Championship Tour in 2009.

He will be the first surfer from Tahiti to compete on the WCT since Vetea David in 1997.

"This is definitely my biggest win," Bourez said. "People back home were waiting for a while to get somebody on the (WCT), so I am happy I did it."

Brazil's Jihad Khodr placed a close second with a two-wave score of 16.5. Just two years ago, Khodr was denied entry to Hawai'i because transportation security officials detained him at a Dallas airport due to a visa issue.

Khodr said he believes he was stopped because of his Muslim name. He was sent back to Brazil and missed the Triple Crown.

"I still don't know why they sent me back home," he said. "But I got a new visa since that time and I love surfing in Hawai'i."

Last year, he was named the Triple Crown Rookie of the Year. Yesterday, he showed that he can contend for a Triple Crown championship.

"I hope people know my name for surfing now and I don't get any more (travel) problems," Khodr said.

Bacalso, who is from Mililani, had the early lead in the final after scoring a 9.0 for a smooth barrel ride. He could not find a second quality wave and finished in third place.

"When I left my house this morning, there were thunderstorms," said Bacalso, 23. "I brought five boards; I didn't know what to expect, if it was going to be 5 foot (waves) or 0 foot. During the quarters, the wind turned around and the waves just started pumping. I got probably one of the best waves I ever got at Hale'iwa today."

Bacalso's best barrels received scores of 9.0 in the quarterfinals, 9.43 in the semifinals and 9.0 in the final.

"The home crowd pumped me up and pushed me through," he said. "All the boys yelling from the beach. I could hear them. It gets you psyched to go back out and get another one."

Bacalso moved up to No. 7 on the Qualifying Series, and is now assured of getting called up to the 2009 WCT.

"It's a massive gorilla off my back," he said. "It's been six years I've been trying. The (qualifying) tour is grueling. I'm so stoked I got it."

Maui's Payne placed fourth, despite having to compete from the very first round of the contest. The other finalists were seeded into the later rounds.

"I'm pretty tired now," said Payne, 19. "I just never got in a rhythm in the final. Took off on some junk waves and lost it. But it's all good. This is a good result and I'm in contention for the Triple Crown."

Kaua'i's Dustin Barca tied for ninth place and also qualified for the 2009 WCT.

Australia's Bede Durbidge, the defending Triple Crown champion, was eliminated in the semifinals.

The next contest in the Triple Crown series is the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach. It is scheduled to run when waves are favorable between tomorrow and Dec. 6. For updates visit www.triplecrownofsurfing.com.

REEF HAWAIIAN PRO

FINAL RESULTS

1, Michel Bourez (Tahiti), $15,000. 2, Jihad Khodr (Brazil), $7,500. 3, Kekoa Bacalso (Hawai'i), $4,500. 4, Dusty Payne (Hawai'i), $4,400. 5 (tie), Nic Muscroft (Australia), Joel Parkinson (Australia), $2,700. 7 (tie), Brett Simpson (California), Bede Durbidge (Australia), $2,500. 9 (tie), Evan Valiere (Hawai'i), Sunny Garcia (Hawai'i), Chris Ward (California), Dustin Barca (Hawai'i), $2,400. 13 (tie), Greg Emslie (South Africa), Kieren Perrow (Australia), Dayyan Neve (Australia), Tim Reyes (California), $2,100.