Jamie O’Brien hails from Hawaii and was lucky enough to grow
up to arguably one of the greatest waves in the world, Pipeline. It was here he
honed his skills and is now considered to be one of the all-time greats and
this stretch of sand on Hawaii’s North Shore.
Whether it’s Pipeline, Backdoor, Off The Wall or surfing the
shore-break at Keiki, he’s sure to be showing off his trademark laid back smile
and unrivalled barrel riding, all with a massive grin on his face!
His outgoing personality is hard to ignore and was evident
in his two feature films, Freakshow and Freakside along with his recent hugely
popular Red Bull series Who Is J.O.B?
Here we sit down with the man himself and find out how it
all started, favourite waves, surf
holidays and much more!
1. How
did you first get into surfing?
My Dad was a lifeguard at the beach so
everyday after school my dad would take me surfing on his lunch break!
2. Where
in the world is your favourite wave?
I love Mexico and the crazy beach breaks.
3. What
is your favourite surf area in the world?
Mexico, Fiji, Indonesia.
4. Where
in the world would you like to go to that you haven’t been?
Still trying to
figure that one out!
5. What
board do you generally ride?
Catch surf soft top.
6. What
do you do in your free time when you’re not surfing?
I love free diving for
fish / fishing with my dad.
7.
Beaches, Slabs or Reefs?
Slabs.
8.
Rights or Lefts?
Lefts.
9. Who
is your favourite pro surfer?
Kelly Slater/John John Florence.
10. What
is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you while surfing?
Surfing in
Speedos at Waimea tandem with Poopies.
11. What
is your favourite surf movie?
I don’t watch them.
12. What
is your favourite song/album to take on a surf trip?
Rage Against the Machine’s
Take the Power Back.
Jamie is involved in an Omaze campaign which offers surfers
the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a week surfing in the Maldives with
himself and Shane Dorian.
For as little as $10, surf fans around the world have the
opportunity to spend 7 days with Shane and Jamie, all in support of a cause
close to their hearts – an organization called More
Than Sport, which provides
kids in Hawaii with athletic and educational opportunities.
Fans can visit omaze.com/surf through July 24 to get
involved. Each donation helps to raise money for More Than Sport.
Other articles you may also want to read:
Legendary
Surf Spot: El Quemao
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Photo by: WSL/Kelly
Cistari
Photo by: Beach
Grit