Out at Pipeline, Jamie O’Brien is one of the best surfers of all time.
The North Shore of Oahu native has a practically unparalleled backside pigdog technique – in which he sticks his leg and butt cheek into the wave face, allowing for speed management and enhanced stability – that rivals any pro surfer in the world.
In other words, Jamie O’Brien is a freak.
But JOB has another side to his surfing life. When he’s not in “serious” mode, packing some of the best tubes of the season out at Pipeline, he likes surfing weird novelty waves. These are the waves that most surfers pass on, the waves that are either too dangerous or too strange to waste their time with. Waves like the backwash at Pipeline.
“The waves weren’t as good as I thought,” JOB says in the video above. “It turned more north. But the cool thing is the backwash is straight firing. I live for this. I love it. Basically, the waves are going back out to sea and towards the most dangerous wave in the world. And that is Pipeline. We’re getting crazy right now.”
Armed with his trusty bright pink soft-top, JOB charged the backwash waves, riding them like a reverse tidal bore, and into the impact zone of Pipeline.
Reflecting afterwards, Jamie got sentimental, a bit nostalgic about the session:
“We just got the goods. Scored backwash Pipe. There was a lot of warble in the lineup, and when there’s a lot of warble, it becomes a lot more dangerous. So, I decided to come in after I wiped out on that last wave.
“I grabbed the log and started riding the backwash. That was the best I’ve surfed the backwash in quite some time. Honestly, that was more special than a good day at Pipe. There’s something about the backwash. I always liked it since I was a little kid.”
***
Don’t miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We’re always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.
Whether you’re a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.