O'Connell, Pat (1971 – )

Pro surfer from Laguna Niguel, California, best known as the skipping, giggling, permanently cheerful shortboarder from Bruce Brown's 1994 surf movie Endless Summer II, described by Surfline as "the happiest surfer alive."

O'Connell was born (1971) and raised just outside of Chicago, Illinois, and began surfing at age 12, after moving with his family to Southern California. Eight years later he was getting good results in the local pro contests, and in 1992 and 1993 he and Santa Cruz longboa...