Jamie O'Brien and Mike Stewart share a Second Reef bomb
Jamie O'Brien and Mike Stewart have orchestrated a memorable joint stunt at Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii.
Despite being family members, surfing and bodyboarding have a long history of rivalry and disputes in and out of the water.
However, if there are still doubts that they're unique yet complementary sports, two Pipe Masters made sure to revive our memories and put away any prejudice and judgemental thoughts we might have.
On November 29, 2024, Jamie O'Brien and Mike Stewart saw Oahu's North Shore light up with a massive swell igniting Pipeline's outer reefs.
"I haven't been out at Second Reef that far in a long time. Honestly, it's been ages since I paddled out there," Jamie O'Brien told Surfline.
"But today felt like the day - the buoys were reading 19 feet at 18 seconds. I knew there was a lot of water moving."
"Days like this always bring special waves, and today was no different."
"When the wave popped up out the back, it was a beautiful 12-15 foot set. I probably took off near Off the Wall, super far out."
"I was thinking, 'Oh my God, this wave might connect all the way to Pipe.' As I looked up, I saw a bodyboarder. I was like, 'Who's this guy?' Then I realized - it was Mike. Mike looked at me, and I was like, 'Yeah, it's Mike.'"
Suddenly, Mike and Jamie were in a situation they'd already been in the past.
So, the goal was to repeat something the duo recorded in the 2006 surf movie "Freakside": to enjoy a huge double barrel at Hawaii's tube riding capital.
"So, I thought, 'alright, let's do this.'"
An Orchestrated Wave-Riding Masterclass
Taking off on a large Second Reef bomb, O'Brien and Stewart set and draw their surf lines as they move toward the inside.
"I saw Mike taking a fast line, and I thought, 'You know what? I don't care what this wave does. I'm going to stay a little deeper and just pull in. If it closes out, it closes out.'"
When the wave connects with the Pipe reef, each rider times their moment while simultaneously checking on each other's movements.
"As I dropped to the bottom of the wave, I started to run over Mike's trail from his bodyboard. It threw me off a bit and set me on this weird line."
Sharing is caring and the two legends were ready for the decisive moment.
"Then, the chandelier section came, and I couldn't see anything. I was just deep in the barrel."
O'Brien is the first to disappear under the falling blue-and-white curtain of water. He speeds up to catch Stewart, who provides Jamie enough time and space to find an exit line.
"The wave started spitting, and I kept thinking, 'Trust Mike, trust Mike. He'll hold a good line.' And then - boom - I got spit out! I was just like, 'Oh my God.'"
"Mike is the greatest bodyboarder of all time and one of the greatest legends to ever surf Pipeline. It's always awesome to share a wave with him," concluded JOB.
The nine-time world bodyboarding champion was also ecstatic.
"Getting a barrel at Pipe is a truly special experience, but sharing a barrel with your friend takes it to another level," stated the greatest bodyboarder of all time.
"There's something magical about being in such an intense and personal moment with an amigo."
"There are only a few people left with whom I feel confident enough to do this, and Jamie O'Brien, one of the best to ever ride it to this day, is definitely one of them."
Jamie O'Brien is 41. Mike Stewart is 61. And as Tom Morey once said, "We're all surfers."
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com