Words by Norm Bellingdon

Jamie O’Brien has made a point throughout his career of riding all sorts of silly wave-riding devices — Catch Surf foamies, jumbo sized SUPs, inflatable hamster wheels, inflatable hamsters, hamsters — and now he hopes to achieve competitive success on what some (racists!) consider the silliest wave-riding device of all: the bodyboard! Also known as boogie board, boog, lid (is it OK to say lid?) etc. A humble instrument which far from being silly is in fact a most sensible creation, better suited in many ways to the art of tube jiu jitsu — an art in which JOB is indisputably a master.

In light of this ability, he has been invited to compete in the forthcoming Mike Stewart Pipeline Invitational alongside a selection of the world’s very best bodyboarders. Jamie already has some bodyboarding experience under his belt, and it turns out he even placed highly in bodyboarding contests as a youth. “I started bogging when i was a little kid ! i won all kinds of events and Nationals as a bodyboarder and never won that as a short board haha,” he told the Association of Professional Bodyboarding. Let’s hear what else he had to say:

APB: You have had plenty of experience riding a Bodyboard at Pipe do you see yourself with an advantage based on wave knowledge to beat other competitors in the event?

JOB: I feel if it the right size i can do really good in the event!  

APB: Do you look at the wave different when you riding a bodyboard as opposed to riding a surfboard – Take off position etc?  

JOB: Yeah i defiantly can’t take of where i do with a surf board haha kinda a trip ! i gotta sit wide

APB: Have you received any “Mike Stewart” tips?

JOB: I try and ask HUB and Mike its pretty funny! i am getting better though ! ask them what they think !

APB: What is your perspective on the sport of Bodyboarding?

JOB: I Enjoy watching the guys pushing the limits in Slabs.

APB: You last competed in the 2013 Bodyboard Pipe event, How did you go and what were the conditions like?

JOB: I lost my fin and the waves where small wish it was on fire!

Bodyboarders, not very good at grammar; surfers, even worse.