Adriano de Souza was chasing his first World Title in 2015 - but to get it he had to do something no Brazilian had ever done before: Win at Pipe.
Adriano arrived in Hawaii a month early, asked Jamie O'Brien if he could "sleep on his porch" for a chance to stay and learn all he could from the master about the spot - and Adriano didn't give JOB much of a choice. "Adriano showed up at my doorstep," recalled Jamie. "He already knew he was staying with me even though we didn't really figure it out yet. He just moved in and started putting in the time. He got in the vibe of being around here, connecting with the land and mother nature and turned it into his day to win." It was a long shot, and not since Pepe Lopez was invited in 1976 had a Brazilian been so close to Pipeline glory. Adriano would defeat Mason Ho in the semis to secure the world title before facing Gabriel Medina in the final to win his, and Brazil's first Pipeline Masters title ever.