Surfing
Welcome to Cronulla, ladies and gents. Discover the hometown of Connor O’Leary.
Most people think of Sydney and they think of the harbour bridge, or of Bondi Beach and the crowds associated with it. They don’t think of long stretches of empty beach, secluded waves and bustling towns. But if you drive about 45 minutes south of the innards of the city, that’s just what you’ll find. Welcome to Cronulla, home to competitive up-and-comer, hopeful soon-to-be tour competitor, Connor O’Leary.
Give us the rundown on Cronulla… how would you describe it?
Oh man! Well, you’d call it a city-beach. It’s just south of Sydney and the waves can be good, but they can also be pretty average. That’s been good for me, getting used to surfing in waves that aren’t world-class – it’s gotten me ready for competition. I’m glad I’m from Cronulla though – there’s a huge variety of waves, between reef breaks and beach breaks. You get the knowledge of both when you live in Cronulla. And then it’s only a really quick drive down south to Ulladulla, which has the best variety of waves on the East Coast, I feel like.
Can you walk us through some of the main breaks?
You’ve got the main beach, which is a pretty long stretch of beach. There are probably about four or five different names for the waves along there, but it’s a bunch of beachies. And then you’ve got Cronulla Point, which is a right that gets pretty good when it’s over four foot. And then on the other end of the headland you have a place called Voodoo, which is definitely the best wave in Cronulla – it’s world-renowned. It’s a slab and when it’s on, it’s so fun. It is pretty far out and it breaks on a ledge and reels off into a left tube. And then you’ve got Shark Island, and that’s the heaviest wave around for sure. It’s a right slab that breaks on dry reef, and if you get that on the right swell, with the right winds, it’s unforgettable. Most people bodyboard it but you can still surf it if you take off a bit farther out.
What sort of swell do you look for at these places?
The same swell works for a lot of these waves. Because Shark Island is on the other end of the headland from Voodoo, opposite winds work for those two waves… but that’s good. If it’s a south swell and the winds are north it’s Voodoo, and if it’s a south to east swell with west winds, Shark Island will be pumping. It’s all about wind direction around Cronulla. And then the beachies, they can get really fun when there are a few little rip bowls around. There are always waves there.
And if someone wanted to take a day trip to find some new waves, where would they go?
Ah they’d definitely go south. It depends what the waves are like, but if you go into the national park you’ll find so many waves – a lot of them are really consistent too, so if you’re visiting in the summer, that’s a good bet. Or if you feel like driving a bit farther you can head to Wollongong.
What’s the best time of year to come to Cronulla?
Middle of winter probably, because there’s more swell around. In the summer the surf can be pretty horrible.
So, what do you do if the surf sucks?
There are so many things to do! You could go play golf, there’s a new skate park just around the corner, you could go see a movie… there’s a national park really nearby, you could hang in the bay and go fishing. I guess that’s when you’ll see the benefits of Cronulla being a city-beach.
And what’s the best pub to head to, post-surf or post-activities?
You’d definitely go to the famous Northies Hotel. It’s just across the road from the main beach and it’s a great place to kick off. There’s heaps of atmosphere and there are tons of people you know, whether you just met them in the surf or you’ve known them all your life.
And I guess, how do you think that living in Cronulla has shaped your surfing?
Well, you can spend most of your time surfing the beachies, and I’ve done that – because the waves there are often a bit sluggish it can make you want to surf a bit rushed. I’ve also done that, and my old man has always pulled me up on it and made me think about not rushing. And when you surf the reef breaks, if you do rush it’ll spit you back in the face and you’ll get smashed – but because I’ve surfed the beachies and I’m conscious, I take note not to rush. That’s hugely shaped my surfing.
Stay tuned for the next edition of My Hometown coming soon – and in the meantime, keep up with Connor and Cronulla via his Instagram, here.