Taking advantage of home-water knowledge, Hawaii surfers won three of four heats as the Pe’ahi Challenge finished men’s Round 1 competition on Friday in epic 35- to 45-foot surf off Pe‘ahi, Maui.
Haiku’s Ian Walsh had the highest two-wave heat total with a 26.13 out of 30 to win Heat 3, including a contest-best 8.90 out of 10 in advancing to today’s Round 2. The impressive 8.9 came on a massive drop into a 45-foot wave that he navigated through to the inside bowl at the famous break known as “Jaws.”
“It’s definitely pretty lully and a very intense incoming swell so you can feel the long period and the energy in the ocean,” Walsh said in a press release. “We just got a little bit of a North wind so kind of picking and choosing the right waves and trying to just make sure you’re in the right place when they come.
“Those are my first two waves to open up the 2017/2018 winter, and it’s conveniently at home for me here. I’m glad we’re getting a start to the winter this early and hopefully this snowballs into something pretty special.”
Joining Walsh in the semifinals of the World Surf League Big Wave Tour meet are heat winners Billy Kemper, two-time Pe’ahi Challenge winner, and Makuakai Rothman, a former BWT champion. Crashing the all-Hawaii party was Brazil’s Lucas Chianca, the Heat 4 winner.
Kemper and Rothman are in today’s first semifinal along with Chile’s Cristian Merello, Brazil’s Danilo Couto and the U.S.’s Greg Long. The second semifinal includes Walsh, Chianca, Hawaii’s Kai Lenny — the BWT rankings leader — and Albee Layer, along with Australia’s Jamie Mitchell and Ryan Hipwood.
The Hawaii surfers not advancing were Mark Healey, Koa Rothman, Nathan Florence and Shaun Walsh. Hawaii’s Shane Dorian withdrew from the event due to back injury.
In today’s women’s final are Hawaii’s Paige Alms and Keala Kennelly, along with Brazil’s Andrea Moeller, Justine Dupoint of France, Australia’s Felicity Palmateer and Bianca Valenti of the U.S.
