At the beginning of 2016, Connor O'Leary was putting in hours working at his local surf shop. Later that year,

he won the QS and secured his spot on the 2017 championship tour, where he'd go on to win

the rookie of the year and finish 13th. It's a bit of a rockier road in the years since, but only

professionally. Conner surfing has never wavered. Surf fans and former

world champs all agree. Conner surfing is at the highest level. And so Conner's falling off of

tour in 2018 and losing a sponsor last year brings into focus a much bigger conversation that has

come up quite a bit more and more

frequently on this podcast. And that is what constitutes a professional surfer and what percentage

of that equation is actual talent in the water, the surfing itself. This short series of

podcast was intended to be with CT athletes sitting in quarantine

waiting for the Australian leg to start. Conner is an Australian resident, so he completed

quarantine back in December when he returned from Stop One at Pipeline. So he's been at home

in New South Wales, free to roam and prepare for the event in Newcastle.

My name is David Scales.

This is Surf Splendor, and here is my conversation with Connor O'Leary.

Recorded at 4 p.m. California time on March the 16th.

Now I've got you.

Hey, there we go.

How I'm well?

How are you doing?

Good.

I'm just in the car, just driving up to surf debar because it's a few waves today.

...