Australian surfer Adrian Buchan has put Kelly Slater's world championship celebrations on ice by claiming a maiden ASP title here today.
The NSW Central Coast surfer went head-to-head with the eight times world champion and came out on top, 15.73 to 15.16, in a keenly contested final at Les Bourdaines.
Had Buchan lost the heat, Slater would have clinched his ninth world title but with five event wins this year and another three remaining it will take an extraordinary loss in form for the American to surrender his iron grip on the championship.
Slater only needs to finish ninth or better at the next event in Spain to win the world title.
Today Buchan led the heat for most of the 35-minute affair with Slater needing an attainable 7.51 to pip the Australian.
Slater caught a wave with seconds to go but came up short.
"I can't believe it, to have Kelly in the final and to beat him, I am speechless," Buchan said.
"He is my hero. I have watched him win five events this year, he has just been phenomenal.
"He sets the bar so high for all of us guys, I am really thankful that surfing has got such a great custodian."
The final berth was the first of Buchan's career, prior to this event he'd never advanced past a quarterfinal round.
Slater was magnanimous in defeat.
"It's cool that it came down to a wave in the end, at least it made it interesting," Slater said.
"Truth is though, Ace (Buchan) was more in sync with it.
"He got those open face ones and did the turns. I had one wave I surfed pretty good on that, I knew it was going to get me back in it. Then I just needed a chance in the end but there wasn't quite enough time."
Slater had beaten Brazilian Adriano de Souza in the semifinals while Buchan beat American Damien Hobgood in the semifinals en route to his maiden victory.
