Ian Walsh's win at the 2017 Pe'ahi Challenge felt like a long time coming. The 34-year-old Maui born charger has been surfing the world's most ferocious wave since he was 16. By 19, he was being nominated for Big Wave Awards, and he was a finalist during the first Pe'ahi Challenge in 2015.
Ian Walsh - WSL / Richard Hallman
This year, Walsh was the standout performer in every heat he surfed during the breathtaking two-day event. His 10-point ride in the Semifinals was immediately being called one of the best waves ever ridden at Jaws. Looking back on it now, Walsh makes no bones about it, his performance was the result of years of hard work and dedication to the break. "I feel like that was one time in my entire life where I used every bit of surfing small waves and big waves and all the good days and all the bad days all down into one moment."
In this recap video Walsh walks us through his entire Pe'ahi Challenge journey. Enjoy.