It would impossible not to love Connor O’Leary.

He’s too kind. Too humble. And his backstory is simply too good to ignore.

In a generation of six-figure contracts and huge amounts of hype, Connor has been an underdog for most of his career. As a matter of fact, up until a few years ago, he was teaching surf lessons just to fund a Qualifying Series campaign. And, somehow, that gamble paid off — he shook the world and won the QS in 2016.

Nobody really knew what to expect from Connor during his first season on Tour, but he wasted no time in making his intentions damn clear. He stormed to the Quarters in his first-ever CT event, the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast, and even made a Final a few events later in Fiji.

Then, in the last event of the season, the Pipeline Masters, Connor officially sealed his spot as Rookie Of The Year. And it’s only the beginning for the 24-year-old kid from Cronulla.

“Becoming Rookie of the Year is a big deal for me. You only get one shot at that, and I feel like this year has more talented rookies than ever. To stand out amongst these guys is a massive confidence booster.”

We’ll see what that confidence boost does for him in 2018 — but, rest assured, it’ll lead to some big things. Congrats Connor!