"It was one of those days where you could do something weird," Jamie O'Brien said. "Second Reef Pipe is like tow-in surfing...it's too easy. You roll into the craziest pits ever. I thought I could do the board transfer...if I could make the paddle out. But within 10 minutes, I paddled into one of the best waves I've had in years. I was on a 7' soft-top and usually I'm on a 10' board. The wind blew my shortboard into my hands right as I stood up. I didn't want to jump too early. As I started bottom turning, I knew it was time." Video: Addi Roberts

"Right as I stepped off, it went flat bottom and there was so much water sucking off the reef," O'Brien continued. "Within a second of me transferring, it sucked me up to the top but I still thought I could make it. But it never released and I just jumped in a big huge barrel. I did a pin-drop from up top under the lip and came right out the back. I didn't get pounded at all. I came out so quick that I saw the wave spitting. If I would have ditched my shortboard, I would've gotten the best barrel on the soft-top. I was kinda bummed but I wouldn't have been out there catching a Second Reef wave if I didn't have the soft-top. That thing got blown to bits."