Jamie O’Brien invited to Pipe Bodyboarding event

Words by Rick Snowden | Photo: Jake Marote

Jamie O’Brien, one of the North Shore’s most polarising Pipe specialists, has received an exclusive invite to compete in the Mike Stewart Pipeline Bodyboarding Invitational next month. The event is the Pipe Masters of the booging world, where 68 of the best surf against a list of invited riders voted into the draw by the top players. Jamie will don the jersey and surf alongside the inner sanctum of bodyboarders from around the globe, all chasing the biggest, dirtiest tunnels that can possibly be stuffed.

JOB started out on foam as a youngster, even claiming a few trophies in his horizontal heyday. Nowadays he’s known for his Pipe knifing black magic, and fetish for steering unusual craft through dangerous conditions, which we discussed with him here. Jamie might not have the deepest bag of booging tricks to impress the judges, but if the Banzai’s heaving and there are tunnels to be had, the man’s gonna find them (and clock some scores that could see him with a final placing? Don’t ever undervalue tube awareness!)

This isn’t his first competitive dig in the bodyboard scene though, having appeared on the draw sheet in previous years. Unfortunately he’s yet to land any milestone rankings, but this is a new year and we’ve got the faith! See JOB doing the boogie back in ’09 below.