Connor O'Leary may be the owner of the most underrated backhand on the men's Championship Tour, and if you needed any proof just check out the edit he dropped earlier this year, Far East.
These clips thrust him back into the surf world's eye after a year flying under the radar, with the Championship Tour curtailed thanks to the covid pandemic.
It was a reminder of just how good the goofy-footer surfs, a proof that he'd come a long way since breaking onto the CT in 2017, when he was named Rookie of the Year, before failing to requalify for the 2019 season.
In a new video from Channel Islands, his board sponsor, O'leary talks about how stripping things back to basics, especially when it comes to his board design and surfing, helped him reinvigorate his approach, and eventually reclaim his spot on the CT.
This really fed into how he works with his shapers and the models he chooses to ride -- in his case, the Bunny Chow, which was Jordy Smith'sJordy Smith signature model when he was riding for CI.
With more events in Australia than ever before, many in conditions he grew up surfing (Newcastle, Narrabeen especially) this could be the year he really capitalises on the serious potential he clearly possesses.
How A Challenging Year Reinvigorated Connor O'Leary's Surfing
Ben Collins
Connor O'Leary may be the owner of the most underrated backhand on the men's Championship Tour, and if you needed any proof just check out the edit he dropped earlier this year, Far East.
These clips thrust him back into the surf world's eye after a year flying under the radar, with the Championship Tour curtailed thanks to the covid pandemic.
It was a reminder of just how good the goofy-footer surfs, a proof that he'd come a long way since breaking onto the CT in 2017, when he was named Rookie of the Year, before failing to requalify for the 2019 season.
In a new video from Channel Islands, his board sponsor, O'leary talks about how stripping things back to basics, especially when it comes to his board design and surfing, helped him reinvigorate his approach, and eventually reclaim his spot on the CT.
This really fed into how he works with his shapers and the models he chooses to ride -- in his case, the Bunny Chow, which was Jordy Smith'sJordy Smith signature model when he was riding for CI.
With more events in Australia than ever before, many in conditions he grew up surfing (Newcastle, Narrabeen especially) this could be the year he really capitalises on the serious potential he clearly possesses.
Connor O'Leary
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