ON THE BEACH / MIKE REILLEY : Movie Cameras Catch O’Connell Searching for the Perfect Wave

Laguna Niguel’s Pat O’Connell says he’s ready for Hollywood. But the question is, will Hollywood be ready for Pat O’Connell?

O’Connell, who finished fifth at the Op Pro last year, has a role in the new Bruce Brown movie, “The Endless Summer II.”

The movie is a sequel to Brown’s 1966 film.

Brown’s latest venture will chronicle the surfing travels of O’Connell and Robert Weaver of Santa Cruz as they search for the mythical “perfect wave.”

So far, O’Connell has been on only one shoot--Costa Rica--but several other trips are in the works. The movie is slated for a 1994 release.

“I’m so stoked I got the part,” O’Connell said. “It’s a change for me, just to go out and have fun surfing. It’s a great feeling when you’re surfing unconscious in a contest. But so is this, and with (the movie) you don’t have to worry if you don’t get wave.”

O’Connell met Brown through a mutual friend and was offered the part after a meeting last winter. Under their agreement, O’Connell had to be willing to travel when Brown needed him, even if it meant missing a contest.

“It’s a whole different ballgame from the contests,” O’Connell said. “You live a limited life as a competitive surfer. The movie is a great way to promote myself as a surfer and as a person.”

O’Connell is scheduled to compete in the main event Round 1 of the $22,000 Body Glove Cup today at Huntington State Beach.

O’Connell participated in a team format competition at the Quiksilver Lacanau Pro contest in France last year, similar to the new format at the Op Pro, scheduled June 23-28 at the Huntington Beach Pier.

He teamed with Kelly Slater, Ross Williams and Jeff Baldwin, who competed against an Australian team of Shane Powell, Luke Egan, Simon Law and Rob Bain.