J.O.B. isn’t just a surfer. He’s a wave rider, damn it. Photo: APB.com
I never know what to call bodyboarders. Spongers? Boogie boarders? Dick draggers? Lid kids? (I just made that last one up, and I like it). It seems, no matter the name, that someone gets upset–although when it comes to dick draggers, I understand. So let it be stated loud and proud here: I have nothing against people that ride bodyboards–in fact, most of the heaviest waves in the world have been sought out and ridden by bodyboarders well before surfers had the balls to test their limits. If I may be so vain to quote myself: “I like to think of them as a paving crew, of sorts, paving the way for surfers on surfboards, showing them that yes, this wave can be ridden. A paving crew full of some of the most insane people on any kind of board. ‘F*ckin’ spongers,’ we mutter. We’re an ungrateful bunch, aren’t we?” See?
There are countless people who have proven again and again that bodyboarding is one of the most legit ways to ride a wave. Which is why Jamie O’Brien was recently invited to the Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational. Of course, as anyone would when invited to something with Mike Stewart’s name on it, Jamie O’Brien said yes, please.
O’Brien has surfed many a giant wave on many a strange craft. He’s comfortable in very uncomfortable situations. And apparently, he used to compete as a bodyboarder. “I started booging when I was a little kid,” he told APB. “I won all kinds of events and Nationals as a bodyboarder and never won that on a short board.”
The event’s waiting period runs from February 18th to March 5th, and carries a cool $10,000 in the way of prize money. As one of the most exciting surfers in the world to watch, Jamie O’Brien will surely put on a show, just as countless other bodyboarders have before him. And with any luck, bodyboarding might finally get the respect it deserves.
