FORMER Portlander Liam O’Brien is ready to surf the world stage, after earlier this month qualifying for the 2022 World Surf League Championship Tour.

Qualifying during the Haleiwa Challenger event in Hawaii, the 22-year-old will now face off against 35 of the world’s top surfers in an 11-stop tour.

He was in Portland to visit family for Christmas, and took time out for a quick chat with the Portland Observer.

Although he spent most of his formative years living in the Gold Coast, Liam said he fondly remembers heading out into the surf at Cape Bridgewater from a young age.

“My family are all from Portland and I lived here when I was young – I even went to Portland South Primary,” he said.

“I don’t remember much, and I’d say I properly learnt to surf on the Gold Coast, but I do remember heading out into the surf at Bridgewater with my dad when I was young – it was freezing.

“Portland’s a place I come most holidays to visit family and it holds a really special place in my heart.

“The surf here is such a contrast to what you get at home, but it’s something I look forward to every year.”

Liam’s dad, Guy, said he was proud to have passed his passion for surfing onto his children.

“I started out when I was 12 years old here with a bunch of mates,” Guy said.

“The Robertson clan was probably a big part of that – Pete Robbo had a lot of young kids under his wing and I was lucky to be one of those.

“It gave me a great appreciation for surfing and I’m happy to have passed that on.”

To kick off the tour, Liam will head back to Hawaii at the end of January, taking on one of the world’s most famous surf breaks, Pipeline in Oahu.

“It’s obviously quite an intimidating wave,” he said.

“But normally it’s so crowded with so many people surfing you can barely get your hands on a wave.

“So to just have the chance to surf it on my own with just the other competitors is an amazing opportunity.

“Pipe’s different to around Portland in the sense that obviously the waves are big and powerful but it’s warmer water, close to shore with a lot of people on the beach – but down here it’s freezing and some of the best spots are way out to sea with sharks all around – so it’s still pretty intimidating in its own right.”

From Pipe surfers will then hit the water at Sunset Beach in Oahu, before they head to Portugal, Australia (Bells Beach and Margaret River), Indonesia, the United States, Brazil, South Africa and Tahiti ahead of the final at a location to be announced.

Big names on the tour include Gabriel Medina, John John Florence and Filipe Toledo.

“It's pretty bizarre to start competing against people you've looked up to your whole life,” Liam said.

“But that'll be one of the challenges for me.

“I’m really excited to get out there and compete with them whatever the outcome.”

Although he will be rubbing elbows with the sport’s most intimidating faces, he said he has a few great mates on the tour with him.

“Callum Robson, Jackson Baker and Connor O'Leary are all from Australia and qualified along with me this year,” he said.

“Morgan Cibilic is also a great friend of mine and he’s on the tour from last year.

“Everyone gets behind each other so it’ll be a great support system for us all – there’s nothing worse than travelling with people you don’t like but I’m lucky to be heading off with great mates.”

In the lead-up to the tour, Liam said he will spend his days in the surf and at the gym, with a focus on strength ahead of Pipeline.

“I’m just surfing every day and getting into the gym as much as I can to get ready,” he said.

“I’m heading over pretty soon so I can get around three weeks in before the tour kicks off.

“That’ll help me get used to the waves and my boards before it all starts.

“I’m doing as much preparation as I can but in the end it’ll all be up to what happens on the day.

“I don’t have too many expectations for the tour, but I’m looking forward to how it all pans out.”