HIS GRANDFATHER FROM Dublin, his grandmother from Drogheda, neither a snowboarding stronghold.
Well, not yet anyway.
Even the name Seamus O’Connor would sound more at home in Salthill or Shanagarry than in sunny San Diego or on the slopes of Utah.
But now it’s time to wake up to what the world of winter sports has known for years: one of snowboarding’s most exciting young talents is going places and he’s doing it all while flying the Irish flag.
O’Connor is one of five athletes on a team drawn completely from the diaspora, spanning Birmingham, Utah, Vancouver and Ontario.
“If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough,” his website says, a proud but far too modest message in this case. There’s not a huge amount in his meteoric rise that has been left up to chance.
Yesterday he flew out to Sochi where he will be one of the youngest athletes at the Winter Olympics, competing in the half-pipe and slopestyle. Among those standing in his way is the double Olympic champion — and the global face of the sport — Shaun White.
It seems like a steep learning curve for a 16-year-old but this path has been planned out for a long time, not quite since the day that Kevin O’Connor put his eighteen-month old son into a pair of skiis but not far off it either.
Born to Irish parents and raised in England, Kevin settled in America more than 30 years ago. Seamus’s mother, Elena, is originally from Maykop, less than 100 miles away from Sochi.
“It was about seven years ago when Sochi was nominated for the 2014 Games,” O’Connor explains in his West coast tone, “and my dad thought it would be quite poetic if an American-born athlete could represent Ireland competing in my mother’s homeland.
“It all kind of came together and I thought it was a good idea.”
Sky’s the limit: O’Connor in action at the US Grand Prix in December (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
When Kevin floated the idea with the Snowsports Association of Ireland nearly four years ago, he had plenty of evidence to argue his case.
Snow is a rare sight in San Diego where Seamus grew up, but Kevin’s work with brain injury patients meant regular trips north to ski in Colorado. O’Connor first stood on a snowboard at the age of four and from there, things gathered momentum.
“After a few years I started doing regional contests and I actually won all of them in one season and thought wow, this is great.
Then I went to the nationals and was able to win that. At that point I realised that it was maybe going to become a bit more serious.
No matter how prodigious the talent, there’s only so much an eight-year-old can do by himself. The family moved to Park City, Utah, giving him access to some of the best snowboarding facilities in the world as he chased his dream.
And as he continued to rack up competition wins, including two European Junior Half-Pipe titles, word spread. A highlight reel filmed in 2009/2010, showcasing all manner of flips, spins and slides, got rave reviews on YouTube and it was no surprise when Nike, Oakley and more major players came knocking, sponsorship agreements in hand.
YouTube Credit: illthinking
A strong half-pipe season, including a fifth-place finish at the USASA National Championships, guaranteed his place on the plane to Sochi but it was only with a good result in Canada last month that he also qualified for the slopestyle’s Winter Olympic debut.
Ranked 37th in the world, the decision to turn professional and dedicate himself to training full-time has paid off.
“It’s kind of shocking for my parents I think because one minute I’m a little kid and the next minute I’m flying around the world on my own.
“They come on a lot of trips but now as I’m 16, I’m starting to do things more on my own and with my coach. My parents are releasing the reins a little bit.
I never had a normal childhood. I didn’t really attend a normal school, never really had school friends and never really had that kind of atmosphere. It’s different.It definitely made me grow up a lot quicker than I normally would have had to but I’m glad the way it all worked out. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my background in snowboarding.
This week he stopped off in Ireland en route to Russia. His grandfather is no longer alive and his grandmother lives in England but O’Connor still feels a strong connection to his roots. Childhood trips on the Shannon and cousins in Clogherhead have kept him in touch, and when all is said and done in Sochi, he plans to return with his girlfriend for a holiday in the summer.
“I’m honoured to compete for Ireland,” he stresses. “It’s going to be a blast.”
But before the nation channels the memory of Lord Clifton Wrottesley’s fourth-place finish in the skeleton in 2002 and hitches its hopes of a rare Olympic triumph to one of snowboarding’s bright young things, O’Connor sounds a note of caution.
“These games are just an experience really. I’m just going there to experience it and obviously do my best.
“A medal? Potentially in future games but this one is really just to see what it’s all about.”
No rush, Seamus. Time is on your side.
