No longer can a professional surfer just turn up and surf their heats each year and expect to keep winning. As the sport of surfing becomes more professional so too are it’s athletes. Surfingsays.com caught up with Adrian Buchan to find out how one of our top surfers prepares for a successful year on the ASP Tour both physically and mentally.

 

So Adrian how was life on tour in 2011? From the outside looking in it seemed like a huge year for the men’s ASP Tour.

It’s unreal being on tour at the moment. I actually had an amazing time last year, it was really exciting. We got some sick waves in Tahiti, Portugal and Pipe and went to some new locations like New York and San Francisco which put a whole new spin on the tour. Plus with a bit of controversy and the cut-off it all made for an exciting year to be involved in professional surfing, not to mention the level of surfing was amazing.

 

Out of the water things look like they’re going really well for you too?

Yeah, things have been really good outside of competing. I got engaged to my girlfriend Bec last year and we’re getting married in Bali this June. So that’s pretty exciting and something to look forward to. Also I just re-signed with my sponsor ‘Hurley’ which is great because I’ve really enjoyed working with them and I’m looking forward to doing some good things with them in the future.

 

That’s great. It’s the old saying for sports people that ‘things won’t work well on the field if they aren’t working off it’.

Exactly! I feel like everything is going well outside of surfing and I have all my business side of things settled, so now I can focus on doing well in competition. I still love competing and I’m really looking forward to starting the year off well on the Gold Coast and hopefully winning and event or two this year.

 

Let’s go back to 2011. You finished in 16^th on the rankings. How did you rate your year on tour?

For me last year was disappointing competition wise because I never really got on a roll. I had a few good results here and there and surfed some good heats but I couldn’t get on a roll like I did in 2010 when I was really consistent. Last year I probably lost as many heats as I won which is not ideal.

 

Surfing can be a hard sport to get on a roll though can’t it. There are so many variables and factors that decide the outcome and even luck plays its hand sometimes?

Exactly, I could say I was unlucky in a couple of close heats but I also realise that I need to get better as a surfer if I want to keep competing. You do need to take ownership. I can say, alright, I lost a couple of really close heats at the start of the year and if things had gone my way it may have ended differently, but there’s always some reason for not winning a heat. At Snapper last year I had Kelly needing an 8 with a few minutes to go and I thought, alright, I’m in a great situation here, I worked really hard to get into that situation. Then he got the 8, so I still needed to go back later and think, alright, what could I have done differently in that heat to win, even though I surfed a good heat.

 

What can you take out of last year, any lessons learnt?

Last year was frustrating because I’d have a really good heat and then not be able to back it up. So I guess what I can take from last year is that ok, I didn’t have a very good year but I still finished in the top 16. When I was growing up being in the top 16 was a really coveted thing. So to still be there after what I felt was a bad year for me personally, I can take confidence from that. I also feel I have a lot of improvement left in my surfing which also gives me confidence for this year.

 

Where does that improvement come from and how do you identify those areas that need improving?

I think you need to break it down and look at all the aspects. You look at your repertoire or whether you could have surfed the waves differently. Or is it your preparation, heat strategy or just making the right decisions that’s letting you down. So much of competition is mental. You need to be able to step back and say – this is what I did wrong, this is what I need to change for the next year in order to get better results. So I guess now in our offseason that’s what I’m doing. I’m trying to work on a few of the things that I could have done better so I can go into the next year feeling more confident and prepared.

 

Being a great surfer isn’t enough anymore is it?

There are so many great surfers out there but mentally you have to be switched on, committed and prepared, and you need to be consistently making the right decisions during your heats. I had a few heats last year where I don’t think I was as mentally settled as I’ve been in the past. I think for me having a good preparation is really important to my results.

 

Is there a reason you felt a bit mentally underdone in those heats last year?

It’s all in your preparation. You‘re dealing with so many factors and changing situations that it’s hard to always get that perfect preparation. It’s not like a tennis match where you have relatively the same environment at each event. You have to be flexible in what you’re doing. For me it’s about being calm and relaxed but at the same time having that excitement to go and perform as well. So I need to have a balance between those factors.

 

A lot of the surfers are travelling with fulltime coaches and fitness trainers, who do you analyse your performances with?

