In order to be a big wave surfer of merit, you have to take it seriously. It’s got to be nearly all-consuming — one eye constantly on the forecast, a corner of your brain constantly mulling the where’s and the when’s of the next hunt. And no one does that with more passion than Ian Walsh.
“Ian Walsh might just be the most consummate professional big wave surfer in the world,” wrote Red Bull. “Not only is he committed to hunting every major swell event in the Pacific, he is obsessed with being the most prepared, motivated and switched-on surfer in the lineup, bar none.”
Jaws and Maverick’s, of course, are his bread and butter, but he doesn’t just live off it. He stays fit, keeps his head screwed on tight, and travels around with his brothers, DK and Shaun, who work with him to push the limits of what he, or any human, can do in gigantic waves.
Above is My Last Two Winters, a series that looks at some of the best big wave surfers on the planet and what makes them tick. For this episode, they looked at Ian’s life and what he does to stay at the top of the game.
