Pat O'Connell (September 26, 1971-)

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Pat O'Connell is generally considered the happiest surfer alive. Take away the sponsor checks, the contest jerseys and the fame, and this Endless Summer II star would still spend the majority of his waking hours in the water. One of the most gregarious and well-liked pro surfers ever, it's hard to imagine he spent the first 12 years of his life without seeing the ocean.

Born in Chicago to lifelong Midwesterners Kevin O'Connell, a small business owner, and Cindy, Patrick Regan O'Connell was a certified soccer freak. He traveled the Midwest and beyond playing for a select team from the Chicago area. O'Connell was awakened from his inland reverie by a television show that featured then-world surfing champ Margo Oberg. "It got my attention because there were dolphins," he remembers. "I thought that was the coolest thing." Kevin moved the family to Newport Beach in the early '80s, and O'Connell's initiation to surfing was hampered by a fear of the ocean and an aversion to kelp.

The following year, the O'Connells relocated to Dana Point, where he fell in with fellow Salt Creek grommets Vinny De La Pena and Marc Belanger. "It wasn't who could surf the best, it was who could surf the longest," remembers O'Connell of his formative surfing experiences. In an early WSA event, he lied about his age to surf in the menehune division and suffered a severe fin gash to the eye the following day. He remains convinced it was a lesson for his dishonesty. He soon advanced through the NSSA ranks and was also a member of the Dana Hills High surf team, where he was an excellent student until an enhanced travel schedule nearly ruined his senior year. In 1990, O'Connell represented the United States in the World Amateur Championships in Japan, winning the first event and finishing ninth overall in the Open Division.

Immediately after turning professional the same year, he became a dark-horse winner of two PSAA events and appeared on the cover of Surfing magazine. Seeking success on the ASP, his mission was altered when he earned one of the lead roles in Bruce Brown's remake of his 1966 classic, Endless Summer. "I had to put everything on hold," remembers Pat. "No photo trips, no contests, nothing. But by concentrating on surfing perfect waves and surfing well, I became a well-rounded surfer." When it was over, he put aside his celebrity status and groveled his way through the WQS, qualifying for the Top 44 in his first year back, a testament to the impact of his travels.

While his fluid style was never embraced by the system, he maintained his seed for many seasons, peaking in 1998 at 11th on the WCT and 10th in the Surfer Poll. The same year, he and fellow Orange County businessmen launched The Realm, a start-up clothing venture. Still a Dana Point resident while not traveling the world tour, O'Connell's outgoing demeanor and proximity to surfing's hub will keep him a prominent figure in the sport for years to come. A welcome reprieve from the brooding tough guy surfer, he is living proof that nice guys do finish first, or pretty close to it. -- Jason Borte, January 2001