Jamie O’Brien and Kala squashed things after, but don’t do this. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Jamie O’Brien doesn’t venture far from Pipeline when he’s at home. “Why surf anywhere else?” he asks. “Pipeline is the best wave in the world, at least as far as I’m concerned.” But Jamie O’Brien is not the only one who thinks that, and for that reason, Pipeline is crowded when it’s good. Very crowded.
Not just crowded with people who don’t know how to surf, either. It’s crowded with people like John John Florence and Jamie O’Brien. People who know that wave better than anyone else. People who have all the skill in the world. People who’ve spent their lives earning a spot in the lineup. But still, they have to deal with the crowds. Take, for example, the situation at the 6:10 mark in the video you see here. Jamie O’Brien dropped in on Kala Grace a guy who you should definitely not drop in on, even if you’re Jamie O’Brien. But things happen when the waves are good and the crowds are in full effect, and the two old friends hashed it out.
Jamie paddled out on a relatively big day at Pipeline. Big enough for a helmet, an impact suit, and a 6’9″. It’s not just the wave that’s dangerous, though — it’s the crowd, too. It’s likely that the helmet and impact suit aren’t just there to protect Jamie from the reef, but the fins and rails of others, as well.
Afterward, Jamie decided that a morning at firing Pipeline wasn’t quite enough, so he cleaned up and headed to the Waimea River for a different kind of session. All in a day’s work!
