Jamie O'Brien solidified his title as “;Mr. Pipeline”; by winning the Volcom Pipeline Pro yesterday.

The 26-year-old North Shore native won the 5-star World Qualifying Series event for the third time, adding another trophy to an already full mantle that includes Da Hui Backdoor Shootout and Pipeline Masters titles.

While O'Brien added another Pipe contest victory to a long list of Pipeline conquests, he admitted his win yesterday was very difficult.

“;I've been squeaking heats the whole contest except for one heat,”; said O'Brien, who faced tough competition every round of the Volcom Pipeline Pro. “;I knew my time was coming I just didn't know if it was (yesterday) or next week.”;

O'Brien was challenged by fellow Pipe specialist Danny Fuller and Australian chargers Mark Mathews and Anthony Walsh in the 45-minute fina. Wave faces in the 12- to 16-foot range produced long, barreling rides at Pipe and Backdoor.

“;In the beginning of the heat, I knew there were good lefts and I really like going left,”; O'Brien said of his pre-final assessment of the conditions. “;I knew there were good rights and I really like going right.”;

At the start of the final, O'Brien found himself searching for a combination of scores. His fellow finalists jumped out to an early lead, leaving O'Brien looking to rally.

“;In the beginning of the heat, I was just worried that these guys were going to get really good scores early and I was going to have to play catch-up, which is a nightmare,”; O'Brien said.

Seasoned Pipeline competitors, like O'Brien, know it only takes two rides at one of the world's most dangerous waves to take the lead. In a 3-minute span, O'Brien got totally covered up twice at Backdoor to claim the lead over Walsh.

Walsh, the 26-year-old Australian made a name for himself at Pipeline the past four winter seasons. Walsh was in a good rhythm the entire heat until wiping out on a Backdoor barrel that had “;high score”; written all over it.

“;I love Pipe. I pretty much spend the whole winter here,”; said Walsh, who finished runner-up. “;To get second out here is a dream come true. Jamie O'Brien is the best surfer ever out here (at Pipeline).”;

Toward the end of the final, O'Brien found another incredible tube at Pipeline to boost his two-wave total to 17 out of a possible 20 points. O'Brien's wave selection was impressive the whole event, showing his deep understanding of the Banzai Pipeline. He held the lead for the last 5 minutes of the final, and luckily for O'Brien, the ocean went flat at the end of the contest.

“;It's funny because Mark (Mathews) looked at me and said, 'I bet you're hoping it goes dead flat.' And, I said, 'Yup,' “; O'Brien said after following Mathews around the lineup in the waning minutes. “;Mark could have done it really easy so I had to sit on him.”;

The Todd Chesser Memorial Award went to Honolulu City and County lifeguard Dave Wassel. Wassel competed from the first round to the quarterfinals of the Pipeline Pro and demonstrated the heart and sportsmanship of Chesser, the late pro surfer.

“;For me, this is like a lifetime achievement award. It means more to me then winning this contest,”; said Wassel, who was visibly choked up. “;The best contest — hands down — in a decade.”;