Adriano de Souza is the inspirational leader of the much-heralded Brazilian Storm. The gritty and determined regular footer grew up in a favela on the edge of Sao Paulo, Brazil. When he was 8-years-old the ocean became his refuge after his brother bought him a second-hand surfboard for seven dollars.

By 14, De Souza was leaving home alone to pursue his dream of becoming a pro surfer. What he lacked in raw talent he more than made up for in hard work and determination. His arrival on the Championship Tour in 2006 inspired a generation of Brazilians, especially after he started collecting victories.

He won two events in 2011, the same year Gabriel Medina joined the Tour and won two of his own. While Medina became the first Brazilian to win a World Title in 2014, De Souza, the veteran, achieved his lifelong dream the very next year during a six-man title showdown at the Pipe Masters. He entered as the biggest dark horse, yet came out on top and won the event, winning the 2015 World Title.

Months later he triumphed again by marrying his wife, Patricia. De Souza’s inspiring journey to the top turned even his harshest critics into true believers, and he remains one of the most respected and lethal surfers on Tour.