J.O.B. wins Fifth Pipe Event

Pipe showed all kinds of faces during the Pipeline Pro. This was one of the good looks. Photo: Freesurf

Rather than slogging around the world competing in mediocre waves, Jamie O’Brien has chosen a different path. Granted, where he calls home gives him a significant advantage in the type of path he has chosen, but hey you can’t blame the guy.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that a new goal for the kid that grew up with Pipe in his backyard is to win as many Pipeline events as he can. He is definitely on the righ track. J.O.B claimed his fifth Pipeline victory on Monday. This includes one Pipemasters, one Da Hui Backdoor Shootout and three Pipeline Pros.

Although all the Pipe regulars are on another level when it comes to confidence while surfing the deadliest wave in the world, it is in Jamie that this confidence shines the most. His approach to surfing Pipe has such an effortless look to it that judges can’t help but give him the score. I don’t mean effortless as in a stylish head dip either, I mean effortless as in putting himself as deep as possible, disappearing with the foam and shooting out after the spit.

Midway through Jamie’s ten in the first round. Hard to imagine he came out of this. Photo: Freesurf

Jamie scored the first of only 5 ten point rides given throughout the entire event and was throwing away scores that were winning the majority of heats. After a nail biter semi final, Jamie was pitted against fellow Hawaiian and RVCA team rider Danny Fuller, Aussie Anthony Walsh and O’Neill’s Mark Matthews in the final.

The first ten minutes of the final absolutely pumped. It seemed like an hour had passed by the time things settled down. Fuller pulled into a couple deep ones that if he had come out of would surely have won him the final. Anthony Walsh picked off a couple solid Pipe waves that gave him two medium scores, while Matthews struggled and took a couple beatings in the process. Jamie traveled through a couple long backdoor barrels that gave him the heat lead.

Matthews (rocking a fresh pair of Hyperfreaks) struck back later in the heat as he split a peak with Jamie. Matthews went for the backdoor right and netted the highest wave score of the heat, a 9.93. Jamie’s left wasn’t so bad either and ended up raising his heat total to a 17.00. With ten minutes left in the heat though, Matthews only needed a 7.08 to take over the lead.

Mark Matthews charged all the way to the final and took some beatings while he was at it. Photo: Freesurf

Lucky for Jamie, the ocean went flat and Matthews opportunity never came. By the time the clock hit zero, the groms were already in the line up slapping fives with Jamie. He rode the ski in and was chaired to the beach like it was the third time he won the event. It was almost uneventful, expected almost.

The win pretty much puts him in the Pipemasters where he will do battle with the worlds best later this year. He may not be the most liked guy in the world of surfing, but when it comes to watching people surf Pipe, he is at the top.