Big sets break surfboards. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Jamie O’Brien surfs Pipeline a lot. Like, a LOT more than anyone else. He’s been through hell and back there, broken his bones and shredded his skin, endured horrendous wipeouts and been blown out of countless, gaping tubes. So for him to call something his “worst nightmare surfing Pipeline”... well, it means something. Sure, it might be a little hyperbolic, but you get the idea.
In the video you see here, O’Brien paddles out on a very big day. It’s been a winter full of very big days and although it does appear to be slowing down, there are still plenty of waves on offer.
Within a short time of paddling out on one of his trusty 6’10” Tokoros, Jamie found himself back at his house with it under his arm, only in two pieces.
“This is not going good,” he said. “I’ve been breaking boards. I’ve got two broken boards right here and another broken board right here. This is what happens when the waves are good. You break boards when you don’t make the good ones.”
Luckily for Jamie, he’s Jamie. He’s got plenty more where those came from, so he headed to the garage and simply grabbed another one. Then, after getting a few more waves that, for most people would be the best waves of their lives, he headed in, crammed a bunch of food in his gut, then went to surf Pinballs, a fun little wave inside of Waimea. All in a good day’s work for Jamie O’Brien.
