Elouera Boardriders star Connor O'Leary has re-qualified for the 2022 World Surfing Championship Tour with a strong finish at the final Challenger series contest at Haleiwa in Hawaii.
The top 12 ranked men and top six women from the Challenger series qualify for the 2022 Championship tour and they will join the world's best at the Billabong Pro Pipeline when the CT kicks off January 29.
O'Leary, 28, who has recently married and moved north to Lennox Head, qualified in fifth after his quarter final finish. He was the highest of the four Australian qualifiers, which will make a difference when the seeding is done for the Pipeline contest.
For the solid six foot goofyfooter O'Leary, who finished the 2021 CT season ranked 28th, his performance on the Challenger Series this year has earned him a spot amongst the world's most elite surfers next season.
"It's been a very up and down year but stoked to finish off the year on a positive note," O'Leary said after learning he'd clinched his CT spot. "Huge thanks to my family and my wife Stef, she's been a massive part of my life. Let's bring on this year and start off with a bang."
Connor O'Leary did have a mixed Challenger series, losing first round in the US Open, second round in Ericeira, Portugal, and then unbelievably winning every heat to take first place in the Quiksilver Pro France.
He'll now be back for his third assault on the Championship Tour in 2022, the first surfer from Cronulla to qualify three times.
John Veage
Thirty five year photographer for Fairfax -former NSW Chief Photographer for FCN and now Photo Journalist for the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader in southern Sydney.Official photographer for Cycling Australia (20 years) Official photographer for Surf Life Saving Australia (30 years) Founding Life Member of Cronulla Boardriders Club and Life Member of Surfing Sutherland Shire among other things.
Thirty five year photographer for Fairfax -former NSW Chief Photographer for FCN and now Photo Journalist for the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader in southern Sydney.Official photographer for Cycling Australia (20 years) Official photographer for Surf Life Saving Australia (30 years) Founding Life Member of Cronulla Boardriders Club and Life Member of Surfing Sutherland Shire among other things.