I think in surfing you have to be very self-aware, I guess because it’s an individual sport. There are people around who can help you, and everybody has a different team but for me I’ve always been very driven from within and have been able to look at my performances by myself and pick apart what I did right or wrong. You have to be able to do things for yourself as a surfer because you’re not competing as part of a team. Yeah, you have your support networks, and some people have a coach or trainer and those people can give you feedback and advice, but you still need to be able to dissect things for yourself.

 

So what tools or strategies do you use to make sure your preparation for an event is as good as possible?

For me I keep a diary of all my heats and what I did right and wrong. That’s a way for me to go back and remember; say before J-Bay which last year was my best event, I can see what I did right and try and get in that frame of mind again. Last year I got there early, my equipment was good, I was feeling really confident and I knew which waves to catch. You pick all those things out of the diary and try and use them again the next year. And of course at the same time you can read the mistakes and try and make sure you don’t make the same ones again. It’s about improving as a competitor. I think whether you’re an athlete or the head of a corporation that’s how you get better – you need to learn from your mistakes and from your successes. So having a record of those things really helps.

 

What’s the plan for your surfing in 2012?

This year is about adding some extra spark to my surfing. I think if you can add some new things each year to your repertoire that’s how you make sure you continue to stay current.

So for me it’s about ironing out some of those mistakes I made last year, getting in that groove and being consistent and also adding some more excitement to my surfing.

 

You look really fit and healthy. Has the fitness element taken a bigger priority in your preparation this year?

Yeah, definitely. I have really had to learn how to look after my body after having a few bad injuries in my career. I think the work that I’ve put into training has made me stronger mentally as much as physically. This year I’ve employed my trainer fulltime whilst I’m at home to help me out and that’s working out pretty well for me already.

 

The physical training that surfers do these days is really important isn’t it? It seems you can’t just surf anymore and expect to stay at the top?

Yeah, physically I’d like to have a bit more of a presence. I think that aspect is coming into surfing a lot more, actually having a physical presence in the water.

 

Obviously by that you’re not just talking about improving your surfing through physical strength?

Well improving your strength will obviously help you out power wise and also in the bigger waves but it’s so important for a competitor mentally to know that their physically strong and fit. It’ll give you that confidence but also that physical presence when you’re competing.

 

I guess all the guys on tour are great surfers but not all the guys are in top shape physically or mentally, so it’s about finding that edge?

Exactly, if you look at a guy like Kelly Slater he looks like a professional athlete before he even gets in the water. The same goes with someone like Mick; everyone knows the work he puts in so you know that he’ll be prepared. They always look confident.

 

You’re regarded as having one of the best backhand attacks on tour. The fact that there are so many rights, that has to be a good thing for you?

Yeah, sometimes as a goofy on tour you wish everyone had to surf each wave on their backhand. I always looked at Bobby as having the best backhand on tour. I really liked the lines he drew and the speed he took through his turns. Also I think Matty Wilko has brought something new to backhand surfing. He’s got a little more flair and mixes it up and it’s a bit more erratic than say Bobby but it’s exciting. So I try and blend a bit of what Bobby does and add some of what Matty does too. They’re the two goofy’s I like to look at.

 

First event is Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast. You know what’s coming so there’s no excuse not to be ready is there?

Well, I’m lucky to have a few good right hand point breaks and beach breaks around home at Avoca and places like Macs, so I’ll definitely surf those when they break. You have to factor into your preparation that you’ll most likely be going right in the first few events. You know you have Snapper then Bells and then J-Bay’s not far off as well so my backhand is definitely important to getting a good start to the year for me. I’ll also head up to the Gold Coast before the event if there’s going to be any waves up there.

 

Not everyone finds Snapper an easy wave to surf on their backhand. You’ve had some good results there in the past, is there a reason you’ve been able to adapt to riding waves like Snapper and J-Bay on your backhand better than some of the other goofy footers?

I’ve spent a fair bit of time up there in Queensland surfing the points and getting in the groove with my boards and in tune with the waves. It comes down to putting the work in before the events, whether it’s boards, fitness or mental. I’ve always prepared well for the first event and my results have shown that.

