Party waves are more fun when you’re all on the same board. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
You may remember a funny little moment in surfing history that occurred a few years back. For a while, the SUPsquatch was all the rage, but its popularity seems to have waned ever so slightly. But Jamie O’Brien is bringing them back.
A few years ago (eleven, to be exact), I was lucky enough to get on a giant inflatable surfboard with a few guys from a SEAL team (so strong!), and Brian Keaulana. We paddled our way through the Makaha lineup on a biggish day. Fifteen-foot faces rolled through and if it wasn’t for Brian, I suspect we’d have been escorted to the beach in a not-so-friendly manner. But thanks to Brian and his legendary status in Hawaii, we were able to paddle into a few bombs, scream our way to the bottom, and eventually wind up either overturning in the channel or hitting the sand with immense violence. Violence immense enough to drive a friend’s tooth through his lip. And I will say that, to this day, that was one of the most fun days I’ve ever had riding waves.
Anyway, Jamie O’Brien was, at one point at least, riding SUPsquatches fairly regularly. Hell, he had a pseudo “team” of SUPsquatchers that’s likely disbanded by now, but as anyone who’s ridden a giant inflatable surfboard with a few friends knows, it’s not hard to find a few more friends to ride a giant inflatable surfboard. And Jamie found a few guys willing to paddle out with him at biggish Sunset to have the most fun they could possibly have.
