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In the world of surfing, Jamie O’Brien needs no introduction. The internet star’s fame was built on a series of hilarious surfing challenges. Big-wave surfing is another area of expertise for O’Brien, and he is unfazed by wipeouts when navigating the ocean’s dangerous waves. Despite O’Brien’s long history of ridiculous antics, one particular stands out. His daredevilry consisted of setting himself on fire and riding the treacherous surf of Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

Seven years ago, the video of Jamie O’Brien surfing Teahupo’o while it was on fire was posted to YouTube by the official channel of Red Bull. O’Brien had always wanted to take on this task, but he wanted to do it in one of the world’s most hazardous waves. In addition, he discusses the story in depth in the tenth episode of Season 4 of Who is JOB 5.0.

On fire and water at the same time

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Put simply, the combination of being set on fire and riding one of the most lethal waves in the world seems like a recipe for disaster. This, however, did not faze Jamie O’Brien. He had just made up his mind to take on the challenge. O’Brien had him train with a team of specialists before the challenge to make sure he was ready for it. After preliminary trials in Los Angeles, the team relocated to Tahiti for the ultimate test of their idea. Early in the day, the surfer got his day started by surfing while on fire and being towed by a speedboat. The day of the test finally arrived. In anticipation of a good wave, the surfer and his crew were poised and waiting in their boat. When O’Brien rode the large waves of Teahupo’o, his crew lit a fire on his back the instant they saw the wave.

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Seeing O’Brien, on fire, navigate the dangerous seas was a sight to behold. Conditions were challenging, but that didn’t deter the surfer, who turned back at the conclusion of the session and was wiped out in the waves to prove he’d completed his task. When he finally made it back to the boat, everyone on board was overjoyed. In the episode, he talks about the experience, saying, “During the whole fire thing like what was the most dangerous thing about it and I’m like well I don’t know. Like you know Teahupo’o’s 12-15 feet on the craziest coral reef ever the most powerful wave ever and then you’re lit on fire. it’s like oh what am I doing here? All the X-Factor’s lines straight up.”

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What do you think of this insane challenge? Let us know in the comment section.