Well, the Vans Pipeline Masters is done and dusted. The waves showed up and so did (most of) the invitees. Balaram Stack and Molly Picklum took home very large checks for their wins. And Jamie O’Brien had a bit of a different board choice: an eight-foot soft-top. I’m pretty sure that’s a first, right?
See, generally when there’s a pile of money on the line, competitors would want something a little more… high performance. Especially this year, when the event was judged not only on tubes, but on aerials as well. There’s a reason you don’t see surfers doing airs too frequently on eight-foot soft tops: because it’s nearly impossible. He did have a backup board though, something a little more performance oriented. Something a little more J.O.B. A 6’7″ Tokoro.
In typical Jamie fashion, he filmed the whole thing for his vlog. Soft-top aside, it’s an interesting look at what it’s like out in the Pipeline lineup during a prestigious event. And, despite the fact that Jamie says “it just goes to show that anyone can do this,” not just anyone can do it.
Catch up on Vans Pipe Masters results, here.
