Having grown up directly in front of the wave, Jamie O'Brien was destined to be one of its greatest surfers. In 2004, O'Brien dominated with a level of showmanship rarely seen in such serious surf, switching stance inside barrels, landing airs on the inside, and taking out six-time world champ Kelly Slater in the semifinals. In an impressive, all-Hawaiian final with Sunny Garcia, Kalani Robb, and Bruce Irons, O'Brien rode the first three waves of the heat, scoring a 7, an 8, and a 9.97. The other three surfers would remain combo'd for the entire heat.
