Name: Ian Walsh
Profession: Professional Surfer
Birth date: May 10th, 1983
Current residence: Maui, Hawaii

Every surfer claims there was a wave that changed his life, but for Ian Walsh, one wave in 2004, literally altered the course of his existence.  

Living on Maui, Walsh had basically grown up watching the infamous ‘Jaws’ do its thing.  When Hawaiian hellmen started towing into offshore reefs, Walsh was just a kid.  But by the time he was 20, Walsh was a fixture among the mountains of water. On January 10th, the first big swell of the year, Walsh let go of the rope and careened down the face of a 70-foot wave.

“I had gotten a few good waves that morning already, so I decided to fade a little bit deeper on that one.  I hit a bump and lost some speed, but that put me right into the a place at the bottom of the wave that I thought I was a little too deep,” recalls Walsh, “I could see it starting to pitch in front of me already so I just took a bottom turn as hard as could and ended up being right in the pocket.”

Photographer, Tony Harrington captured the image, and Walsh’s life was changed. He earned runner-up for the Billabong XXL Awards, behind legendary North Shore waterman, Pete Cabrinha, but his name was forever etched into the halls of big wave riding.
    
“I went on a snowboarding trip the next day.  When I came home a week later and saw the photos, I couldn’t believe how it looked. I was just really lucky to be on that wave.”
   
But for all the notoriety it bought, Walsh knew it could also dangerously peg him as strictly a big-wave surfer. Yes, he has won his share of big wave awards, taking third at the Excel Sunset WQS 4-star in 2004, and first in 2005, as well as third at the Pipeline Pro in 2006, but Walsh is one of the best surfers in the world, in any conditions.
   
“It’s huge for me to prove myself in everyday surf,” says Walsh.  As easily as he can tackle a 70-foot maneater, he can bust air-reverses at the local beachbreak, “For my career and exposure, I need to be well-rounded. I’m not really worried about being pegged. That was just a good day, with a lot of media on hand.”
   
Walsh turned pro in 2001. Now 25, he’s a confident standout in any conditions, and known for his selfless nature. Walsh spent a couple years climbing the ranks of the World Qualifying Series, but took most of 2006 off to travel and shoot with some of the best lensmen and filmmakers in the world. He won The O’Neill Mission, a specialty event that took a group of surfers through Tahiti’s best waves, took part in the RB5X Fiji, and snowboarded the mountains of Chile. It was a relief to step away from the grueling contest circuit, but Walsh now has a new focus. 

INFLUENCE
Walsh never had to look far for influence. His father, Peter, one of Rhode Island’s original hellmen, and mother Kitty, from San Diego, met in Hawaii.  After Ian was born in 1983, they moved to Maui and started a family. Growing up, Walsh excelled in the classroom and in the water. Younger brother Luke has been pushing Ian, and his twin brother, Shaun and D.K. are right behind. 

Walsh attributes a lot of his success to Kazuma Surfboards shaper, Matt Kinoshita. A former national champ, Kinoshita has been coaching and sponsoring Walsh for 11 years. Walsh is more comfortable with a shaper who surfs well, and knows Hawaiian waves.

Growing up so close to the premier big wave spots in the world made Walsh comfortable in big surf, but there’s always the fear factor. On top of Hawaii, he’s been heralded for his performance at Teahupoo.

“If you’re not scared out there, then something’s wrong. You see how big it is, and you have butterflies in your stomach no matter who you are. But, you have to realize that that kind of swell doesn’t happen that often.”

Walsh is always training, however, constantly working on his strength so he has the confidence, on those big days. He represents a new generation of big wave surfers, and he’s looking to push the boundaries even further.

“In the next few years, I really want to draw different lines. I want to surf those reefs more like you would surf Sunset. It seems like everyone is just heading for the channel. I want to take that next step in big waves and get some barrels.”

For as harrowing as riding giant waves can be, Walsh doesn’t approach it much differently. 
“You just have to surf as if it was three-foot, and keep having fun. It really takes the pressure off. As soon as you got one, you want more,” explains Walsh.