Guns? Check.

Adrian ‘Ace’ Buchan has done his time in Hawaiian waters. He’s been to the Pineapple State over ten times and has every single one of his sleds dialled. With a few of the Waves boys heading North Shore bound this year, we gave Ace a quick call to talk equipment, his personal favourites and whether Hawaiian shapers are better than the Aussies.

How many boards did you take to the North Shore this year?
“It sounds weird but I only actually brought four boards over here. My shaper, JS, shipped 15 boards over with a bunch of others. They shipped mine, Parko’s, Bruce’s and Jordy’s boards all over at the same time which made things a lot easier.”

Ace: Tearing Rocky Point to shreds.

Pic:Bosko

What’s the range of boards you have?
“I have pretty much everything ranging from 6’0 to 7’2. I like to be prepared and have a couple of back up boards as well. I’ve also got a 9’6 that I use out Waimea or when it gets really big. I’ve also got a little 5’6 fish that I ride when it’s really small to muck around on.”

What boards do you ride in the Triple Crown events?
“With the comp at Haleiwa, it’s pretty rare that I’d ride over a 6’6. It all depends on the conditions though because it’s a pretty tricky wave to surf. For the comp at Sunset, no matter how big it gets I tend to ride between a 6’6 and 7’0. Guys ride way bigger boards out there but I guess when you’re competing you still need to be able to do a turn. At Pipe I think it depends on the conditions. If it’s six-to-eight foot Pipe I’d probably ride a 6’10 but everyone is different. The other day, Kalani Chapman was riding out 9’0 out there and was getting every single bomb. Kieran Perrow was riding a 6’3 out at Backdoor. I think that’s pretty mental but he loves taking off late and pulling up into them. It all depends on what board you feel comfortable on I think.”

Do you leave boards over there?
“Yeah I think that’s the best thing to do. I leave a bunch here every year and left a few favourites from last year so it’s good to get back on them. It’s good to have a few backups if you snap your quiver.”

What’s your favourite?
“I’ve had a really good 7’0 that I’ve ridden over the last four years at Sunset and I trust it in anything. My 6’9 that I got third at Pipe a few years ago would also be a favourite. I think any board that you just feel comfortable jumping straight onto is a favourite. With those two, I can jump on year after year and not worry about them. All I’ve got to worry about is my surfing.”

Are the Hawaiian shapers better than the Aussies?
“The last few years I only used JS over here. I used to get a bunch off some of the Hawaiian shapers but I think JS has really got it down now. He’s been shaping boards for Joel, Bruce and myself for the last four or five seasons and has really worked on his guns. Ten years ago I’d probably say the Hawaiian shapers were ahead but now a lot of the Aussie guys are really showing what they can do. I think guys like JS and DHD are really putting their best foot forward in terms of shaping guns.”

Tags: Adrian Buchan