Hometown boy captures the attention of the surfing world in Hawaii event

Who is Brett Barley?

Most everyone on Hatteras Island knows the answer to that question, but now the world surfing community wants to know about the kid who blazed onto the scene in the Volcom Pipeline Pro event in Hawaii.

On Hatteras, 20-year-old Brett Barley of Buxton is the son of “Jimbo” and Suzanne, the husband of Casey, and a pretty good surfer who has been riding the waves on Hatteras since he was 5 years old. He was recently featured in Surfing magazine in an article about surfing at Cape Hatteras and he has participated in other contests over the past few years to qualify for the Volcom Pipeline Pro event.

However, in his first heat on his first wave on a board he was riding for the very first time, Brett did the unthinkable.  Taking off deep at Backdoor, he pulled in and disappeared, only to reappear milliseconds before the lip came crashing down. He was rewarded with a perfect 10. Then he turned around a few minutes later and scored a 9.67.

He had a heat total of 19.67 out of a possible 20, which in a first heat is unheard of.  He ended up with the highest heat total out of everyone in the whole contest – some of the world’s most skilled surfers.  That’s pretty good for a kid growing up surfing the lighthouse.

He ended up placing a very respectable seventh in the contest.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Feb. 1, just hours after the event ended, Brett said all the attention he received was “just sinking in.”

“It was fun,” he said.  “I had a good time.  Usually when I go to a contest, it’s because I have to go.  This is different.  It’s been my dream forever.

“It’s the biggest thing in my career,” he continued. “I’ve never had a perfect 10 in any contest, but to do it in the Pipeline – it’s special.”

Brett made a name for himself in some of the most challenging conditions ever in a contest at the Pipeline.

All of the surfers in his inner circle and his friends knew that he was fully capable, but it was time for the rest of the world to know.

It was not his first trip to Hawaii.  And he has battle scars from surfing the Pipeline in the past.

I watched him grow up, surfing at the lighthouse, and if you can handle surfing out there when it is big, you can basically surf anywhere — for the most part.

I was absolutely glued to my computer over the past few days watching the live Webcast from the Volcom Pipeline Pro, and so was much of Hatteras Island. I – and probably others – waited anxiously for him to surf his next heat, as if it were my own kid.

Brett has gained respect from people in Hawaii and all around the world. He even has Mr. Pipeline, Gerry Lopez, singing his praises. Now that is incredible in itself.

Even in his semi-final loss, he had the announcers praising him again as he almost made it out of an impossible Backdoor barrel.

I can’t even begin to explain how this will change his life and how he made every one here in Buxton and the entire East Coast very proud.

For his part, Brett says he is thrilled to have been able to share his success with so many people.

“They have been so supportive and interested,” he says.  “It’s exciting to me that everyone else is so excited.  It makes it much more fun.”

Brett says he will be spending more time in Hawaii this winter. His job is surfing, and he is supported by sponsors who are excited about all the attention he has received.

“I’ve made a name for myself at the Pipeline, and now I need to be seen more here,” he says.

I can’t wait to see what Brett does in the next few years.  Got a feeling it is going to be incredible.