Adrian Buchan has been part of the bedrock of the Championship Tour for more than a decade. The veteran goofy-footer from Avoca Beach, Australia, owns one of the most aesthetically pleasing styles in the sport. He’s clinched a pair of CT victories in that time (France 2008, Teahupoo 2013) and both came at the expense of Kelly Slater in the Final. Buchan serves as the surfer’s representative on Tour, and is revered for being intelligent, articulate, positive and proactive. He grew up the son of an English teacher and inherited his father’s love of literature. Not content to just read, he’s written his own children’s book to promote social responsibility, and he regularly quotes Shakespeare on Instagram. He’s also an ambassador for the Inspire Foundation, a non-profit focused on the mental health and wellbeing of young people. He’s a husband and father to two children who now travel with him to most of the stops. When his oldest daughter, Ruby, arrived two months premature in 2014, the cloud of uncertainty Buchan endured as a new parent evolved into a new clarity of purpose. He’s enjoying his job more than ever today. In 2018, Ace nearly returned to the winner’s circle on the Gold Coast, where he finished runner-up to Julian Wilson. He also had a strong third place finish at Lower Trestles. While he’s spent the better part of career stuck in the teens on the Jeep Leaderboard, he cracked the Top 10 in 2008 and 2010. With the timeless appeal of his surfing, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go higher.