Jamie O’Brien Teaches Us How To Backside Barrel Ride: “You Gotta Get Low!”

Backside barrel-riding is one of the most difficult skills to learn in surfing, but also one of the most valuable. 

For 99.9% of surfers, it’s all about grabbing your rail and praying for a safe passage. But for the elite among us, thanks to years of perfecting the pig-dog technique, backside barrel-riding becomes one of the most mindless (and fun!) practices in surf – easier, even, than the frontside equivalent. 

In the video above, Pipe Master James Duncan O’Brien reveals his secrets from two-plus decades of slidin’ his ass on the carpet. It’s rumored that Masterclass offered JOB upwards of five mill for the exclusive rights to this content, but being the Generoso that he is, Jamie posted it on his Youtube free of charge.

For those without 11 minutes to spare, some Sparknotes include:

– paddle hard

– stand up fast

– back knee tucked

– front foot positioned on the heelside rail

– lean against the wall for balance

– open your stance to stall

– come out after the spit

Most important of all, JOB says we can hone our skills most quickly by pulling into closeouts. “You’ll learn you can make waves that you never thought were possible!”

We recommend watching the entire clip. Infotainment at its finest!