There are a handful of surprises on this year's ASP World Tour; that Parko is actually in a somewhat commanding lead seemed unlikely, even though we predicted a breakout year for him. That Slater would be waffling can hardly be considered a surprise, nor can the fact that he's taking his designs to new extremes. And though we expected good things from Adriano De Souza this year, it's safe to say at this point he's surpassing our expectations. The 22-year-old Brazilian star is currently ranked 2nd in the world, yet for some reason his name fails to be mentioned as a title threat...but it sure as hell should be.


Considering what he's already accomplished in his young career, it's high time we recognize this guy. De Souza was the youngest ever World Junior Champion back in 2005. That very same year he went out and utterly destroyed the WQS, winning that series by the widest margin ever. And while De Souza's first couple of years out on tour were hardly earth shattering (he finished 20th in 2006, and 28th in 2007) he proved that he belonged in the big leagues. Then in 2008, De Souza finally found his groove and made his leap up the ladder after semifinal finishes in Fiji and at Trestles. He finished 7th last year. Hello? Anyone paying attention?


Though his style is still being refined, Adriano's surfing is fast, aggressive, and powerful. He's a scrappy fellow who doesn't rattle easy, if at all. And he seems to be adapting well to most of the waves on tour. But Jeffreys will either validate his season, or burst his current bubble. If he manages to put up another good number in South Africa he'll be impossible to ignore. But Jeffreys Bay is one place where everything has to be working right. It's by far THE most challenging race track on tour. If a board's not working, or a style isn't in sync, it's like driving with the emergency brake on, for all to see. Keep your eyes on how this guy handles adversity