The Donegan Dos Santos brothers, from Famara, are two of Lanzarote’s brightest young surfing hopes, with Dylan winning the World Under-18 championship in Peru at the end of last year and Conor also picking up important titles. We spoke to the Irish-Brazilian brothers last month
Tell us a little about yourselves.
Conor: I’m 20 years old. I was born in Cork, Ireland, and when I was six weeks old, I was brought to Lanzarote. I arrived, was taken straight to Famara, and I wouldn’t trade my hometown for anything. I studied at the high school in Villa de Teguise.
Dylan: I’m 17 years old, born in the hospital in Arrecife. I grew up and have always lived in Famara.
Do you feel more Irish, Brazilian, or Canarian?
Conor: I say I’m Canarian.
Dylan: I’m from Lanzarote, and when we compete, we represent the Canary Islands, Spain.
How did you get started in surfing?
Conor: My dad had been teaching surfing here for years when he met my mom as a student. When I was born, my dad would pick me up in diapers and put me on the board. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been at the beach.
Dylan: I’ve always surfed. I watched my brother when he started surfing, and I wanted to do the same.
Is surfing just talent, or is it also about a lot of physical training and discipline?
Conor: We might have some talent, but we’ve spent so many hours in the water not because we had to, but because we loved it. I think the effort and many hours in the water are what have gotten me to where I am now.
How many hours do you dedicate to training?
Conor: We train three times a day, an hour and fifteen minutes per session…
Dylan: …And if the sea conditions aren’t right for catching waves, then we do gym and cycling.
Dylan, how did you feel when you won the U18 championship in Peru?
Dylan: I won the U16 World Championship last year, so I arrived in Peru with high expectations, but my goal was to take it one step at a time, heat by heat. I could say that I expected it, but I’m still in shock because it was my first year in the U18 category, and winning two world championships in a row had never happened before for the boys. I wanted to win and I knew I could, but there were so many good competitors.
The waves in Peru were spectacular. We were there for two weeks, and there were good waves every day. It was super-cool because there were a lot of dolphins, and it’s very different from what I had seen before. Since it’s a team championship, the atmosphere at the World Championships is incredible.
The results for Spain were good in that competition.
Dylan: Yes, my teammate from Lanzarote, Sol Borelli. won another gold medal, and Spain finished fifth in the world out of more than 50 countries that participated in that competition.
How do you see the surfing scene in Lanzarote currently?
Conor: Surfing in Lanzarote has improved a lot and is becoming much more visible. Obviously, before us, there were some really good surfers, like José María Cabrera, who’s our coach and one of the best Canarians to have come out of this sport. He’s shown us the way and helped us a lot. Right now, surfing is very well regarded on the island; there’s a lot of talent coming up.
Who have been your main inspirations in surfing? Local and international?
Dylan: For me, obviously, Kelly Slater has to be there. He’s the best of all time, but I’ve always looked up to a Brazilian surfer, Filipe Toledo, who’s been a world champion. I really like the way he surfs, and he inspires me a lot.
Conor: Kelly’s the best. Another Brazilian, Gabriel Medina, has always been my favourite since I first saw him surf; I’ve always wanted to surf like him. As local idols, we’ve been very lucky to have surfers like Jonathan González from Tenerife, our coach José María Cabrera, and Luis Díaz.
What are your plans for 2026?
Dylan: In 2026, I’ll try to qualify for the Challenger Series, which, to put it in football terms, is like the second division, and accumulate points to try and get into the CT, which is the circuit for the 32 best surfers in the world. That’s the goal, and in the long term, I’m aiming for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Conor: At the beginning of the year, on January 5th, I’m going to the Under-21 World Championship in the Philippines, where I hope to get a good result. Then, like my brother, I’ll start in the Challenger Series to work my way up, train, improve, and enjoy it.
Travel expenses must be high. Do you receive much financial support? Sponsorships?
Dylan: The Cabildo, through its Lanzarote Sports Destination program, gives us financial support, but it’s difficult because from the Canary Islands we always have to take an extra flight to the mainland, which is quite difficult and expensive, but for now, we’re doing OK.
Conor: Honestly, we can’t complain. The people at Lanzarote Sports Destination are great. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be able to go to many competitions. We also have private companies that help us. I’m sponsored by a French company, Watts, and my brother by Quiksilver.
What are your favourite places to surf, in Lanzarote and in the world?
Conor: For me, El Quemao in Lanzarote is number one because of the wave and how challenging it is. If you manage to surf the wave well, the reward and the feeling are indescribable. But I love San Juan in Famara, which has a wave I’m in love with. Indonesia is known as the perfect spot for surfing, but my favourite place is Lakey Peak in Sunbawa.
Dylan: Like my brother, I love San Juan and El Quemao, which has one of the best waves in the world. For me, the best place in the world is Desert Point, also in Indonesia, which has a very long wave with great barrels.
Are there any places you’d like to visit and surf?
Dylan: I’ll say two: Teahupoo in Tahiti and Jeffrey’s Bay in South Africa.
Conor: I’d say Teahupoo too, and Skeleton Bay in Namibia. The latter is a wave that’s disappearing because of the sand and the local climate. I’d like to go before that wave disappears.
Thanks, lads, and the best of luck.
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