Laylan Connelly. From Coastal Reporter to the Surfer’s Hall of Fame

so I just mentioned you didn't grow up at the beach.

Let's talk about where you grew up and family and we'll go from there.

Yeah, sure.

I grew up in Lakewood, born in L.A. area, but moved to Lakewood pretty young.

My parents just never got married and split up when I was super young.

So I was raised by my dad as a single father.

which was not very common in the 80s and 90s.

So that was kind of a unique situation.

I've always had a relationship with the ocean because my dad was an avid fisherman.

So he literally would take me out like a week old and we would stay the night on the Redondo Beach Pier and he would be fishing and lived on a boat after my mom kicked him out or whatever.

And so, you know, I've been around the ocean my whole life.

I split time between Lakewood and the South Bay.

So my mom bought a house in Hermosa Beach and I would be there every other weekend.

And for

anybody's sake, where's Lakewood?

Lakewood, I know, right? It is in the 90s still.

It is between Orange County and Long Beach.

Got it.

So a little bit inland, you know, 20 minutes to the beach, which when you're a kid and you don't have access to transportation or know anybody that is a surfer, goes to the beach, it's a million miles away, you know.

Got it.

And where does your name come from, Leyland?

Leilan, a lot of people think I'm Hawaiian.

I am not.

My mom is Vietnamese.

My father's of Irish descent.

so I just mentioned you didn't grow up at the beach.

Let's talk about where you grew up and family and we'll go from there.

Yeah, sure.

I grew up in Lakewood, born in L.A. area, but moved to Lakewood pretty young.

My parents just never got married and split up when I was super young.

So I was raised by my dad as a single father.

which was not very common in the 80s and 90s.

So that was kind of a unique situation.

I've always had a relationship with the ocean because my dad was an avid fisherman.

So he literally would take me out like a week old and we would stay the night on the Redondo Beach Pier and he would be fishing and lived on a boat after my mom kicked him out or whatever.

And so, you know, I've been around the ocean my whole life.

I split time between Lakewood and the South Bay.

So my mom bought a house in Hermosa Beach and I would be there every other weekend.

And for

anybody's sake, where's Lakewood?

Lakewood, I know, right? It is in the 90s still.

It is between Orange County and Long Beach.

Got it.

So a little bit inland, you know, 20 minutes to the beach, which when you're a kid and you don't have access to transportation or know anybody that is a surfer, goes to the beach, it's a million miles away, you know.

Got it.

And where does your name come from, Leyland?

Leilan, a lot of people think I'm Hawaiian.

I am not.

My mom is Vietnamese.

My father's of Irish descent.