Billy Kemper, JAWS Challenge, 2018. Photo: WSL//Hallman
The Pe’ahi Challenge will be revived for the 2024-2025 big wave season after November’s announcement that the event’s spot on the WSL Big Wave Tour had been dropped. Organized by Daniel Goldberg, a Maui resident, big wave surfer, and owner of Pe’ahi Hui, whom the WSL has employed for water safety at the event in the past, the new Pe’ahi Challenge will take on a season-long digital format for 2024-2025 similar to the Mavericks Surf Awards and Red Bull Magnitude.
Under this new format, the contest is open to all big wave surfers around the world between November 1, 2024, and February 28, 2025. A Pe’ahi Challenge website has been launched for all surfers to submit images and footage by the end of the contest window and awards will be given out for Best Ride, Best Tow, Breakthrough Performer, People’s Choice, and Biggest Wave of the Season. A five-person panel of judges will include Jamie Sterling, Mark Healey, Keala Kennelly, Shaun Lopez, and Mikah Nickens.
Goldberg was one of the Maui community members who voted against renewing the WSL’s event permit back in July, citing infrastructure issues surrounding the contest in its current format.
“It was a meeting where the community discussed the pros and cons when the contest runs,” Goldberg told The Inertia last month, “(to discuss) if there are any benefits at all to the community – if the WSL was willing to provide a specific parking area or police parking control. But the WSL was refusing to do anything like that. The community was like, ‘Well, we don’t want people parking in our driveways. We don’t want people trespassing and jumping over fences. So if you guys don’t want to work with (us) and not disturb the peace, then we don’t want you guys here.’”
While the WSL hasn’t committed to bringing Pe’ahi back to its Big Wave Tour schedule after this year’s event was cancelled, it did leave the door open for a future revival. A spokesperson for the league told The Inertia back in November that they are willing to re-open negotiations as early as next year. In the meantime, it seems Goldberg is leading the charge to hold a premiere big wave event at Jaws this winter however possible.
“We’re thrilled to bring the Pe’ahi Challenge back in this format,” he said in a press release Tuesday. “This is an amazing opportunity for local surfers and those around the world to participate in an event that is typically limited to full-time professional big wave surfers in an invite-only setting. This year, we’re opening the door to a broader audience and giving recognition to the men and women who want to catch the incredible waves at Pe’ahi this winter season!”
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