Jamie O'Brien has been banned from the 2013 Triple Crown of Surfing after punching Ricardo dos Santos during the Billabong Pro Tahiti.
The Hawaiian charger will not be showing off his tube riding skills at his Pipeline break, as the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) decided to punish him with no competition until the end of 2013.
"It's their loss. I mean, it's my loss, but it's their loss as well, so whatever. I've won it before, I've won multiple events out there, so it's like, at least I'm entertaining", Jamie O'Brien tells our friends at Stab Mag.
"I hope the waves just drop, that's what I hope. I hope everyone comes here for the Pipe Masters and the waves just suck".
Jamie O'Brien will have to pay a fine, but it appears that Ricardo dos Santos may also suffer a penalty from the ASP.
Apparently, there was a punch exchange, and it has not been a one-way affair.
"I slapped him. So we both fell on the wave. And he came chasing after me. He threw the first punch. And y’know, he threw a coupla punches, and I threw a coupla punches, and that was the result of it", O'Brien added.