J-Bay is a tough place to compete at on your backhand. If you’re free surfing you can make every wave but you won’t be doing many turns. It’s taken me a while to work out how to compete out there on my backhand so doing well there last year was really rewarding.

 

So you’re feeling confident for a good start to the year?

Yeah for sure, in the last 4 or 5 years I think my worst result at Snapper has been a 9^th and I’ve had some really good heats out there. So that’s one event that I feel like I can win if I can get on a roll. It’s definitely an event that I target for a good performance.

 

Let’s talk boards for Snapper. Do you go back to what worked last year or do you try something new?

You kind of have to stick with what has worked for you in the past but you always want to improve things as well. I’ll have a bit of a combination of boards that I know will work at Snapper. My normal short board is 6’0. Last year I rode a 5’11 to help fit into the curve of the wave a bit more. My shaper JS, is also working on a few boards at the moment that he thinks will suit my surfing out at Snapper.

 

How much is the Quiky Pro in your head right now when you free surf? Is it all about the contest?

I guess when you first get back from Hawaii you sort of wind down and decompress for a few weeks but yeah, now every time I’m in the water I’m thinking about the contests coming up.

 

Does that get draining, always surfing with that in your head?

You know, when I got back from Hawaii I had a few really good surfs when I was really relaxed so that was sort of a good lesson for me. I realised I don’t need to be in that super critical, competitive mindset every time I paddle out and also not to be too hard on myself. So I’ll keep that in mind now throughout 2012. In saying that now with the first contest not that far away you are working on certain turns and always pushing yourself. So I guess now I’m definitely in that competitive, training mindset when I go surfing.

 

Let’s imagine it’s the first day of the event at Snapper, can you take us through your contest pre-heat preparation?

Yeah, I like to have a short surf in the morning at the contest break to get things moving. Even if it’s only 4 waves just to get going and kind of feel like you’ve dusted off the cobwebs. Then I just like to eat and get a bit of time to myself, stretch and get my body warmed up.

Then I’ll just get down to the venue and relax and watch a heat or two before I have to really switch into my competitive mindset. So I’ll try and get down there about 1 ½ hours before I surf. I’ll just try and relax and sit by myself and watch the conditions for a bit.

 

Even at world tour level we still see guys making simple or careless mistakes. How much time and effort do you put into heat strategy while waiting for your heats?

I’m a pretty analytical person. I obviously like to know where all the best waves are coming through. I’ll maybe line the break up; make sure I know what the tides doing and whether the peak is going to move and what the currents are doing. I’ll try and find the spot that might be the primary peak but also look for a spot where I can pick waves up without priority to put a bit more pressure on the other competitor.

 

So you need to come up with a better plan than the other guy?

Yeah, you try to come up with a good plan but you have to be flexible and have a backup. If you’re aware of the conditions, that will help if you need to change the plan if things aren’t going well.

 

So what drives Ace Buchan to put in the hours of training and preparation in the offseason?

The thing that’s driving me is I want to win events. I want to get that feeling that I had so much as a junior winning events. I want to beat the best guys and that’s what still excites me and pushes me to become a better surfer. I’m still super excited to compete, especially with the names on tour right now. That motivates me a lot, the thought of being able to surf against those guys and put in good performances. I don’t think there’s ever been the calibre of surfers on tour that there is right now.

 

2012 World Title. What’s it going to take for Adrian Buchan to win the thing? Is that in the plan?

For me to win the title I’d obviously need a good start. I know that I can get off to a really good start here in Australia. Then we go to Brazil, Tahiti and Fiji and I think those two waves will suit me as well, I feel confident at those locations.

My goal for this year is definitely to get back into the top 10. I want to get that consistency back in my results and my surfing. If I can get a good start in Australia and keep it going through the Pacific leg. I’ve done well through Europe and America in the past so hopefully I’m up there. I think if towards the end you’re in the top 7 or 8 guys you might be in with a shot as I get the feeling there may be a lot of different winners of the events this year. So if I can be up there with those guys and win an event I can definitely put myself in the mix for a world title.

 

Thanks a lot Ace for giving us a bit of inside info into your preparation and what’s involved in getting ready for a new year on tour. Good luck at Snapper and for the rest of the year mate.

No problem, thank you.